Unknown (Hooked Book 3) (9 page)

At the sound of Logan’s voice, Malik died a little inside. Ryan’s expression was priceless. A mixture of pure shock and horror etched his features. Logan stood with his shoulder holding up the ring post and watching the whole scene. He looked mildly amused. There was nothing for it. Malik had to salvage this situation any way he could. While Ryan stuttered, openly scrambling for an excuse for his actions, Malik snuck in a short jab to the man’s ribs before landing a punch to the center of Ryan’s face. He didn’t hold back, giving it everything he had. Without waiting to see if Ryan survived the blow, Malik rushed to Logan’s side, and leaned down between the ropes.

“Oh my God. It burns. Make it stop.” Malik made sure to keep his tone as obnoxious and over the top as possible. Nothing won Logan like ridiculousness did.

Logan’s eyes shone bright with barely suppressed laughter. He cupped Malik’s face. “Poor baby. Let me see.” Logan pretended to inspect Malik’s lips for damage. “Where did he get you?”

Malik stuck out his bottom lip.

Without hesitating, Logan moved in and took Malik’s bottom lip between his teeth. He gently sucked, making Malik forget where they were. Logan’s tongue brushed Malik’s lip a final time before he pulled away.

“Is that better?”

Malik nodded, doing his best to keep his erection from growing. This was definitely not the place. Still, when he spoke, the lust in his gut showed in his voice. “For real, I didn’t instigate that.”

Logan brushed his thumb over Malik’s bottom lip. His gorgeous eyes followed the motion. “I know. I’ve been here, watching for about ten minutes now. You should check on Ryan. I think you broke one of his ribs.”

“I’m good,” Ryan called from behind him, sounding out of breath.

Malik never looked away from the happiness on Logan’s face. “He’s good. Are you ready to get out of here? I need a shower first, but this place is dead today, and you could come with. You know…” He let the possibilities hang between them.

“This is a public place,” Logan said, blushing. His horror caused a dark chuckle to fall from Malik’s lips as dirty images filled his head. Logan might blush, but Malik knew him. There was nothing Malik couldn’t convince him to do.

“That didn’t stop you when we were—”

“Shhh,” Logan said, covering Malik’s mouth with his hand, attempting to cut off his words. Malik mumbled around it, trying his damnedest to make Logan laugh. Triumph raced through his veins as Logan’s cheeks reddened once more and a horrified-sounding chuckle escaped. Malik kissed Logan’s palm, and the laughter died.

“You should get a shower,” Logan said, eyeing Malik with open hunger.

“That’s an awesome idea,” Malik agreed, ducking beneath the ropes and pulling off his gloves.

“So, same time tomorrow?” Ryan called out behind them, and Malik flipped him off over his shoulder. The dude was lucky Logan was awesome and forgiving or Malik might’ve been forced to kill him.

*

Only because Ryan obviously didn’t mean it, Logan let himself quiver inside. That kiss had been kind of hot. Naturally, Malik belonged to him and he’d never stand by and let Ryan have him, but Malik’s reaction—fucking sexy. He’d immediately turned greedy, selfish of his personal space, because it belonged to Logan. That was enough to fire any man’s blood. As it was, Logan was having a damn hard time not staring at Malik as they walked hand in hand to the locker room. Bare from the waist up, Malik’s muscles gleamed with sweat, making the light glisten from them as they moved in time with his every step. Logan wanted him—hard and controlling Logan with his body. Malik was a work of art. How could anyone resist? Logan wasn’t surprised in the least that Ryan had tried moving in. Anyone with half a brain cell and a shot would take it. It was empowering, knowing Malik couldn’t be stolen. Logan didn’t know what he possessed that kept Malik hooked, but he thanked God for it every day.

Malik pulled his gym bag from his locker without giving up Logan’s hand. Logan let the man tug him toward the showers, even though he had no intention of being dragged in. Each shower stall had two sets of curtains. One opened, revealing a small private changing area and the other curtain. That curtain then opened to a shower behind the changing area. Logan stepped into the changing room, still determined he wouldn’t breach that shower area. Malik hung his bag on the hook and slid the curtain closed behind them. Logan leaned against the wall, intending to watch as Malik stripped and stepped through the second curtain. Malik dragged his shorts down his hips, ensuring Logan got his show. His smile said he knew exactly how much he tortured Logan. Logan’s mouth watered. He loved Malik’s hard body, and he was hard—everywhere. Reaching behind the second curtain, Malik twisted the knob and fired up the shower. With the sound of rushing water filling up the silence, Malik closed the space between them, pressing Logan into the cold tile wall. His large frame surrounded Logan, taking up too much space. Dipping his head, Malik touched his lips to Logan’s ear. His hot breath brushed Logan’s skin, causing a delicious shiver to run down Logan’s spine.

