by Lynn Hagen
Caleb released his own cock and grabbed the bedding, biting his bottom lip as his eyelids fluttered closed. The pressure was intense, the pleasure indescribable. He raised his lower half, wanting Raven to go as deep as he could.
Fuck. That had been a purr, and Raven was making that sound again.
Raven’s hands landed on either side of Caleb’s head. When Caleb opened his eyes, their faces were so close that when Caleb sucked in a breath, he was breathing in Raven’s, too.
Raven’s thrusts varied from fast to slow, and when his hips punched forward, Caleb shuddered, clawing at Raven’s back, needing his mate closer.
Raven skimmed his lips along Caleb’s shoulder, then sank his canines deep.
Caleb cried out as his orgasm rocketed through him, and Raven’s cock pulsed inside him at the same time. He licked the wound, nuzzling Caleb’s neck, and his fingers glided through Caleb’s hair as he murmured Caleb’s name.
The moment was perfect, but Caleb knew it wouldn’t last. The real world would break the door down and his worries would return. But for now, with Raven curled around him, holding him close, Caleb closed his eyes and finally got the sleep he so desperately needed.
Chapter Six
Caleb stared at the three men standing at his door. One was his fourteenth-floor neighbor. He’d seen the guy around but had never formally met him. Caleb was sure everyone in the building knew who the one in the middle was. At one point, Henry was the favorite subject of gossip in the laundry room or gym.
Hell, Henry had even been mentioned a few times at the coffee shop a block over. And standing next to him was his best friend, though Caleb didn’t know his name.
Henry barged past him with a DVD in his hand. His best friend followed, carrying a bucket of chicken.
“Hi.” The guy remaining at his door gave Caleb a small smile as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “I’m Joelle, and those two are Rude and Ruder.” His smile widened slightly. “But I call them Henry and Ryan. We’re each a Knights mate.”
Caleb scratched his head, wondering what in the hell was going on. When Raven had said to expect company, Caleb had assumed he’d meant someone who would watch over him. Like a bodyguard. But all three men put together didn’t look like they could arm-wrestle a house cat and win.
Some protection.
“Raven asked us to come over and keep you company,” Joelle said. “I hope that’s okay.”
“We’re about to get our chick-flick movie on.” Henry wiggled the small box in his hand. “Where’s your DVD player?”
“I don’t have one.” Caleb closed the door after Joelle stepped inside. Ryan was already seated on the couch, digging into the bucket. “I don’t watch television.”
Henry looked as if Caleb had told him Santa wasn’t real. Ryan’s gaze shot to Caleb as Joelle cleared his throat. “Do you at least own a television?” Joelle asked. “If you don’t mind, I can log into my Netflix account.”
“I have one in my bedroom, though I never turn it on.” No way was Caleb letting these guys—
Henry went to his bedroom, and Ryan and Joelle followed. He stormed after them, ready to tell them they were ill-mannered and needed to leave, but Henry and Ryan were sprawled out on his mattress, and Joelle was sitting on the floor, his back to the bed.
“Do you guys always make yourselves at home in a stranger’s apartment?”
“You’re not a stranger,” Ryan said.
“Get that chicken out of my bed.” Caleb stomped over and snatched the bucket away from Ryan.
“You’re one of us now.” Ryan licked his fingers. “We just came over to introduce ourselves and get to know you.”
Caleb grabbed a drumstick out of the bucket, took a bite, then pointed the fried leg at Ryan. “You came here to take over my couch and eat—” He took another bite. Caleb hadn’t realized how hungry he was until the delicious smell had hit him.
Ryan wiggled his brows. “It’s good, isn’t it?”
Caleb shrugged as he polished off the drumstick, then licked his lips.
“Come on, relax.” Joelle patted the floor next to him. “If I have to be tortured with chick flicks, so do you.”
“You mean he was serious?” Caleb had never watched a girly movie in his life. Not that he would be against watching one, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to cuddle in his bedroom, tissue at the ready. He was already in a vulnerable state because of Jacob’s death and didn’t want to bawl his eyes out in front of these guys.
