Kade POVThe pounding in my skull is relentless, a deep, stabbing ache that makes it hard to focus. My body feels too heavy, my limbs sluggish, weighed down by something I can’t place. The air around me is cold, pressing against my bare skin in a way that feels wrong, and when I try to shift, to lower my arms so that I can push myself up, something jerks me back, stopping me mid-motion.A sharp clank of metal rings out, the sound slicing through my haze like a gunshot. I blink, my breath catching as I force myself to register what just happened. My arms are stuck. My wrists are secured. Slowly, I lift my head, the dull weight of exhaustion dragging against me as I follow the pull of resistance, eyes locking onto the handcuffs wrapped tight around my wrists.Thick, heavy-duty steel glints under the dim light, the chain stretched taut, looped around the top bar of the bed behind me. The second I process what I’m seeing, my body reacts. My pulse kicks up, my muscles tensing as I yank, tr
Kade POVHe watches me carefully, waiting for something, waiting for a reaction that I refuse to give him.“You still think this is a game,” he finally says, his voice quieter now, lower, like he’s talking more to himself than to me. “That’s fine. You’ll catch up soon enough.”I scoff, shifting my shoulders, rolling the tension out as much as I can with the limited movement I have. “You keep telling yourself that,” I mutter.His smirk flickers, just for a second, and I know I’ve hit something. He doesn’t like that I’m still pushing, that I haven’t given him the satisfaction of backing down.Good.I settle in, relaxing into the position like I have all the time in the world. “What now?” I ask, voice dry, unimpressed. “You gonna keep me locked up here like some kind of pet? Gonna drag me around, tell everyone you finally broke me?”He leans in closer, so close I can feel his breath against my skin, so close that for a second, the air between us tightens, like the tension is about to sna
Kade POV“Go on,” he murmurs, voice laced with a quiet threat. “Fight me. Push back. Watch what happens when I leak that fucking video behind my father’s back. You’ll be back in that trailer before you can even beg me not to.”My stomach twists, the air between us thick and suffocating. Shit.I wanted this,I wanted to push him, to taunt him, to make him snap and lose that thin grip he had on his self-control. But I also know exactly where my limits are, and I know damn well I can’t afford to lose everything.I can’t risk losing my career. I can’t risk my mother being stuck in that fucking trailer for the rest of her life, and Rook knows that.“Now open up,” he orders, his tone leaving no room for argument.Everything in me screams to keep fighting, to resist, to keep taunting him just to prove that I’m still in control of something, but I can’t. Not this time. Because in the end, it isn’t about pride. It’s about survival.So I obey. His fingers tighten in my hair as he thrusts deep, g
Rook’s POVHe’s laughing. Laid out beneath me, wrists still cuffed to my bed, completely at my mercy, and he’s fucking laughing.I feel it, a deep pulse of something dark, something dangerous, curling inside me as I watch the smirk play across his lips. He knows what he just did, knows exactly how far he’s pushed me, knows that I’m hanging by a thread, and he loves it.My fingers tighten around his hips, my grip bruising, possessive, it's the only thing keeping me from completely losing it. He feels perfect beneath me, like he was always meant to end up right here, pinned, unable to fight, finally fucking admitting he’s mine.“You really don’t fucking learn, do you?” My voice is low, almost calm, but I feel the way he tenses, the way his body reacts despite the smirk still tugging at his lips.I lean down, my weight pressing into him, my mouth hovering just above his. His breath is warm, uneven, his chest rising and falling beneath me, his skin flushed, his body so fucking wired from
Rook POVHis smirk widens, knowing he’s landed a hit. “I’ll scream his fucking name so loud you’ll hear it for weeks,” he continues “And you’ll finally learn that you. Do. Not. Own. Me.”The last of my patience burns away, incinerated by the fucking audacity of him, by the way he’s looking at me like I don’t already own every single fucking part of him. I thrust into him, my hands gripping his hips like a vice, and his taunting words break apart instantly.He groans, a sound torn from his throat before he can stop it, his fingers clenching into the sheets beneath him. I press him into the mattress, my weight locking him in place, making sure he feels every inch of what he just asked for.“You think you can—”I slam into him again, cutting him off. His body arches, another deep sound spilling from his lips before he bites down into the sheets, trying to muffle himself.“You don’t own—”Another thrust. Another ragged, helpless fucking groan.“You can’t fuck for—” I push deeper, harder,
