Rook POVI hand him a stick and a puck once we step onto the ice, and he stares at me like I’ve lost my mind.“I’m not meant to fucking play,” he states, crossing his arms over his chest.I raise an eyebrow. “Oh, you enjoy killing men, but breaking the rules of hockey time-out is scary?”He exhales sharply, shaking his head, but there’s the smallest twitch at the corner of his mouth. “You’re a dick.”“And yet, here you are.” I tap my stick against the ice. “Come on, Mercer. Just a little. No one’s watching. What, are you afraid of getting grounded?”His jaw clenches, but I see it, the way his fingers flex slightly around his stick. He wants this. He wants to move, to feel the ice beneath him, to play.I drop the puck and glide backward. “First to score three wins.”He scoffs. “Wins what?”I smirk. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”For a second, he hesitates, but then something in him gives, and he pushes forward, taking the bait.And then it happens. He laughs, a real laugh.Not a scoff. N
Kade POVI sit in the car next to Rook, staring out the window in silence. I could have won. Yeah, my body was exhausted, my ribs ached with every breath, but I could have won.At some point, though, I let go.I don’t know if it was because I wanted an excuse not to fight him for once or because the thought of going home, looking my mom and sisters in the eye, knowing I killed two men, feels wrong.So he won. I didn’t make it obvious, just started slowing down, let the ache in my ribs take more control, winced when I knew he was watching. He thought I was slacking. He believed I lost because of the pain, not because I let it happen.I sigh, rubbing a hand down my face, glancing around. “Where the fuck are we going, Rook?”“Your team’s playing,” he says, eyes still on the road. “Figured you should be there, keep them motivated. Kick their asses into gear. You might not be able to play, but you can still throw abuse at them for being shit.” His lips curl into that smug smirk of his, lik
Kade POVMy phone vibrates in my pocket, giving me an excuse to drop the conversation. I pull it out and see Rook’s name flash across the screen.Rook: Go out with the team. I’ve got shit to handle with my father.I don’t reply right away, my fingers tightening around the phone.Another message comes through.Rook: And don’t go getting naked in alleys again. You might not be so lucky next time.My jaw clenches as I glare at the screen. Fucker.“Who’s that?” Tyler asks, still watching me like he’s trying to read my damn mind.“No one,” I mutter, shoving my phone back into my pocket.I should go home. I should shower, sleep, let my body recover. But something about the way my team is watching me, the way Rook thinks he can just tell me what to do, makes my chest burn with something too close to frustration.“Fuck it,” I say, standing up. “Let’s go get trashed.”The guys cheer, shoving me toward the door as we head out. I don’t know if I actually want this, but at least for tonight, I ca
Kade POVThe door swings open behind me.“Where the fuck you going?” Tyler asks, stepping outside, beer still in hand.I exhale sharply, dragging a hand through my hair. “Not sure yet.”But I am, I know where I'm going to go, and I hate that I am.Tyler eyes me, his brow furrowing like he’s trying to figure out what’s going on inside my head. I don’t give him a chance to ask.“Tell the guys I’ll catch them later,” I mutter, already turning away.“The fuck, Mercer? You never skip out on a night like this.”He’s right. I don’t. But tonight, nothing feels right. The drinks aren’t hitting how they should, the laughter isn’t drowning out my thoughts, and I can’t shake the feeling that there’s only one thing that’ll quiet my fucking mind.Rook.I walk off, ignoring whatever else Tyler is saying, pulling my phone out and texting the only person I shouldn’t be texting.Me: Where are you?I don’t expect an immediate answer, but my phone buzzes before I even step off the curb.Rook: Home. Why?