Joelle chucked his thumb over his shoulder. “Don’t look at me. They’re die-hard fans of those movies. I’d rather watch some shit getting blown up or a horror movie.”
Caleb’s head snapped around when a knock sounded at the door. He looked back at Joelle. “Expecting someone else?”
“I can’t believe he actually made it this time.” Henry got up.
Caleb held up his hand, the bone gripped between his fingers. “I think I can answer my own door.”
“Sweet,” Henry said. “I don’t want to miss the beginning of the movie.” He cuddled next to Ryan, and Ryan began to play with Henry’s hair.
Just how close were the two? They looked pretty damn cozy together, while Joelle seemed perfectly fine sitting on the carpet.
“We’re not starting it until Caleb gets back,” Ryan argued. Joelle just rolled his eyes. Caleb took the chicken with him. He wasn’t letting Ryan eat it in his bed, and damn, it really was good. Since he hadn’t had anything since breakfast, he doubted Ryan would get the bucket back. All Caleb needed was a side of steak fries and his dinner would be perfect.
He hurried to the kitchen and tossed the bone in the trash before answering the door. Shock didn’t begin to describe how Caleb felt when he found Mr. Capezio standing there holding two large bags.
Caleb swung the door shut, but Mr. Capezio stuck his foot in the way and shouldered the door open. “Can we talk?”
He’d tried to talk to Caleb at the funeral, but Caleb had ducked and dodged him the entire time. He knew the guy wasn’t responsible for Jacob’s death, not entirely, but Caleb needed to be mad at someone, and this prick seemed as good a scapegoat as any.
He was a lawyer, after all.
“There’s nothing for us to talk about.” Caleb set the bucket on the coffee table, wishing he had a napkin to wipe his greasy fingers. “Jacob died because of you. I want you out of here.”
Just seeing the lawyer made Caleb’s loss flare up so badly that tears sprung to his eyes, and his chest felt like it was being crushed. The room spun as nausea swirled in his stomach and a large, burning lump formed in his throat.
Mr. Capezio set the bags aside and grabbed Caleb’s upper arms. “You have to breathe, Caleb.”
Until he’d said that, Caleb hadn’t realized he was hyperventilating. He couldn’t seem to catch his breath as his tears blurred his vision. The wave of pain that crashed over him was just as raw as it had been when he’d gotten the call. He stumbled backward, but Mr. Capezio’s grip was firm as he helped Caleb take a seat on the couch.
“I-I miss him so much.” Caleb pressed his hands to his face as he wept. “I want Jacob b-back. Give him back to m-me.”
“I want him back, too.” Mr. Capezio held Caleb and rocked him. “You don’t know how much I wish it had been me instead of him. Jacob wasn’t just my driver. He was a good friend, too.”
Caleb felt someone on the other side of him, rubbing his back. When he looked up, he saw Joelle. The guy had tears in his eyes and he gave Caleb a wobbly smile.
“You’ll always feel his loss,” Mr. Capezio said. “But time helps ease the pain just a little.”
Caleb had gone to the funeral yesterday morning, yet it felt like a lifetime ago. So much had happened since then, and Caleb wished he’d had at least a few days to catch his breath.
“We can go,” Joelle soothed. “We just wanted to come by and introduce ourselves, and let you know we’re here for you if you need us.”
Caleb looked toward
his bedroom and saw Ryan and Henry standing in the doorway. To his surprise, Henry had tears in his eyes and Ryan kept swallowing as he looked at the floor.
Mr. Capezio stood and grabbed one of the bags. He extracted a dark bottle. “I think we could all use a drink.”
Caleb wiped at his eyes as a small bubble of laughter hiccupped from his throat. “My birthday was two days ago. Jacob and I usually splurged on a decent meal and he always bought me a cupcake.”
“We should celebrate,” Henry said as he skirted around the boxes of Jacob’s belongings and gave Caleb a hug. “We’ll drink until we’re wasted, then tell embarrassing stories.”
Ryan chuckled. “He has a million of them, and most are hilarious as fuck.”
“Fair warning,” Caleb said, “I’m not a drinker, so I’ll probably pass out before you guys even get a buzz.”