Rook POVHis breathing is wrecked, his body completely still, and I know it’s killing him that he let it happen, that he let me see him like this. The fact is, he wanted it and he asked for it in so many ways before actually saying the words. So I gave it to him, even if he hates himself for letting me touch him.Slowly, I drag my fingers down his back, my touch softer now, teasing, and almost lazy. He flinches, but he doesn’t pull away. No, he doesn't try to escape and he doesn’t say a word either.I grin, pressing my lips against the back of his neck, letting the weight of what just happened settle between us. “You don’t have to say it,” I murmur, my voice is deep, low, and possessive. “We both already know.”His fingers twitch, his wrists still bound to the bed, but he still doesn’t answer. He's not going to, maybe because he's still too fucking stubborn to admit the truth? Too stubborn to accept he wanted this and wants me.I pull out slowly, watching the way his body reacts, the
Kade POVWaking up, my body feels heavy, and everything comes flooding back instantly. I fucked up. I should have stopped pushing and taunting him, but when do I ever fucking learn? I know that, in his mind, me telling him not to fucking stop was just me making myself his.Opening my eyes, I see him asleep beside me, that smug fucking expression still somehow plastered on his damn face.Moving carefully, I ignore everything and search for my clothes, but there’s no sign of them. Slowly pulling open a door, I grab some of his instead and throw them on, noticing my shoes in the corner. Moving quietly, I slip them on, trying not to wake him.I swear it feels like he’s awake and just waiting to laugh, but maybe that’s just my fucking paranoia. Glancing around, I spot his jacket. Walking over, I search his pockets and grab my phone.Reaching the door, I place my hand on the handle and smirk back at him. “You’re fucking delusional,” I whisper, turning the handle, only to find it locked.Fuc
Kade POVI need to stop thinking. I need to fucking stop.“Jesus, Mercer, you good?”The voice snaps me out of it, and I slow slightly, glancing over my shoulder to see someone skating toward me. Jensen. He eyes me like I might lose my shit at any second, which, yeah, fair.“Fine,” I mutter, straightening up and forcing the tension out of my shoulders.Jensen snorts, coming to a stop beside me. “Yeah, that’s convincing. You’ve been skating like you’re trying to outrun the fucking devil.”I roll my neck, exhaling slowly. “Just needed to move.”He studies me for a second, his gaze sharper than I’d like. “You look like shit, though. Long night?”My muscles lock up automatically, and it takes everything in me not to react. I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t even want to think about it. “Something like that,” I say, keeping my tone flat.Jensen doesn’t push, just nods and starts skating alongside me. We fall into an easy rhythm, gliding across the ice in silence, the only sound the scr
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
Kade POVA lump forms in my throat. “I’m sorry you didn’t feel like you could say them on our wedding day. But why now? Why were you going to give them to me on our anniversary when I had gotten worse, not better?”“Part of me hoped it would make you realize. The other part of me was ready to not give it to you at all and hide it for another five years. Honestly? I probably wouldn’t have given it to you. I just told myself I would.”I roll the ring between my fingers, the weight of it sinking into my palm like a stone. It’s not just a ring. It’s everything I missed, everything I ignored, everything Rook held onto when I didn’t even realize he was waiting for me to catch up.I swallow hard. “You really thought you’d have to hide this for another five years?”He watches me, and there's something heavy in his eyes. “I didn’t just think it, Kade. I knew it. I told myself I’d give it to you on our anniversary, but deep down, I knew I wouldn’t. Because y
Kade POVNow what do I do? I stare at the ceiling, watching time pass by. It’s been an hour, maybe two. I don’t fucking know because I refuse to check my phone because then I'll be tempted to do business from it. The temptation is there, but I made a promise, and I’m actually trying this time.I sit up, then lay back down. I flip onto my side, then my stomach, then back again. I’m going fucking insane.My fingers itch for something to do. I’ve already looked around the room, checked every inch like I was in a damn prison cell. Nothing, there's nothing to help distract me.Getting up and I pace the floor, stopping at the window to look outside. It’s not like I can go out there. I’m not meant to be seen by Harlow yet. That was the rule, and for once, I’m actually following it.Sighing, I flop back onto the bed. I should have asked for a book or something. How the fuck do people sit in a room and do nothing? This is torture.I run a hand throug
Kade POVWorking wasn’t me running. It was me trying not to go crazy sitting in this room alone. I get that Harlow can’t see me yet, but being locked up in a bedroom is making me lose my mind.Still, I agreed to three hours. Just three hours of work. Which means I need to figure out how to make this room feel less like a prison cell. It’s not like I can go anywhere else, not when they play hide and seek and every room is fair game except the bedrooms people are sleeping in.“How’s Harlow?” I ask, sitting down on the bed.“She was safe the entire time,” Rook says.“That doesn’t answer the question, Rook.”Sighing, he sits down beside me. “She was scared, obviously. We had to put a vest on her. Mostly, though, she was mad at me for sending her away with Rose instead of letting her stay.”I nod, smirking. “Which is why you look like a princess.”He nods slowly. “I’ve never made her cry before, and I did that. Then