Losing Control Read online

  

  Dark Knights 5

  Losing Control

  After his brother is killed, Caleb seeks answers. He follows one of the men from the funeral, needing closure. He wanders inside Krave, one of the hottest gay clubs in the city, watching Raven from the bar, drawn to the man by something Caleb can’t explain. But when Caleb decides to leave, it’s Raven who confronts him, demanding to know why Caleb has been stalking him the entire day.

  Raven can’t believe he’s found his mate. The only trouble is, Kovachi has bewitched Raven, and now he feels a compulsion to kidnap Caleb and take his mate to the enemy. The new leader of the Hunters is in Raven’s head, and the only way to stop him from controlling Raven is to put a wall up in his mind. It’s a temporary fix, but one that allows Raven to show Caleb that he’s not alone in this world, that he has Raven in his corner as Caleb mourns his loss.

  Genre: Alternative (M/M, Gay), Paranormal, Shape-shifter

  Length: 31,525 words

  LOSING CONTROL

  Dark Knights 5

  Lynn Hagen

  

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  LOSING CONTROL

  Copyright © 2018 by Lynn Hagen

  ISBN: 978-1-64243-123-0

  First Publication: April 2018

  Cover design by Melody Simmons

  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.

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  If you find a SirenBookStrand e-book or print book being sold or shared illegally, please let us know at

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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

  Losing Control

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Losing Control

  Dark Knights 5

  LYNN HAGEN

  Copyright © 2018

  Chapter One

  At his brother’s funeral, Caleb had kept to himself, staying in the corner as he mourned his loss, and seething at the fact Jacob’s life had been cut so short. He couldn’t understand why this had happened to such a sweet and kind guy. Jacob had never hurt anyone, and to be killed by a car bomb?

  Caleb wanted answers. He needed closure, and someone would give him those answers. He looked at everyone in the room, and one guy in particular caught his eye. Not in a sexual way, though the guy was handsome, but what drew Caleb’s attention was the fact the intriguing man stood by himself, looking just as uncomfortable as Caleb felt.

  So after the services, he followed the guy—for the entire day, unable to work up the courage to approach him.

  Now Caleb stood in the parking lot of some nightclub called Krave, wondering if he should follow the stranger inside.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Caleb leaned against the back of his car, biting his thumbnail as he watched countless partygoers enter and exit. Each time the door opened, loud music spilled out, and Caleb looked to see if the person leaving or entering was the guy he wanted to talk to. “Just go home.”

  But he couldn’t. He wanted to know why Jacob had been killed. Jacob had worked as a driver for some rich lawyer, and the guy’s car had blown up. That was all Caleb knew. And that wasn’t nearly enough to satisfy him. Jacob had been his best friend, his brother, and the man who had looked out for Caleb his entire life. Now he was gone and Caleb felt so damn lost that his grief was like a living entity.

  He started for the driver’s door of his car, then stopped, tears clogging his eyes as a small sob escaped. He missed Jacob so badly that he didn’t know what to do with his pain. Never again would Caleb hear his voice or his laughter. Jacob wouldn’t ever be able to tell Caleb he was fucking up and point him in the right direction.

  He needed to go home, but they had shared an apartment, and Caleb didn’t want to go back to that lonely place. Tonight, for maybe an hour or two, he wanted to forget, wanted to numb the gnawing pain.

  He wiped away the tears with his palm and turned, then forced himself to walk toward the entrance. If he couldn’t get the answers he was looking for, Caleb would have a few drinks, take some random home, and get fucked into delirium until he passed out and could finally get a good night’s sleep.

  What would be the harm in finding a hookup? Maybe that was exactly what Caleb needed.

  Mind made up, Caleb headed into Krave. The music, smells, and disco lights assaulted his senses. He wasn’t a partier, and under different circumstances, the world he’d stepped into might have excited him.

  He should have been coming here with Jacob to celebrate Caleb’s twenty-first birthday—which was yesterday.

  Instead, he headed right for the bar. But he had to get through tons of people first. Caleb shoved through sweaty and rude people, or ones who pinched and grabbed his ass like it was prime meat. He kept slapping hands away, growing more frustrated by the second.

  He finally reached the bar, which was only slightly less congested. The guy in front of him moved aside, and Caleb snagged his vacant barstool.

  The beefy bartender looked him up and down. “Got ID, kid?”

  After fishing his wallet out of his front pocket, Caleb handed the bald guy his driver’s license.

  “Happy belated birthday,” he said as he handed the card back. “First drink is on me.” He winked and despite his morose mood, Caleb blushed. “What’ll you have?”

  “Uh.” Caleb had no freaking clue.

  The guy chuckled. “Never drank before?”

  He shook his head.

  “Then let me hook you up, handsome.” He stuck his hand out. “Name’s Spike.”

  Spike’s hand swallowed Caleb’s when he shook it. “Caleb.”