“I don’t know,” Mr. Capezio said. “This is some pretty good stuff.” He glared at Henry. “No guzzling. Understood?”
Henry saluted the lawyer with his middle finger. “I’ll probably be the last one standing.”
Caleb would’ve been fine drinking from the bottle, but he went to the kitchen and got some cups. He needed the distraction and a moment to gather himself. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and when Caleb looked at the screen, he saw a text from Chad. This time he read it, then wished he hadn’t. The text had to be a mile long and was full of Chad’s pleas for Caleb to meet up with him so they could talk and find out where they went wrong.
With a groan, Caleb deleted it. He so wasn’t in the mood for Chad’s bullshit.
He returned and set the plastic cups on the table, putting Chad from his mind. “That’s the best I have.”
“They’ll work just fine.” When Mr. Capezio poured some liquor into each cup, he held his up and everyone joined in on the toast. “To Caleb’s birthday.”
They all clinked their Solos. Caleb took a sip, Henry swallowed his down, and Ryan slammed his hand on Henry’s back when he started coughing.
“You’re a hardheaded little prick.” Mr. Capezio’s hand was curled around the cup, but he was pointing his index finger at Henry.
“Ain’t nothing little about my prick.” Henry sucked in a breath and blew it out slowly. His cheeks had turned red and he fanned himself. “What the hell is in that drink, ghost peppers?”
“Pfft.” Mr. Capezio waved a hand at Henry. “I thought you could handle your booze.”
Henry glared at him. “Bring it on, bitch.”
Ryan snorted. Mr. Capezio chuckled. Joelle stared into his cup like the booze would liquefy the hipster’s insides if he drank it.
Caleb was feeling a bit warm. He’d just chalked it up to his inexperience, but Ryan looked a bit flushed, too.
And damn, Caleb already felt a bit woozy. He set down his cup and took a seat on the couch. “I think I need to slow down.”
The men laughed and Mr. Capezio sat next to Caleb. “I don’t mean to intrude, but Raven told Declan, who told me you lost your job this morning.”
Caleb was going to kill his mate. “I really don’t want to talk about it, Mr. Capezio.”
“Please, call me Saul. I only brought this up because I have an opening at my law firm. It’s grunt work, basically an errand guy, and menial tasks, but the job is yours if you want it.”
Caleb opened his mouth to tell Saul he could shove his offer. He didn’t want to be the guy’s next causality. But desperate times made Caleb stow his words.
Saul patted his arm. “You don’t have to give me an answer right now. Just talk it over with Raven.”
With a nod, Caleb downed his drink, and Saul poured him another. Henry managed to pull him back into the bedroom, and midway through the tear-jerking movie, Caleb passed out with one arm wrapped around the bucket of chicken, a wet tissue in his other hand.
Raven hated to leave Caleb, but he’d gotten an urgent text from Bayne. If those wolves had done anything to get Bayne hurt, Raven was gonna set fire to them.
He drove Caleb’s Honda across town, missing his damn Jaguar. His mate’s car was fine, but there was nothing like the smooth ride of his luxury sedan. Too bad it couldn’t be repaired, but the damage was too extensive and Raven had to chalk his car up as a loss.
He pulled off the main road and drove over the gravel as the warehouse came into sight. The fact it wasn’t burned down made Raven’s heart kick up a notch as he came to a stop next to Bayne’s GTO. Things were too damn quiet for Raven’s liking.
He cut the motor and silently eased from the car, scenting the air to try to find a clue about what the hell was going on. He thought of Caleb as he approached the building. His mate had been brought here, and damn, it would have been nice to see flames licking skyward.
After scanning his surroundings and not detecting anyone watching him, Raven placed his back to the building and did a quick head-check inside the access door.
His canines descended when he spotted Bayne laid out on the floor. Kovachi stood over him murmuring, his back to Raven.
“I know you’re out there.” Kovachi slipped something inside his suit jacket before turning. “Please, do come in. After all, I haven’t been properly introduced to one of my cousin’s killers.”