Malik’s voice came out in a whisper drowned by the sound of running water. “No one saw you come in here. We’re free to do as we like.” His fingers worked Logan’s button loose as he spoke. “Come on, Logan. Be bad with me.” He slid Logan’s zipper down. His knuckles brushed Logan’s erection as he did. A pant left Logan’s lips. He was so fucking weak when it came to Malik. Still, Logan shook his head, as if Malik wasn’t already setting Logan’s cock free.

“I don’t need a shower,” Logan argued.

“You will when I’m finished,” Malik promised as he dropped to his knees.

Logan stared down the line of his body, watching as Malik swallowed his dick. His head hit the wall behind him, and his palms slapped against the tile beside him, hoping to hold on as Malik swallowed him whole. Malik’s throat squeezed Logan’s cock as Malik took him deep enough to lick his balls. Damn, Malik had talent and enthusiasm. He sucked dick like it got him off and Logan was lost. He didn’t take any mercy on Logan. Logan’s hips moved as if they had a mind of their own, openly fucking Malik’s hot and willing mouth. He ground against him, taking what Malik offered, going for the throat. His orgasm was right there, threatening to steal Logan’s sanity. Biting his lip, attempting to hold back a moan, he turned his face away from the sight of Malik’s sexy heaving shoulders. His gaze landed on Ryan.

*

It hadn’t been Ryan’s intention to become the peeping Tom today. When he’d entered the locker room, set on a quick shower before heading to work, he’d sat down on the bench in front of his locker, hoping to catch his breath after that sucker punch to the ribs. A gasp snagged his attention. When he’d glanced up, there he was. A gap in the curtain left an unobstructed view of Logan, against the wall, and obviously on the edge of orgasm. He was beyond beautiful. Their gazes met. Logan didn’t look away. The man’s lips parted as his orgasm hit, and Ryan was transfixed. He hadn’t seen anything sexier in years. The man owned his passion. Even from ten feet away, Ryan could tell Logan’s eyes had lightened in coloration. The flush on his cheeks made them seem that much brighter. Ryan was hard enough to chop through diamonds. No doubt, months of celibacy had warped his brain. It had been years since he’d wanted anyone as badly. The temptation to rip back the curtain and seize Malik’s mouth, just so he could taste Logan’s cum, was overwhelming.

He came to his feet, almost as if his mind had decided to do just that. Logan’s gaze slid down Ryan’s body and stopped at the erection tenting Ryan’s shorts, before returning to hold Ryan’s stare. The man’s eyes looked feverish. Malik shifted to his feet. His fingers dug into Logan’s jaw, claiming the man’s attention and mouth, breaking the spell. With a shake of his head, Ryan quickly dipped inside the stall beside them before anyone spotted him standing there at full mast. He didn’t know what just happened, but damn. He needed to take care of this before he left. No way was his dick going to ease without attention. He turned the water all the way to hot before stepping beneath it without waiting for it to warm up. Slamming his eyes closed, Ryan bit his lip to keep in the cries as he brought an image of Logan to mind, and fisted his cock. There was nothing more than a single wall between them. He was married to Malik. Ryan tried pushing that undeniable fact out of his mind. This was just a fantasy. It didn’t matter. He’d never act on anything. An image of Logan staring up the line of Ryan’s body with those gorgeous blue eyes, sucking hard on Ryan’s dick while Malik took him from behind fired to life in Ryan’s head. His balls drew up tight and cum shot from his dick as wave upon wave of ecstasy threatened to buckle his knees. With one hand braced on the wall and the other tugging at his cock, Ryan kept his eyes tightly shut, living out his fantasy. It wasn’t real. No one ever needed to know. Unfortunately, even as Ryan washed away the mess, his desire didn’t fade. Fear gnawed at his gut. Ryan was scared as hell he’d opened a box he’d kept tightly closed for too long. When he’d gotten Logan’s number from Sam, he hadn’t meant to do anything other than shake Malik out of his bullshit. Now, he wanted the images seared on his brain to become reality. Not only would that never happen, it could also easily destroy him in the process. He’d always been his own worst enemy.