  Instead of releasing his hand, Spike kissed Caleb’s knuckles. “Maybe when I knock off we can get to know each other better.”

  Caleb might have considered hooking up, but this guy… He pulled his hand away. Spike looked as though he could give Caleb a good time, but Caleb wasn’t sure. Maybe he wasn’t drunk enough to say yes. “I’ll let you know.”

  With a wink Spike headed toward the other end of the bar, but not before mixing Caleb a drink and setting it in front of him. Caleb stared at the pink concoction, then took a tentative sip. He coughed, his throat burning as he wiped at his mouth. He wasn’t so sure he liked alcohol, but he forced himself to take another drink, and then another until he finally finished it off.

 
He immediately felt the effects. Caleb’s shoulders loosened, his anger faded, and he giggled as he spun in his seat and stared at the dance floor.

  “Another?”

  Caleb turned back around to find Spike standing in front of him behind the bar. “What was that?”

  “A strawberry margarita.” Spike leaned his large arms on the bar, his smile inviting and naughty. “Want to try something else or do you want to stick to them?”

  “What do you recommend?”

  Spike’s tongue traced his bottom lip, and Caleb’s gaze followed it. “Since you never drank before, I’d suggest sticking to the same drink.”

  Caleb had opened his mouth to order another when he spotted the man he’d been tailing all day. The one he’d been attracted to. The one with auburn hair and pretty brown eyes. He was at the other end of the bar, talking to some guy.

  “I’ll get back to you on that,” he told Spike as he slipped off his stool and headed toward the stranger. Unfortunately, the closer Caleb got, the more his feet turned to ice. He slowed, then came to a stop, too afraid to approach. Caleb wasn’t sure how to start off a conversation that would lead to questions about Jacob’s death.

  All Caleb had to do was flirt to get the guy’s attention, but he was aggravatingly inept at it. Caleb flirted about as well as a fish breathed out of water.

  He was surprised he’d ever lost his virginity. His first attempt had ended with Caleb getting a concussion after falling out of the guy’s bed and hitting his head on the nightstand while somehow managing to fracture his wrist.

  His second attempt, he’d accidentally given his lover a black eye during his climax. Caleb didn’t have to wonder why no one came back for seconds.

  “Now don’t you look like a delicious piece of candy?”

  “I’m what?” Caleb turned too fast and bumped into the partier behind him, making the stranger spill his drink down the front of his dress shirt.

  Crap.

  “Do you know how much this damn shirt cost me?” The stranger ran toward the counter and grabbed a handful of napkins, then blotted at the wet spots.

  Caleb groaned.

  “Nice way to get rid of my competition.” The deep, silky voice slid over Caleb and made him shiver as he forced himself to turn slowly this time.

  It was the guy he’d been following all day. He stood so close his dark, masculine scent wrapped around Caleb and made him feel dizzy with want.

  “I’m-I’m sorry?” Caleb asked.

  His intense, interested eyes turned cold. “You will be if you don’t tell me why you’ve been following me.” The stranger grabbed Caleb’s wrist to stop him from fleeing. “Are you a Hunter?”

  “A what?” Caleb tried to yank his hand free, but the guy gripped his wrist even harder.

  “Why have you been following me?” His voice dripped with venom.

  Caleb’s heart thundered as his legs threatened to give out. He was seconds away from fainting from the guy’s menacing expression. “I…”

  “I saw you at the funeral. Did you attend to gloat at your handiwork?”

  Caleb shoved himself at the stranger, trying his best to break free. “I’m Jacob’s brother, you asshole!”

  A few people looked their way, including Spike. He frowned at Caleb, his expression asking if Caleb needed help. He ignored Spike as he looked back at the guy holding him.

  “Let. Me. Go,” Caleb demanded. Over the stranger’s shoulder, he saw a bouncer at the door. If he wasn’t released in the next five seconds, Caleb would shout his head off.

  The grip on his wrists lessened, but the man didn’t let go. And Caleb wasn’t sure he wanted him to. That was what confused him the most. At the service, he’d kept watching this guy, never letting him out of his sight. Now that they stood almost chest to chest, Caleb had a wild urge to throw himself into the man’s arms. He’d kept the stranger under surveillance all day to get answers, but now he wanted him to be the random who Caleb took home.

  That margarita must’ve gone straight to his head. Maybe he would have another so he wouldn’t give two fucks about why he was so fascinated with this auburn-haired god.

  “I’m Raven.” The man still didn’t release Caleb. In fact, he’d leaned in to whisper in Caleb’s ear. “And you still need to tell me why you’ve been following me.”

  Raven’s warm breath slid over Caleb’s cheek, and Caleb shuddered as his lips parted. Raven was a solid wall of muscle, and Caleb couldn’t understand why he wanted that sculpted body curled around him. Well, yeah, he could. But he didn’t know why he wanted it so badly. Like, insanely so.

  “I-I have to go.” He pulled away and shoved through the crowd. As he spilled into the parking lot, he tried to suck in enough air to breathe. Raven’s presence had become overwhelming, making him feel as though he was drowning.