Raven slid his gun from his waistband and gripped it tightly as his gaze roamed the interior. He hesitated to move inside. Something was off. He tried to take a step forward, but his cougar held him back.
A warm, prickling sensation crawled over Raven’s skin, and the hairs on his arms stood on end. He moved back, but it felt like an unseen hand was pulling him forward.
“It would be rude of you not to take me up on my invitation,” Kovachi said. His eyes. They burned bright as the side of his mouth curled into a sinister grin.
“What the fuck’re you doing to me?” Raven’s feet seemed to have a mind of their own. His boots scraped along the gravel, edging him closer to the access door. Raven braced his hands on the frame, trying to push himself backward. His arms shook and his muscles burned as he clenched his jaw, but no matter how hard he fought not to enter, he was pulled inside with such violent force that Raven slammed into some machinery part and crumpled to the floor, his gun sliding away from him.
He pushed to his hands and knees, shaking his head.
“I expected you or some other Knight to mount a huge rescue for Caleb. I was prepared for that. I had all kinds of contingency plans in place. What I hadn’t expected was for him to simply walk out of here. He’s a very clever boy.” Kovachi gave a laugh that was a little on the side of creepy. “Pure genius. He did the most unexpected thing and caught me off guard. I honestly hadn’t seen that coming.”
The prickling intensified. Raven tried to push to his feet, but only got as far as sitting on his ass. He felt drunk—woozy, nauseous, and his head was killing him.
“I will have him back,” Kovachi snarled. “And you’re gonna bring Caleb to me.” He moved closer and hunched down in front of Raven, cupping himself with a hand. “You see, I’m inside your head now. I can make you bring him here.”
Raven tried to swing but managed to only thrust his arm out. Kovachi easily dodged his fumbling aim. “Fuck you. I’ll never bring him to you.”
He touched Raven’s forehead and Raven collapsed to the floor. His cheek was lying on something rough as the room spun. He felt as though cotton had been stuffed into his brain. He heard footsteps receding.
Raven floated in and out of consciousness. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been lying there, but when he opened his eyes again, wailing pierced his ears.
Someone was talking to him, but the words were garbled. He tried to lift his arm, to swing at the person, but his arms wouldn’t move.
“Sorry, we had to restrain you. You’ve been trying to fight me the whole time.”
Raven blinked until he could make out the images around him. The interior was white and trimmed in yellow. There were small oxygen tanks mounted on the wall, a cardiac monitor to one side, some clear containers with me
dical stuff inside, tubes, gauges, a beeping machine, and God, would someone please shut that damn siren off?
“Can you tell me what drugs you took?” the paramedic asked. “No judgment. I just need to know so I can treat you accordingly.”
“No drugs,” Raven slurred. He tried to lift his arm, this time to scrub at his tingling face, but the straps held him down. He snarled as he jerked his upper body. His cougar yowled, but Raven had his bearings enough to know not to shift.
In truth, he was surprised he hadn’t when he’d passed out.
Then he remembered Kovachi. Raven needed to get out of the ambulance. He had to get to his mate. He also had to find out what had happened to Bayne and the brothers. What if Kovachi went after Caleb while Raven was here? Then he recalled Kovachi’s threat. He’d said he was in Raven’s mind.
Could he risk going anywhere near Caleb? He thought Kovachi mad, but what if his words had a grain of truth?
“Just relax.” The guy smiled at him. “We’re almost to the hospital.”
“I don’t need a hospital.” Raven was thankful his words came out more coherent this time. “How did you find me?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “Someone must’ve called and we just responded.”
“I have to go.”
“That’ll be the doctor’s decision.” The paramedic patted his shoulder.
Raven had to get out of there. If the doctor decided to perform x-rays, he or she would see Raven’s bizarre bone structure. He had the will, but his body wouldn’t cooperate. Whatever Kovachi had done to him was still circulating through him.
Raven needed to call one of the Knights to get him out of this mess.
“I need to make a call.”
“Sorry, that’ll have to wait.”
“It’s urgent.” Raven closed his eyes for a moment, waiting for the nausea to pass. “I have to call my wife. She’s eight months pregnant and if I don’t come home, she’ll have a panic attack.”