Rook POVStepping into our room, I barely make it a few steps before my thoughts catch up to me.Kade is possessive as hell. I knew it before, had seen glimpses of it, but tonight? That was something else. He didn’t just get jealous, he practically snapped the second he thought I was ignoring him, the moment I gave someone else even a fraction of my attention.And maybe I should be concerned about that. But I’m not. Because, honestly? I fucking love it.The thought barely settles before Kade is on me.His hands grip my hoodie, yanking me back before I even realize he’s moved. His mouth crashes onto mine, hard and urgent, and before I can get a damn word out, he’s already pulling at my clothes.“Jesus, Mercer, at least let me get through the door properly,” I mutter between kisses, but he just growls against my lips, shoving my hoodie off my shoulders.“You pushed me all fucking night,” he mutters, hands already working on my shirt. “Now you deal with it.”I smirk. “Oh no, I’m so scare
Rook POVHis lips part, and I don’t give him the chance to answer before I crash my mouth against his, taking everything, making sure he knows exactly who he belongs to.Kade responds quickly, his body arching up against mine as he meets my kiss with a fierce hunger of his own. His wrists strain against my grip, not to break free, but to feel the strength of my hold.I break away, trailing biting kisses down his jaw and neck. “You’re a fucking tease, you know that?” I growl against his skin.He lets out a breathy laugh. “Maybe I just like reminding you what’s yours.”I lift my head to meet his gaze, seeing the challenge there, the fire that matches my own. “As if I could ever forget.”My hand slides down his body, possessive and demanding. Kade’s breath hitches, his eyes darkening with desire.“Rook,” he breathes, my name a plea on his lips.I smirk, enjoying the way he’s coming undone beneath me. “What is it? Tell me what you want.”His hips buck up against mine, seeking friction. “Y
Kade POVWaking up, I turn over and see Rook still asleep, sprawled out like he doesn’t have a single responsibility in the world.Smirking, I shift onto him, leaning in close, just watching him. He looks peaceful like this, but that’s boring, and it’s about time he wakes up anyway.Gripping his shoulders, I shake him roughly. “Rise and shine.”He groans, swatting at me like I’m some kind of pest, but I don’t move. Instead, I lean down and lick his face, dragging my tongue across his cheek just to be an asshole.His reaction is immediate. His hand clamps over my mouth as his eyes snap open, glaring. “One, did you just lick me? What the fuck are you, a dog?”I grin under his palm, shrugging.“Two,” he continues, voice rough with sleep, “can you never just wake me up like a normal person?”I pry his hand off, smirking. “You’re so grumpy in the morning.”His eyes narrow. “That’s because you wake me up like a psychopath. You know how most people wake their boyfriend up? A blowjob, Kade. A
Kade POV“You getting up or planning on staying in bed all day?” I ask, smirking.Rook finally moves, sitting up and running a hand through his messy hair, still watching me with that sharp, calculating look. “I should make you pay for that.”“You can try,” I taunt, throwing the sheets off me before climbing out of bed.Rook follows, muttering under his breath about how I have no idea what I’ve just started, but I just chuckle, heading for the bathroom.The hot water is already running by the time he walks in, still watching me like he’s plotting.“You getting in, or are you just gonna stare at me?” I ask, stepping under the stream.Rook grins, shaking his head before stripping off and stepping in beside me. The warm water rains down over both of us, steam filling the space instantly.“See, this is what a proper morning wake-up should look like,” he mutters, dragging a hand through his wet hair.Smirking, I squeeze some soap into my palm. “You suggesting I shower you awake from now on
Kade POVRook chokes on his coffee, sputtering as he slams the mug down on the counter. “Nope. Absolutely fucking not."I smirk, rocking Harlow slightly. “What? You jealous?”His eyes narrow, his grip tightening around the counter. “First of all, never say that again. Second—” He glares harder, pointing at me. “You just ruined it.”Tilting my head I look at him. “Ruined what?”He gestures wildly, like it’s obvious. “That was my thing. I called you Daddy Mercer to piss you off. It was my joke."I raise an eyebrow, barely holding back my grin. “Yeah? Well, now it’s Harlow’s thing. And mine."He groans loudly, dragging a hand down his face. “You’ve taken all the fun out of it. It’s not funny anymore if you just accept it.”Chuckling, I bounce Harlow a little. “Oh no, Rook, what will you do now that you can’t use Daddy Mercer to taunt me?”He glares. ”Find something worse."I smirk. “Doubt it.”“Watch me,” he mutters, grabbing his coffee and taking a very aggressive sip, his eyes still lo
Rook POVHarlow rests against my chest, warm and content, her tiny fingers gripping the fabric of my hoodie like she’s claiming me. I shift her slightly, watching as Kade walks away toward my father’s office, his shoulders looser than they’ve been in weeks.I smirk, feeling a little too pleased with myself. Finally, something’s going right. Kade’s not stressing over his mom, not losing his mind over Amelia, and for once, he’s just Kade, no weight on his shoulders, no tension in his jaw.Which means I can finally go back to what’s important.Finding a new way to piss him off.Daddy Mercer is dead, well, not dead, but useless now. The bastard took it and made it his own, which means it’s lost all power. I need something worse. Something he won’t dare embrace the way he did that.I hum to myself, rocking Harlow slightly. Maybe Baby Mercer? No, he’d just shrug it off. Kitten? Nah, he’d flip it back on me. Princess? Now that might get a reaction.“That smirk is terrifying,” Rose’s voice cu
Rook POVWe head outside, and sure enough, there they are, cameras parked across the street, journalists lingering near the usual places we go, waiting for something new to report.Kade doesn’t react, doesn’t even acknowledge them as he buckles Harlow into the car, but I see the way his shoulders tense slightly.The second we settle into the car, I can still feel it—that heavy, lingering presence of cameras snapping away as we pull off.Kade sits beside me, silent, Harlow still clinging to his hoodie like she owns him. Across from us, Rose is in the passenger seat, her eyes flicking to the mirrors, probably watching the same thing I am.“They’re still following,” she mutters, low enough that only we can hear.“Of course they are,” I reply, leaning back, keeping my voice casual. “As I keep saying. The ‘sister’s kid’ excuse isn’t working anymore. It’s been too long, and soon they will come to their own stories."Kade exhales sharply, running a hand through his hair. “They’ll keep pushin
Rook POVKade doesn’t speak the entire way to the mall, which is impressive. Usually, he’d at least get a sarcastic comment in, but no, he’s brooding. It makes pushing him even more fun.“So,” I say, stretching slightly, waiting for him to snap. “You picked out our wedding colors yet?”Kade’s head snaps toward me, eyes wide with pure exhaustion. “What?”I shrug. “You know, the big day. Gotta plan ahead, Mercer. Gotta make sure it’s classy but also reflects our personalities. Maybe navy and gold? You know, to honor your hockey? Or something bold, like red and black, real mafia wedding vibes."His face is pure disbelief. “You’re actually insane.”“Yes, Daddy,” I reply smoothly, watching his soul leave his body.His jaw clenches. “Rook.”“Shh,” I pat his thigh. “You’re gonna need to start thinking about this, Mercer. You’re not getting rid of me."Kade groans loudly, rubbing his temples. “Why the fuck did I agree to go out with you today?”“Because you love me,” I smirk, watching the mal
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