  The door swung open and Raven emerged. He looked around until his gaze landed on Caleb. “Wait.”

  Caleb’s hands shook as he fumbled for his keys, then dropped them in his attempt to hit the fob. When he bent to pick them up, a pair of shoes moved into his line of sight.

  Caleb tilted his head back, and his gaze moved upward until he was staring into Raven’s dark eyes. Raven grabbed the keys from the gravel and curled his fingers around them. “We should talk.”

  This was the opportunity to get answers that Caleb had been waiting for all day. Yet he squatted there with his mind going completely blank. Okay, not entirely blank. His gaze lowered to Raven’s groin and all Caleb could think about was getting laid by this gorgeous-ass guy.

  Raven grabbed Caleb’s elbow and helped him to his feet. “We can talk someplace a little less noisy.”

  Caleb pulled his arm away. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

  “All right.” Raven crossed his arms and leaned against Caleb’s car. “Then we’ll stay right here and you’ll tell me why I saw this little Honda Fit tailing me for the past eight or so hours.”

  His drive to confront Raven went up in smoke. He stammered and waved his hands around, but no coherent words would form. Caleb just kept muttering, “I…I…I,” for five seconds straight.

  Raven placed a strong hand on his shoulder. “Calm down. I’m not going to hurt you.”

  His touch heated Caleb’s skin. At least, that was what his mind told him, because Caleb was sweating like crazy.

  “You want to know why your brother died, don’t you?” Raven spoke as if he were plucking Caleb’s thoughts from his head. “You want answers.”

  “How-how did you know?”

  “Because I know no one has talked to you, and it would be something I would want if that had happened to my brother.” Raven’s hand slid down Caleb’s arm, and just like that, Caleb relaxed. He pressed his butt against his car and stuffed his hands into the front pockets of his dress pants as he stared down at his feet.

  “Are you gonna tell me why?” Caleb asked. A soft breeze made strands of his hair tickle his face. He brushed them away as he turned his head and gazed up at Raven. He really was gorgeous—dark eyes, strong jaw, low-trimmed beard and mustache, and auburn hair that looked silky under the glow of the streetlights.

  “That conversation may take a while,” Raven said. “How about we do it over a cup of coffee? I know a twenty-four-hour diner not too far from here.”

  That wasn’t exactly the night Caleb had had in mind, but he’d forgo sex if that meant getting closure. “I’ll follow you.”

  He winced when he realized what he’d just said.

  Raven gave a low chuckle. “I’m sure you know how to tail someone.” He winked as he pushed away from Caleb’s car.

  Caleb’s heart kicked up a notch as he nodded. “I’m sure I can figure it out.”

  Raven handed him back his keys. “I’ll try not to lose you.”

  As he walked away, Caleb checked out the guy’s ass. And man, what a nice ass Raven had. Caleb scraped his teeth along his bottom lip, sighing. What he wouldn’t give to be naked under that guy.

&nb
sp; When Raven pulled his shiny Jaguar out of the lot, Caleb was right behind him. Soon they were parking in slotted spots in front of a diner that looked like an old train car. As soon as Caleb got out of his car, Raven was at his side, placing his hand on the small of Caleb’s back.

  When they reached the door, Raven opened it for him and allowed Caleb to enter first. As intimidating as Raven had been, he was turning out to be quite the gentleman.

  “Anywhere you guys want to sit,” a waitress said when they entered.

  Caleb started for the first booth, but Raven directed him toward the rear, where he placed his back to the wall as Caleb sat across from him. The smell of pancakes made his stomach growl and reminded him that he hadn’t eaten since…Caleb racked his brain. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d eaten. Since Jacob’s death, Caleb’s life had become one big blur.

  He’d gone through all the motions of living, but he’d done everything on autopilot. And sleep? He’d caught only a few hours here and there, tossing and turning most of the time when he did lay down. At night, he’d mostly paced his apartment, every inch of the place reminding him of the space he’d shared with Jacob.

  “Order whatever you want.” Raven’s voice pulled him out of thoughts. “It’s on me.”

  Caleb was glad because while the prices were decent, the five bucks in his wallet wouldn’t cover something to drink and food. “Thanks.”

  The waitress took their drink orders, then left them to look over their menus. But Caleb just sat there staring at Raven. “What’s a Hunter?” He strummed his fingers on the table. “In the club, you asked if I was one.”

  Raven’s gaze darted around the diner. “Hunters are fanatics who—” He scrubbed a hand over his jaw. “Let me back up and start from the beginning.”

  He fell silent when the waitress returned with Caleb’s orange juice and Raven’s coffee. “Are you fellas ready to order?” she asked.

  Caleb asked for the stack of blueberry pancakes and some bacon before handing over his menu.

  “I’ll have the same, but can you also give me a side of home fries and eggs over medium, wheat toast, and a bowl of grits?”