Kade POVI’m not sure what’s going on. There’s a lot of noise, and voices in the background, but it takes a while to fully wake up. My head fucking kills. It had dulled down to an ache before, but now it feels like someone is slamming into it over and over again.“Right, sit up,” Rook’s voice cuts through the haze, firm but not harsh. I groan as I push myself up, my entire body protesting the movement. I hate this. If I had been well, I would have stopped Axel myself. But no, instead, I look weak as fuck.“You need to go to the hospital,” Rook says, throwing some clothes at me. I blink, trying to focus on the room as everything still tilts around me.“I’m not fucking going back there,” I grit out. There’s no way I’m spending another minute in that damn hospital. I was fine before, I’ll be fine now.“Then get dressed. You’re coming back with us,” he orders.I let out a dry laugh, shaking my head. “I’m fine here.”“Listen to him,” Nikolai cuts in, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Kade POVI’ve barely stepped inside when a man is already waiting. He's older, professional, and dressed clean but simple, the doctor.“Sit,” he says, gesturing toward a chair. He doesn’t waste time, grabbing supplies as he steps forward.The alcohol stings as he cleans the wound, and I grit my teeth as the needle pushes through my skin, pulling the torn flesh back together. Rook leans against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching the whole thing like he’s enjoying the show.“You’re lucky you didn’t crack your skull open,” he mutters.I huff out a laugh. “Yeah, I’m real fucking lucky.”The doctor finishes a few minutes later, taping over the stitches before stepping back. “You need to take it easy. No sudden movements, no stress on the head, and definitely no getting hit again.”I scoff. “Yeah, I’ll be sure to avoid that.”Rook pushes off the wall, moving toward me. “Come on, you need sleep.”I look at him, narrowing my eyes slightly. “Where the hell am I even sleeping?”“In my bed,”
Rook POV I walk down the stairs, trusting that Mercer will stay put, for now. But it’s Mercer. He pushes, and tests boundaries, even when it puts him at risk. Like leaving the damn hospital when he knew Axel was still out there. If he’d stayed, Axel wouldn’t have had the chance to get near him.Rubbing the back of my neck, I make it to the front door, only for a hand to catch my arm before I can step outside.“I’m coming,” my father says, his voice firm, already making it clear this isn’t up for discussion.I sigh, but I don’t argue. “Fine with me,” I say with a shrug before heading out to the car.Sliding into the seat, I lean back, letting my head rest against the cushion as I wait. I already know where we’re going, and so does Axel. The second he sees where he’s been taken, he’ll know exactly what’s coming.The drive is quiet, tension settling thick between us, but it’s not uncomfortable. My father isn’t the type to fill silences with unnecessary conversation. He only speaks when
Rook POV **This chapter contains torture**Letting out a low chuckle, I tap my fingers against his knee. “Now, see, that’s interesting. The others? They weren’t getting to you. The ones on your shirt, your arms, even the ones near your throat. But this?” I nod toward his hand, where a faint red mark is already starting to bloom. “That one actually got a reaction.”Axel breathes hard, his fingers twitching again, and I know exactly what’s happening. His brain is desperate to believe that if he moves the right way, if he angles his hands just so, he can maybe get free.He won’t, but I like that he’s still holding onto that sliver of hope.It makes this even more fun. I reach into my pocket again, pulling out a zippo lighter this time instead of another match. I flick it open, and let the small blue flame flicker higher.Axel stiffens, his whole body going rigid, and I tilt my head slightly, watching him. “You know what’s coming, don’t you?”His jaw locks, his breath sharp. “Rook, listen
Rook POVI press my boot harder against his thigh, pinning him to the chair, keeping him in place. “It amazes me, really,” I muse, dragging the tip of the knife along his arm, barely any pressure, but enough to send another shudder through his body. “You were brutal on the ice, weren’t you? Hard, merciless, fucking relentless.”I dig the blade in suddenly, just below his wrist, watching as the skin splits open, a fresh trail of red weaving down his arm.“But off the ice?” I tap the hilt of the knife against his forehead again, mockingly. “Your body is weaker than most.”Axel exhales sharply, his entire frame shaking.“Oh, look,” I murmur, watching as the blood drips, slow and steady onto the floor. “You do bleed. Just like the last guy I killed.”His throat bobs violently, his breath catching, and I see it—that flicker of horror, the realization setting in.I grin wider, leaning in, my voice dropping low. “You’re going to beg me for death, Axel,” I whisper, letting the knife hover jus
Rook POV **Contains Murder**A full, sharp laugh that echoes through the warehouse, bouncing off the walls, filling the space like it belongs there.Behind me, my father sighs, already done with my shit. “Rook, don’t fool around,” he mutters, arms crossed. “Just finish this.”But I’m already shaking my head, already grinning as I step forward, pressing the knife against Axel’s cheek again, just enough for him to feel the weight of it.“I’m bored of playing alone,” I say, voice low, sharp with mockery.Axel still thinks he can take me? After all this?Fine, let’s play.I cut the rope from around his ankles. Then, I step behind him, cutting through the ropes, letting his arms drop limply to his sides. He doesn’t move right away, his body still stiff from being restrained for so long. But he will.I grab his wrist and press the handle of the knife into his palm.“Go on,” I murmur, stepping back, stretching my arms lazily. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”Axel doesn’t move. His fingers twitch
Kade POVA hand wraps around my waist, dragging me from unconsciousness, and before I even register what’s happening, my body reacts on instinct. My fist slams forward, hard and fast, followed by my knee thrusting upward in a sharp, brutal motion.My eyes snap open just in time to see Rook dodge at the last second.“The fuck is wrong with you?” he snaps, staring at me like I’ve personally offended him. “Do you also kill people in your fucking sleep?”I groan, shoving him away, maybe too hard, because he topples off the bed with a loud thud. Good. I don’t give a shit.“I was sleeping,” I growl, glaring down at him. “Don’t fucking touch me when I’m sleeping.”Something shifts in his expression, and fuck, I realize I just gave him exactly what he wanted—another thing to push, poke, and test. “I swear down, Rook,” I warn, narrowing my eyes. “I will sleep with a fucking knife in my hand. You touch me, and you die.”He chuckles, the sound low and amused as he climbs back onto the bed, compl
Kade POVI thrash immediately, trying to shove him off, but Rook is a fucking tank. He’s got the weight advantage, the strength, and worst of all, the audacity. My body still hasn't fully recovered which makes it harder otherwise it would be an even fight.“Get the fuck off me!” I growl, pushing against his chest, but he barely budges.“Nah,” he replies, smug as ever. “I think I like it here.”I grunt, twisting, but he just shifts his weight to keep me pinned, arms braced on either side of me, practically caging me in.“This is abuse,” I hiss.He grins. “Oh? What are you gonna do, Mercer? Call the authorities?”I glare. “I will."He leans in, voice mocking. “What’s the emergency? Oh yeah, some guy won’t get out of his own bed.”“Rook,” I warn.“Help,” he gasps dramatically, “he’s keeping me here against my will!"I snap and shove him hard, managing to roll us over, but he just laughs, the absolute bastard.“You think you’ve won?” he taunts, letting me sit up for half a second before h
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
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