Rook POV **Warning this chapter includes Dub-Con**His eyes widen, his breath hitching for just a fraction of a second. But then, just as quickly, he shakes it off, snapping right back into his anger, shoving the reaction away like it never existed.“You can’t just claim someone,” he bites out. “You can’t just say I’m yours when you have nothing from me! You kissed me, that doesn’t mean shit! That doesn’t make me yours!”I sigh, already bored of his little outburst.Then he makes a mistake. “Paul fucked me,” he sneers, his voice dripping with venom. “He owns more of me than you ever could.”My grip tightens on the wheel, my pulse slowing to something dangerous.He laughs, mocking, taunting, enjoying the reaction he thinks he’s getting. “Hell, even Darren owns more of me than you do.”I slam on the brakes, the tires screeching against the road as the car jerks to a sudden stop. Kade barely has a second to react before I’m out of my seat, yanking open his door and grabbing him by the co
Rook POVHe’s a fucking mess. I thought he was stronger than this, more resilient, more stubborn, more mine. I’ve spent years pushing him, chipping away at him, watching him almost break and rebuild himself over and over again, just to knock him down again. He’s taken my shit for so long that I thought he could withstand anything. But my father? Fuck. My father shattered him in a week. A week.That’s impressive, I can’t deny it, but it also pisses me off. I had a plan. A long, drawn-out, torturous plan. I was going to take my time with him, make him fight me every step of the way until there was nothing left to fight with. I wanted to watch him crack slowly, wanted to see him resist and resist until he finally begged for me to fuck him.Instead, my father sped up the process, ripped through him like it was nothing, and now Kade is already at the edge.It’s almost disappointing. I wanted to make him desperate, make him crave it, make him ask for it. I wanted to stretch him out on the h
Rook POVMy father watches me for a moment, his fingers tapping against the glass in his hand before he sighs, setting it down with a dull thud. “Enough about Mercer. There’s business to take care of,” he mutters, rubbing a hand over his jaw before pushing himself up from the chair.I arch a brow, stretching out lazily but already knowing where this is going. “Business?” I echo, amused. “That your way of saying you need me for something?”His lips twitch, but it isn’t a smile, just that knowing look that tells me whatever he’s about to say isn’t up for negotiation. “A shipment came in late. Someone’s been fucking around with my routes, and I need to send a message,” he says, cracking his neck before grabbing his coat from the back of the chair. “And since you’re so damn unbothered about Mercer, you can come along.”I sigh but stand anyway, shoving my hands into my pockets as I follow him out the back door of the villa. The air is crisp, the sky dark and quiet, but the silence doesn’t
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 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
Kade POVThen, slowly, his expression shifts.Oh, no. “Rook—”He doesn’t let me finish. His hand fists in my shirt harder, and before I can dodge, his mouth is on mine, hot and insistent.I try to pull back, try being the key word, because Rook is stronger right now, and he’s stubborn, and there’s no way in hell he’s letting me escape.I groan against his lips, gripping his shirt as I kiss him back despite my earlier refusal. His other hand slides up, tangling into my hair, keeping me exactly where he wants me.It’s messy. heated and when he finally pulls back, breath heavy, I know my lips are definitely stained red.I stare at him, trying to glare but failing. “I told you—”Rook smirks, swiping a thumb over my lower lip. “Worth it.”I shake my head, but I can’t even be mad, because, yeah. It kinda was.Exhaling, I rub a hand over my face as Rook glares at me, still standing too close, still looking far too smug w
Kade POVDarren is not fucking happy, but I don’t give a shit. He keeps trying to negotiate, like there’s some way to fix this, like he can worm his way back in if he just says the right thing.There’s no coming back. He’s out. He should be grateful Nikolai agreed to keep him, otherwise, he’d have nothing.“Be grateful you have the team,” I tell him flatly. “I wanted to leave you with nothing.”His eyes narrow. “This is fucked up. What’s the point in me working under Nikolai when he won’t be doing this or have power?”“Would you rather have nothing?”He glares at me. “So what, I work under Nikolai and you get all the fucking rewards? All this because I faked wanting to fuck you for a few pictures?”“Are you done?” I ask, barely restraining my patience. This is because Rook won’t let him near me, I’m saving his fucking life.“No. What the fuck is Nikolai thinking? He would never have agreed to this. So because y
Rook POVBy the time she’s done, she has six dresses draped over her arms, all some combination of sparkles, lace, and ridiculous amounts of tulle.Rose laughs. “You really set yourself up for that one.”“I’m aware,” I mutter, watching as Harlow beams at the pile of dresses in her arms before glancing at me again. A thought flickers across her face, and suddenly, I don’t trust her, it’s the same damn look that Mercer gets when he’s planning my demise.“Since you can’t get a dress,” she says sweetly, already walking toward the accessories section, “you have to wear something else!”I stare after her, dread settling in my stomach. “Harlow…”She ignores me completely, grabbing something from the shelf before turning back with an innocent little grin, holding up a bright pink tiara covered in fake gemstones.I blink. “No way.”“Yes way,” she says, walking right up to me and standing on her tiptoes to try and reach my head. Groaning
Rook POVMy nails shine like there are thousands of tiny little diamonds on them. Harlow is chuckling, highly amused as we get out of the car and she drags me into the next place.“You’re really going to do this?” Rose looks at me.“Yeah,” I mutter, looking at Harlow as she climbs onto a chair. “She’s fucking happy. If I say no, that goes.”“Daddy Rook!” Harlow waves her arms, and Rose just smirks.“You realize she’s going to go big and bold, right? No natural tones. You’re going to come out of here looking like a clown.”“Well then, I’m her clown,” I state and walk over, sitting beside Harlow.“What’s the plan?” the woman looks at me.“Ask Rose,” I say, pointing to Rose. The plan is they pretend to put makeup on her. She gets lipstick and eyeshadow and a bit of blush, but everything else is fake. I don’t want her having whatever else on her face.I think Rose mentioned foundation? Maybe it was primer? I’ve got no fuckin