by Lynn Hagen

Mercury Rising 1
Midnight Heat
Jason has no idea that the sleepy town of Mercury holds so many dark secrets. But those secrets are revealed as Jason is plunged into a world he never knew existed. The men he works for are bear shifters. The guy he's lusted after for months is a wolf. And now Jason finds himself running from a demon hell-bent on using him as leverage to kill Jason's mate. To make matters worse, Jason is carrying Matt's child.
Matt never thought fate would give him a mate. Not after his mother died in childbirth and his father had cursed him. After his last relationship left a bad taste in his mouth, Matt decides to date the waiter, a Grizzly, unaware that Jason is his mate. But when things go sideways and Matt has to save one of his own, Jason's life is put at risk and Matt must do everything in his power to keep Jason safe.
Genres: Alternative (M/M, Gay), Paranormal, Shape-shifter, Vampire/Werewolves
Length: 34,397
MIDNIGHT HEAT
Mercury Rising 1
Lynn Hagen

Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
Midnight Heat
Copyright © 2018 by Lynn Hagen
ISBN: 978-1-64243-253-4
First Publication: May 2018
Cover design by Emma Nicole
All art and logo copyright © 2018 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
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PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lynn Hagen loves writing about the somewhat flawed, but lovable. She also loves a hero who can see past all the rough edges to find the shining diamond of a beautiful heart.
You can find her on any given day curled up with her laptop and a cup of hot java, letting the next set of characters tell their story.
For all titles by Lynn Hagen, please visit
www.bookstrand.com/ lynn-hagen
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Midnight Heat
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Midnight Heat
Mercury Rising 1
LYNN HAGEN
Copyright © 2018
Chapter One
"Ready to go bust a few doors down?" Colton leaned his shoulder into the doorframe of Matt’s office as he held up the papers.
"Who are they for?" Matt Romero set aside the files he’d been reading and leaned back in his chair. To humans, Mercury Rising was nothing more than a pathetically underbudgeted private investigation agency that took on missing person cases. On the books, their success rate for finding missing people was less than twenty percent. They liked it that way. It kept humans from trying to hire them for a job they technically didn’t do.
Off the books, their success in capturing or killing those with a warrant was over ninety percent. They were paid top dollar to track down the most vicious preternatural. Matt and his men were the best at what they did.
"The first one is for a leopard shifter named Zack Taylor. He took down three college kids and fled after killing a campus security guard. The humans believe the leopard escaped from the zoo and are still searching for him. The other one is for Eric Dunham, a vampire who thinks an all-you-can-eat buffet includes humans." Colton tucked the papers into his back pocket. "The Consiglio issued a kill warrant for Zack, but Eric is to be captured and returned to his coven where Magnus will deal with him."
"Are you fucking serious?"
"About Eric?" Colton nodded. "‘Fraid so."
Matt pushed from his desk and grabbed his Berretta 92A1 from his locked filing cabinet. He would need it for the leopard shifter. The bullets had a hollow tip that was filled with highly potent liquid silver. It was the only way to take down a powerful beast—either that or they could waste time wrestling and fighting the leopard. Since that could draw even more attention than the leopard already had, Matt wanted this done fast and clean.
He shoved the gun into the holster strapped around his shoulders then grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair. "We’ll get Zack first since the vampire won’t be out until full dark."
Matt spotted Nick at the reception desk. The bounty hunters usually worked solo, but there were times when teaming up was necessary. Zack had gone feral and would be ten times as strong and hard as hell to take down by oneself.
He rolled up on Nick flirting with the receptionist while the receptionist completely ignored Nick. When Matt stopped by the desk, Stuart glanced up, his fingers continuing to fly across the keyboard. He always wondered how the human could split his attention like that.
Stuart had been mauled by a lion shifter who’d gone feral. Matt and Colton had been tracking the beast, but had arrived after the fact. Matt had gotten Stuart to the hospital and then split, but somehow the guy managed to track him down. Stuart kept coming around until Matt had finally hired him.
"I need you to—"
"Transfer any important calls to Rio while you’re out," Stuart said as he continued to type.
The guy was slim, with blue eyes and sandy-blond hair, and sometimes Matt swore Stuart could read his mind. He would also be lost without Stuart. The man ran the agency like a finely tuned machine. If he up and left, Matt wouldn’t have the first clue how to keep the place going.
Matt worked in the field. That was what he did best. Stuart worked in the office. That was what he did best. It was a harmonious balance Matt thoroughly appreciated.
"Can you guess what I’m thinking?" Nick winked at Stuart with a glint of lust in his eyes. He clearly wanted Stuart, and Matt just hoped he didn’t have to put Nick down if he ever hurt the secretary. And Matt would. Yes, he would.