Rook’s POVI know the moment this ends, he’ll go right back to shutting me out and pushing me away with every excuse he can find, running the second he gets the chance. But that doesn’t matter. I can always pull him back, always drag him deeper.Leaning over him, I grip his wrists and pull them up. Before he even realizes, the cuffs are locked around them, secured to the bed.“Fuck,” he breathes, and I grin.“You really thought I didn’t notice how much you love being chained down? How much you love taking my cock when you’ve got no choice?” I growl, thrusting into him without hesitation.His groan is muffled against the pillows, like he’s trying to silence himself, but I know better. He still wants to fight, still wants to snap back and use his words as a weapon.My hand snakes around his throat, pulling his head back just as I drive into him again. He groans, his body arching against me.“Go on,” I whisper against his ear, my grip tightening. “Say it. I fucking dare you.”He doesn’t
Rook POVI grin against his skin, my hand tightening on his jaw as I keep him exactly where I want him. “There it is,” I murmur, my voice thick with satisfaction. “Took you long enough.”His breath is sharp, uneven, like he’s still trying to hold himself together. But he’s lost that battle, and we both know it. I keep moving, my thrusts steady, deliberate. Deep enough that he shudders beneath me, his fingers curling into fists against the cuffs.“You feel that?” I whisper, dragging my lips over his ear, my voice almost soft. “That’s your body telling me everything you won’t.”His jaw clenches, but I feel the way his breath stutters, the way his back arches just slightly as I push deeper. His silence isn’t defiance anymore, it’s surrender.Still it's not good enough, I want to hear him. I need to. Sliding my hand down, I press my palm against his stomach, feeling the way his muscles tense beneath my touch. My fingers drift lower, teasing, barely brushing where he’s aching for more.Kad
Rook POVThe silence stretches between us, but it isn’t tense. It isn’t forced. It’s just there, settling over us in a way that feels almost foreign.Mercer doesn’t pull away. Doesn’t shift uncomfortably or make some excuse to put space between us. He just stays there, breathing steadily, his fingers still loosely tangled with mine.I rest my chin against his shoulder, feeling the slow rise and fall of his chest. He’s letting me in. Whether he realizes it or not, this is something.“You’re not freaking out.” I smirk against his skin. He replies with a scoff, low and rough. “You were expecting me to?”I chuckle. “Wouldn’t be the first time you lost your shit over something soft.”He tenses just a little, but I feel the way his chest moves, something close to a huff of amusement, even if he won’t admit it.Shifting, I press in closer, letting my hand slide up his back, feeling the warmth of his skin beneath my palm. “You like this,” I murmur, my lips barely brushing against his shoulde
Kade’s POVHis body stills, his eyes locking onto mine, sharp and searching. “What the fuck does that mean?” he whispers.“It means your family caused us to be living like this, Rook! That’s what it fucking means,” I snap.His gaze flickers around, like he’s trying to piece it together, trying to make sense of something that’s been a fact in my life for years. “I don’t get what you’re saying.”I sigh, rubbing a hand over my face. “When I visited, I told her, about everything. And she pulled out a picture. My father, about eighteen, standing with your grandfather.” I shake my head, jaw clenching. “I don’t know the whole story, but whatever happened, he lost everything. And he never got it back.”Rook exhales sharply, his posture shifting. “That wasn’t me. I’m not like that.”I scoff. “No? Then where are we sleeping tonight, Rook? Let me guess, you got a nice, fancy hotel nearby, right?”His head tilts, his brows pulling together, confusion flickering across his face.I laugh bitterly,
Rook POVThe last few days have been good. Kade has barely worked, giving himself real time to heal. I’ve purposely gone to train, making sure he has time alone with Harlow.He needs it. So every now and then, I fake that I have to train and head to the rink. Sure, I train, but not every single day. This is about giving him time with her, time they both need.“Have you decided?” My dad walks in, looking between us.“Does it really make a difference?” I ask. To me, it doesn’t matter whether Kade and I arrive together or not.“You’ve got to consider it. Are you going there together, as partners? Or are you showing up separately, like the rivals you’ve always been?”Kade smirks. “Maybe separate cars. Something tells me Rook won’t handle losing well.”He has no fucking idea.“Plus, I’m not sure I’ll want to sit in a car
Kade POVRook walks beside me, his hands are shoved in his pockets, and he has that smug little smirk still on his face. “You really thought they wouldn’t bring up our marriage?” he teases.I huff. “I don’t know why they care so much. It’s not like you’re some fucking trophy wife.”He gasps dramatically. “Excuse you, I am a fucking prize.”I roll my eyes, but I don’t fight the grin tugging at my lips.As we reach the doors leading to the ice rink, I hear the sound of skates carving into the ice. Laughter echoes, followed by Rose’s voice giving encouragement. I step inside, and my eyes immediately find Harlow.She’s on the ice, her tiny form skating with ease, stick in hand, guiding the puck forward.I stop walking.Rook keeps going, not noticing until he glances back at me. “What?”I gesture toward the rink. “She’s... ac