Chapter 6

Heavyweight was the definite beast of all boxing. The men were tanks who hit like sledgehammers. Even Ryan, who fought without rules, cringed every time he heard a punch land. It never ceased to amaze him when someone stood steady afterward. The sound of the crowd, no matter how small the fighter’s name, always roared as loud as a packed stadium at a football game. He understood why Malik wanted it. This was no joke. It was the epitome of fame. Malik would rule the world and give Logan a lifestyle he could only dream of having. It was a husband’s dream come true.

Ryan spotted Sam before he found his seat. Like Malik, Sam stood almost a foot taller than everyone else. It was a trait Ryan had always admired. While he wasn’t short by any means that reach would be one hell of advantage in his career.

Sam smiled and held his hand out as Ryan slid into the empty spot beside him. “Hey, man. I’m glad you made it,” Sam said, yelling to be heard over the crowd.

Ryan matched his pitch. “Of course, I ducked out of tonight’s fights as soon as my match ended. I didn’t want to miss this.”

“Did you win?”

Ryan glanced past Sam’s massive frame, searching for Logan as answered. “Naturally.” He only spotted Sam’s man, Holden. He nodded in the man’s direction. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Holden. It was more that Holden had an intensity that was hard to meet. He seemed shy and unassuming until he met Ryan’s stare. The man’s gaze could make a person weak. That wasn’t for Ryan. Only Sam was strong enough to handle that. Ryan’s gaze immediately skipped past Holden, fully expecting he’d find Logan sitting at his side. There was some dude Ryan didn’t know. “Where’s Logan?” Ryan asked without thought.

Sam shook his head. “He doesn’t come to Malik’s fights anymore. Not since,” Sam pulled a face, as if calculating in his head. “I guess it was like three weeks before they split. This is too hard for him. Now, he goes to Jimmy’s bar over on Gate Street and gets plastered every time Malik fights. I usually call him when it’s over and let him know Malik’s still alive. Luckily, I caught him before he’d started drinking last time Malik got fucked up so he could get Malik’s stupid ass from the hospital. Hopefully, I won’t have to do that again.” Sam shook his head again. “Dude, that was a tough call to make.”

Ryan nodded along, letting Sam know he was listening. Inside his head, Ryan rolled his eyes. Logan and Malik were total dumbasses. They had what most people only dreamed of owning, but they were either too stubborn or too stupid to hold onto it with both hands, no matter the personal cost.

The announcements began, ringing loud above the crowd. Each fighter ducked inside the ring, looking pumped. Malik’s opponent didn’t have his reach. As far as Ryan was concerned, Malik couldn’t lose. The bell rang, and the men met in the center, each bouncing and ready to go.

“I’m going to grab a beer before the real action starts,” Ryan said, pulling Sam’s attention his way. Sam nodded that he’d heard, and Ryan slipped away. Normally, he would’ve offered to get Sam and Holden something as well. Since Ryan didn’t have any intention of returning, that might not be the best idea in the world.

*

Jimmy’s was always dark, a little dingy, and quiet. Only hardcore alcoholics came here. It wasn’t a club where people came to dance. There wasn’t any music to scream over to get a drink. Occasionally, someone would pop some money in the jukebox, but even then, the music came out soft and slow. This was where people drowned their misery. They didn’t look for hope at Jimmy’s—only temporary relief. Logan stared at the clear liquid in his glass, doing his damnedest not to think about anything at all. Drinking vodka straight up was nasty as hell, but it was the quickest way to oblivion. He didn’t want to remember his name before the night ended.

A large body filled the barstool beside him. Logan didn’t look. No one wanted to see anyone here. Beyond the hint of annoyance that the dude could’ve picked any of the empty spots to sit, rather than right up against him, Logan didn’t give two shits about the guy. He was here for one reason only—to forget.

“I knew Jimmy owned a bar and I’ve driven past here a few times, but I never dreamed this place would this goddamn depressing. Is he fucked in the head or something?”