"I can’t." Stuart smiled sweetly at Nick. "You’d need a brain before I could try."
Matt gave an easy laugh as Stuart turned back to what he’d been doing—only this time, he put in his earbuds.
Nick fell into step beside Matt. "He likes me. He’s just playing hard to get.”
Colton chuckled as they left the building and headed toward Matt’s ride.
"Yuk it up," Nick groused. His eyes held a hint of darkness before he smirked and the darkness was gone. When he turned to Colton, the smirk was gone and his mouth was tight in anger. "From what I hear, you haven’t gotten laid in over a month."
"So glad you’re keeping tabs on my sex life," Colton said. "It’s kinda creepy, though. Maybe you should consider another hobby, like the fine art of stalking. You’ve got a pretty good head start with Stuart."
Nick bared his canines.
Colton rolled his eyes.
Matt slid into the Hummer and waited for them to get in before he pulled from the parking lot.
"Your sensitivity simply astonishes me," Colton said over his shoulder.
"Really?" Nick asked. "Could’ve sworn I was born without it."
"Rest assured, you were, and if I were you, I’d leave Matt alone right now. He just might kill you instead of the leopard and call it a day."
Matt was thankful when Nick took Colton’s advice. With the mood he was in, he just might shoot the wolf. Of course, he would regret it later—at least until Nick opened his mouth again.
He’d dated Miles for three months before he’d decided to tell the guy he was a wolf. Matt thought the human could handle it. He’d been wrong. Miles had told anyone who would listen that everyone employed at Mercury Rising were animals that could turn into humans.
Keeping their existence secret was number-one priority among the nonhumans. The Consiglio had stepped in and Miles disappeared. The whole situation left a bad taste in Matt’s mouth. Never again would he reveal what he was, no matter how much he was into a guy.
The three spent the rest of the day hunting down Zack. Around six that evening, they pulled a few houses down from where he was supposed to be hiding out.
The house was located on a derelict street where gangbangers hung out and the homes looked like they should've been condemned years ago.
"I’ll take the rear," Nick said as Matt parked. Nick slid from the backseat and disappeared down a driveway a few houses down from Zack’s.
Matt and Colton got out and approached the front of Zack’s house. It was a single family unit with worn and peeling green-and-white paint. Some shutters were missing or barely hanging on, and the front lawn bore more patches of dirt than grass.
After climbing the porch, Matt moved to the right as Colton went left. Neither wanted to be gunned down if someone blasted through the front door. The screen door was gone and a sheet hung in the oval window.
"Ready?" Matt asked.
"Let’s do this," Colton said.
Matt moved in front of the door, lifted his foot, and kicked it in. When the door swung open, Matt rushed the man standing in the foyer and yanked the shotgun from Zack’s hands as he took the guy down. Zack snarled as he flipped Matt onto his back, knocked Colton into the wall, then rushed toward the kitchen.
Nick came in through the back door, his playful smile replaced by a sinister scowl. He held his Desert Eagle two-handed in front of him. "Stop right there, Romeo."
Zack dropped to the floor, barely missing the bullet Nick fired. He got to his feet and crashed through the kitchen window, shifting midair. Matt cursed as he bolted out the door, Nick and Colton right behind him. The backyard was a virtual junkyard. They had to leap over piles of trash and skirt around broken appliances as they gave chase.
Matt stopped, raised his gun, and fired as Zack leapt over the neighboring fence. The bullet hit its mark, and the leopard went down. Matt hopped the fence to see that Zack had shifted back into his human form.
Matt holstered his Berretta. Colton and Nick caught up to him and helped him haul Zack back over the fence. Colton got the Hummer and backed it into the narrow driveway, blocking anyone from seeing the body being dumped in the back.
"Can you handle disposing of Zack's body?" Colton asked when he climbed in. "I need to be dropped at the agency. Got something I need to take care of."
"You want to head to Grizzly’s when we’re done?" Nick asked Matt as they pulled away.
"I could use a drink." Matt slumped slightly in his seat as he drove. It had been one long-ass day. He could use a shower and some rest, but that would have to wait. They still had one more bounty to catch.
After dropping Colton off, Nick turned to Matt. "You know what your problem is?"
Matt groaned as he drove toward the tavern. Nick wasn’t going to let the subject of Miles drop. "What?"
"You need to stop dating those flamboyant, outrageous men. They’re nothing but trouble. Instead of going for the fancy cake on the buffet, what you need is a plain donut."
"I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I suddenly have a sweet tooth."
Nick glowered at him. "You need to date someone boring."