Kade POVI walk into the stadium, Rook right beside me. We brought Harlow along, and she and Rose are going to skate for a bit. It gives her something to do, and afterward, we can join her as well.“So, no punching people, right?” Rook glances at me.“You are telling me?” I scoff. “I am pretty sure you would be the one to punch a reporter, not me.”His head tilts slightly, a smirk playing on his lips. “I don’t know. You have always hated them, but now you can punch them, and it doesn’t even matter. You’re quitting, what are they going to do? Force you to play more as punishment?”Rolling my eyes, I shove him, but he barely moves. Instead, he wraps his arms around me, pulling me in tight.“I’m offended, Mercer. Look at you, shoving me,” he teases, his grip tightening. “You should be glad the cameras didn’t catch it... Abuse. Damn,
Rook POVI lean back, pulling him with me until we’re both lying down, my arm wrapped around him, his head resting against my chest.“She doesn’t deserve you,” I whisper.“I know,” he murmurs.“But you still won’t let her die alone. You love her, she's your mom, that doesn't change.”He doesn’t answer, but he doesn’t have to. I already know.The sound of muffled giggling pulls me from sleep, followed by the unmistakable rustling of movement on the bed. I blink my eyes open, groggy and disoriented, only to find two pairs of eyes staring right at me, one mischievous, the other excited.Harlow is sitting cross-legged at the foot of the bed, balancing a plate on her lap, while Kade leans back against the pillows with a tray in front of him, looking way too pleased with himself for this early in the morning.I glance between them, rubbing a hand over my face. “W
Rook POVI don’t say anything, I just reach for his wrist and guide him toward our room. He doesn’t fight me or try to pull away. His breathing is steady, but I can feel the tension in the way he moves, in the way his fingers flex like he’s trying to keep control of himself.The second we step inside, I shut the door behind us, locking out the rest of the world. Kade stands there for a moment, staring at nothing, clearly lost in his own head.I walk over to him and place my hands on his shoulders. He still doesn’t move, so I squeeze lightly, grounding him. “You did the right thing,” I say quietly.He lets out a breath, a slow, shaky one that tells me just how much this is weighing on him. “I don’t know if it was the right thing,” he mutters. “I just know sending her away wouldn’t have changed anything.”Nodding, I step closer. “That’s the right thin
Kade POVI let out a sharp laugh. “What’s there to deal with? She didn't care, she used me for money and tried to gain more. She made her choices. She doesn’t get to come back now just because she’s running out of time.”“You don’t have to forgive her,” he says, leaning forward against the desk. “But you’re going to regret it if you don’t talk to her before it’s too late.”I scoff, shaking my head. “No, I won’t.”“You will.”The certainty in his tone pisses me off more than anything else. “You don’t know that.”“I do, because I’ve seen it before,” he counters, voice sharp now. “I’ve watched men in this life lose people they swore they didn’t care about, and then I’ve watched them drown in the weight of it after they were gone.”I shake my head, refusing to listen.
Kade POVHarlow is relentless. She’s covering me in pink plasters, wrapping me in bandages, and holding ice directly against my skin. Not an ice pack, not wrapped in a towel, literal chunks of ice.Rook, of course, is grinning like this is the best thing he’s ever seen.I don’t complain, though. At least I get to see her, spend time with her, even if it means enduring her questionable medical care. She sticks another plaster onto my arm, nowhere near the actual injuries, and I can’t help but wonder why.“Daddy Rook,” she nudges him, her little voice full of authority. “Daddy Mercer needs ice cream.”Oh, this is good. I lean back more, smirking. “Yeah, Daddy Rook, I need ice cream.”Rook glares at me before turning back to her. “We don’t have any, princess. You finished it before we left.”She gasps dramatically. “No! Not our ice cream, Gelato Heave
Rook POVFacing her, I decide to ease into it. “So, I spoke to Daddy Mercer,” I say, watching as her eyes light up instantly.“Is he having fun with Aunt Amelia?” she asks, tilting her head.“He was,” I say, dragging out the word before shaking my head like I’m disappointed.Her little brows furrow. “What did Daddy Mercer do now?” she exclaims, throwing her hands up like she already knows it’s going to be something ridiculous.I sigh dramatically. “Well, he went to play hockey.”She blinks at me. “That’s not stupid. Daddy Mercer does stupid stuff.”Snorting, I nod. “True, but him trying to check someone and instead tripping over his own feet, slamming into the ice, and smashing his face definitely was.”She gasps before bursting into laughter, her giggles so loud even the soldiers and capo glance over. She clutches her stomach, barely able to catch her breath. “He fell?” she wheezes between laughs.“Flat on his
Rook POVWhen I wake, I’m still in bed with Rook wrapped around me. My eyes fall on the ring, and I’m glad I gave it to him. Even if the whole thing was hard. We need something so that I don’t have to stay locked in this bedroom, avoiding Harlow.If I’m going to be home resting, I should get to spend time with her. But I also know I have no idea my mom is still here. Courtesy of my father. Not today. For today, I can stay in the bedroom, and Rook will figure out something to tell Harlow to explain the bruises and broken fingers.Sliding out of bed, I go downstairs, and she’s already in the kitchen with Rose.“Let me guess, pancakes?”“No!” Harlow smiles at me.“Wait, no? You can’t go changing the routine, I want pancakes!” I joke, and she laughs.“She’s discovered the waffle maker.”Oh... “Well, I’m on board with waffles as well.”Standing here, we make waffles, and she talks away. After, I grab a plate and take them up