Kade POV
I tilt my head back into him instinctively, surrendering just enough for him to notice, because beneath the bickering and banter, lies an undeniable connection that binds us tighter than any words could capture.
His hold on me tightens, and I push back more, my ass rubbing against his cock. Groaning, he bites at my neck, his hips bucking.
“You realise all that time you spent bickering and refusing could have been spent in pleasure, right had you just accepted you were going to give in sooner?”
I groan and nod. “I didn’t plan to give in, you wore me down. Now shut up and fuck me,” I mumble.
“You don’t need to tell me twice,” he whispers and I feel his cock pushing against my ass. The sensation of him pushing in slightly has me groan. I squirm beneath him, trying to force him to do it quicker, but he remains slow.
“Rook,” I warn, my voice low and needy. His name is a plea on my lips, a desperate call for him to quicken his pace.
<Kade POVI’m late, and I can’t afford to stay in bed with Rook any longer. “I need to move,” I murmur, pressing a quick kiss to his lips before slipping out of bed and heading straight for the shower. I hear him moving around the room, and moments later, he joins me.“When I said I’m late, I meant I need to get going,” I say, turning to face him.Rook just shrugs like it’s nothing. “You’re fine. My dad said he’d keep things moving and let you sleep.” His gaze locks onto mine, waiting for me to argue. “So slow the hell down and actually spend time with me. Or is this just going to be a case of you fucking me and running off after like always?”I tilt my head, frowning. “You know that’s bullshit.” The words come out firm, meant to be the truth, but even I know there’s some weight to what he’s saying. More often than not, I barely stick around for five minutes after.Rook leans into me, a teasing smirk playing on his lips. “So, what’s
Kade POVRook smirks as he flips another pancake onto the growing stack. “You look like you’re plotting something.”I set my coffee down, crossing my arms. “Yeah, I’m thinking about throwing you out of your own damn house.”He bursts out laughing, and it's loud, like I just told the best joke he’s ever heard. He tilts his head, still grinning. “You think that would stop me?”I arch a brow. “Pretty sure it would.”He scoffs. “Kade, come on. I know this place better than you do. There are secret ways in. I could be in here before you even realize it. You’d go to bed thinking you’re safe, and then…” He leans in slightly, lowering his voice. “Bam. There I am, watching you and waiting.”I stare at him. “You do realize how creepy that sounds, right?”Rook shrugs, completely unbothered. “Yeah, but that just makes it better.”I shake my head, picking up a pancake from the plate and taking a bite straight from it. “You really don’t have
Rook’s POVI don’t usually worry about Kade when he’s working. Okay, I do, because I know how quickly things can change. But today? It feels different. There is something heavier about it, something I do not like. He has done his usual thing of messaging me every few hours with an I’m alive! like he thinks it is a joke.Still, the time between those messages? Torture. Normally, my dad is around, so I can ask him for updates, and he has them. But even he is gone today.I place the box down, and Rose smiles at me. “He will love it,” she says.I am not so sure. Buying for Kade is hard. He is weird. His only real interests are hockey and work. Outside of that, he has no hobbies.He is not picky when it comes to gifts, but every time I ask what he wants, or at least for an idea, I get the same response. I do not want anything.That response caused an argument last month. I told him if he really did not care enou
Rook POV“Is there anything I can do?”He shrugs slightly. “Until we get a name of who took the shipment, nothing can be done. Then it is up to Kade.”I roll my eyes.“Are you really not going to ask him?” He leans back and laughs.“No.” I will not ask Kade if there is anything I can do.“Why?”“Because I told him if he needs me, he should ask, and I will be there instantly. So me asking if there is anything I can do to help him is unnecessary. It also makes it sound like I am checking in on him or trying to say he cannot handle it alone.”He laughs and lifts his glass. “You are delusional if that is what you really think.”“Maybe he would not, but that is how I feel.” I rub my face, feeling exhaustion pull at me.“Look, I am going to see him. Go to bed and get some sleep.”I watch him stand and grab his jacket. “Why are you going? You do not need to.”“Because you are worried about him and will not
Kade POVThe clock on the wall reads just past two in the morning, but neither of us has moved from our seats. The only sound in the room is the faint hum of the security system and the occasional click as Nikolai skips through the footage frame by frame.I lean forward, elbows on my knees, staring at the screen. We have been at this for hours, combing through every angle, every possible lead, trying to figure out who the hell took the shipment.“Pause it,” Nikolai says suddenly, his voice sharp. My eyes snap to him as he leans in. “Zoom in on that.”One of the men in the frame shifts slightly, turning just enough for the camera to catch his profile. The image is grainy, but it is enough.Nikolai exhales through his nose, his expression unreadable. “That'ss Declan Voss.”I recognize the name the second he says it.Declan doesn't live here. He is from out of town, from another city and doesn't come h
Kade POVI glance between the men, weighing my options. Who can pull this off? Who can get close without looking like exactly what they are?Before I decide, Nikolai sighs and gestures toward them. “They all look too much like capos to do it.”He is right. None of them blend in. They all carry themselves like what they are, dangerous men who make people nervous when they walk into a room. I need someone who can pass as harmless. Someone she won't see coming.“Rook could work,” Nikolai glances at me.“I’m not getting him involved in this.” It’s too much of a risk.“Plus, you have to remember, Declan knows Rook, so his daughter will as well.” Jaxon looks at us.Good, because I didn’t want Rook in the center of this. “I’ll do it,” I say, and Nikolai stares at me. “No one knows me yet, not enough to know who I am, which was proved by your friend and
Kade POVAfter a while, she grabs my hand and tugs me toward the edge of the dance floor. “Come on, let’s sit. I need a drink, and you need to tell me why I’ve never seen you before.”I let her lead me toward one of the small lounge areas near the bar, keeping my expression relaxed even though I don’t like the way her fingers press against my wrist. It’s light, barely there, but I still feel it, a reminder that I don’t like being touched by anyone book Rook. I don’t let it show.She slides into the seat first, crossing her legs as she leans back, completely at ease. I follow, keeping enough space between us to make it look natural but not enough for her to think I’m uncomfortable.“So,” she drawls, reaching for her drink. “Are you going to tell me your name, or am I going to have to keep calling you mystery man?”I smirk, taking a sip of my own drink before answering. &ld
Kade POVThe taxi ride to the club feels strange. It has been years since I have needed to take one, but showing up in my usual car would be a mistake. I keep my hood up, staring out of the window as the city moves past in a blur. Titan is not my kind of place, loud and packed with people trying too hard to impress each other, but for now, it is where I need to be.When the taxi stops, I step out and pay the driver before heading toward the entrance. The bouncer barely glances at me as I walk inside, the heavy bass of the music vibrating through the floor beneath my feet. The scent of alcohol and sweat lingers in the air, neon lights flickering overhead.I move to the bar, keeping my steps casual, blending in. Sitting down, I glance around, scanning the crowd for her.It doesn't take long to find her. She's near the VIP section, sitting with two other women, laughing as she sips her drink. She doesn't look concerned, doesn't look like someone hiding a sto
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
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