"Like an accountant?" Matt shuddered at the thought of dating someone that straitlaced. Besides, the only accountant he knew was a balding middle-aged man who looked to have consumed one too many of those plain donuts and was married. Not that Kent Goodwell wasn’t a nice guy. He just wasn’t Matt’s type.
"Not that damn boring, but someone who isn’t dating you for your money. Someone who won’t fuck you over."
Maybe Nick was right. He hadn’t had any luck with his choice of dates. Maybe it was time to switch things up.
* * * *
After he’d been dropped off at the agency, Colton drove to his mom’s house. As soon as he walked through the door, she kissed his cheek, made him sit, and put a plate of food in front of him.
"You’re too skinny," she said, then sat at the table with him.
Colton was far from skinny, but he’d learned a long time ago not to argue with her. He’d also learned how to read her, and something was weighing heavy on her mind. A solid knot of tension twisted in his gut. Only one thing would make her hunch slightly forward as her hands rested between her knees.
"Where’s Anthony?" he asked, completely ignoring his plate. From the way she tensed, he knew he's guessed correctly. His younger brother was always causing some kind of problem.
"Your brother should be here soon." She brushed a hand over her once-lustrous auburn hair that was now dull and thin. The fidgeting told Colton his earlier assumption about his brother had been dead accurate. His mother always fidgeted when Anthony was in trouble. She shifted her slight frame in her seat, glancing toward the counter, avoiding Colton’s gaze.
"What did he do now?" Colton scowled, unsure he really wanted to know. Their father had been killed when Colton was seven and Anthony three. Over the years Colton had helped raise his younger brother, but Anthony had a penchant not only for getting into trouble but a knack for hiding the shady shit he did. He was a master at covering his ass.
Colton had tried to straighten Anthony out, but nothing ever worked for long. He’d get Anthony a job and his brother would lose it. He’d even loaned his brother money once to start up a business, but Anthony had gambled it away.
Colton wasn’t sure where he’d gone wrong, but something was seriously fucked in his brother’s head.
From the way his mother twisted her hands in her lap, Colton knew Anthony had really messed up this time. "What did he do?" he repeated.
"He says it wasn’t his fault," she said with tears in her strained voice. Her blue eyes plead with him. "You have to talk to him, Colton. He listens to you."
Anthony didn’t listen to anyone, but Colton didn’t argue with her. "What. Did. He. Do?"
She bit her bottom lip and glanced away. "He says he was heading into Galati Grocery last night when three leopards jumped him. It was self-defense."
Colton was afraid to ask the next question but already knew the answer. "Did he kill any of them?"
"It wasn’t his fault!"
Dealing with a wayward brother had been bad enough. His mother had always made excuses for Anthony. As much as he loved her, she was an enabler.
"Did he kill anyone?" Colton asked a little more firmly.
Fresh tears sprang to her eyes as she nodded. "All three of them. You have to get him out of this." She jumped up from the table and squeezed his arm tightly. There was panic and a bit of hysteria in her voice. "Promise me, Colton. Promise me you’ll get him out of this."
If he promised, then Colton would have to keep his word. He was a man of honor. He stood by his promises. She was putting him in a very difficult situation.
He closed his eyes as his chest squeezed tight. Despite all the trouble his brother had gotten into, Colton truly loved the guy, but he couldn’t help Anthony this time.
He’d just sentenced himself to death.
"Promise me!" She raised her frail hand and slapped him across the face. "Your father would have wanted you to take care of him. You can’t take him away from me!"
Colton ground his teeth. It was always about Anthony. She’d never shown any interest in what he did unless she needed his help. Like now. He loved his mother, but a part of him resented her.
She was also the only person on the planet who could get away with raising a hand to him. Had anyone else just done that, they would be lying dead on the floor.
Goddamn it. He couldn’t turn her down, not when she looked like she would fall apart at any second. Colton had always caved to his mother’s demands. He’d never been able to say no to her, but this time that weakness just might get him killed.
"Promise me," she whispered.
Gritting his teeth until he worried he would crack a few molars, Colton nodded. "I promise."
Chapter Two
Jason grabbed two plates of pie before heading to one of the tables. The tavern had been packed all evening and he hadn’t been able to take a break until now.
For the past hour his friend had been waiting for him. He and Benjamin had known each other for two months now, and Jason’s boss never complained when Benjamin hung around the tavern.
He set one of the plates in front of Benjamin and took a seat. Jason ate a piece of his apple pie before saying, "I swear the men in here get hotter every day."
Benjamin glanced around, ignoring his slice. No doubt the guy was scoping the place for a random to take home. "You should totally let one of them fuck you. There’s nothing like great sex to help you get over Derrick."