Unknown (Hooked Book 3) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Introduction

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Unknown

  Hooked #3

  Charity Parkerson

  Without limiting the rights under copyright(s) reserved above and below, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior permission of the copyright owner.

  Please Note

  The scanning, uploading, and distributing of this book via the internet or via any other means without the permission of the copyright owner is illegal and punishable by law. 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. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Brief passages may be quoted for review purposes if credit is given to the copyright holder. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. Any resemblances to person(s) living or dead, is completely coincidental. All items contained within this novel are products of the author’s imagination.

  --Warning: This book is intended for readers over the age of 18.

  Copyright © 2016 Charity Parkerson

  Cover Design by Cover Couture

  www.bookcovercouture.com

  Photographer: Jeff Horner Photography

  Model: Tim McComsey

  Photo: albund / Shutterstock

  All rights reserved.

  Malik loves hating Logan… or hates loving Logan. Hell, even he doesn’t know.

  Three years ago, Malik met the man of his dreams. Everything stopped for him, so his world could revolve around Logan. Eight months ago, Logan walked away, leaving Malik with one burning question—why?

  No man on the planet has ever stolen Logan’s heart the way Malik has. As much as Malik claims he loves Logan, Logan knows the truth. He’ll always come second to Malik’s boxing career, but that’s not why Logan left. He has his reasons, and he can’t share them with Malik. But a love this real and strong, it won’t be denied.

  When Malik finally learns the truth, he’ll stop at nothing to win back the man he’s barely surviving without. But even Malik doesn’t know if there are enough words of love to overcome the hatred he’s spewed these past months. When his friend, Ryan, steps in, determined to help, Malik reluctantly accepts. But will Ryan become the glue holding them together, or will he tear them apart?

  An up-and-coming fighter, with a marriage on the mend, and a friend who wants in the middle in the most delicious ways… it’s a future Unknown.

  Chapter 1

  March…

  “Have you ever been or are you currently in an abusive relationship?”

  Malik snorted at the asinine question. “No.”

  The male nurse who couldn’t have been more than twenty-two, scratched something out on the notepad in his hands before focusing on Malik once more. “Are you being held against your will?”

  Malik looked around, searching for hidden cameras. “Is this a joke? Are you fucking kidding me right now?”

  The nurse’s gaze moved over Malik’s bruised and battered body. “I assure you, these are standard questions, Mr. Harris.”

  “Are they?” Malik asked, hearing the aggravation in his tone. “Because I have to say, no one’s ever asked me this bullshit before, and I spend a lot of time at the ER. A lot.”

  The guy’s bland expression never faltered. “I could get you the number to a place where they help people like you get out of bad situations.”

  Shifting positions, Malik opened his mouth ready to blast his unwanted champion when the door to his room flew open. Logan strolled through, stealing the oxygen Malik needed to argue. It had been three months since he’d last set eyes on Logan’s gorgeous blue eyes. His perfect body and blond hair always turned heads everywhere he went. At one time, Logan’s presence alone was enough to fix every fucking thing in Malik’s world. Now, Malik knew the truth. Logan’s beauty masked an ugly heart.

  “Jesus, just what I need. What are you doing here?”

  Logan’s gaze moved over Malik. His expression gave nothing away. “I’m still listed as your emergency contact.”

  “I’ll be sure to fix that. You’re free to go.”

  Snagging a chair with his foot, Logan dragged it closer to Malik’s bed and sat. “Shut up, babe,” Logan said before focusing on the nurse. “What’s your name?”

  The guy visibly swallowed. “James.”

  Logan’s smile turned sexy in a way that never failed to get the man his way. “What’s the prognosis, James?”

  James glanced between Logan and Malik. His nervousness fled and his shoulders squared as he focused on Malik. “I’ll go get that number for you.”

  Malik bit back a groan as the man scurried from the room, leaving Malik alone with Logan. His eyes skirted Logan’s way without his permission. Logan’s hair was shaved on the sides and thick on top. It stood on end, making Malik want to run his fingers through it. That thought pissed him off.

  “For real, why are you here?”

  Instead of cowering, as any sane man would have, Logan’s face softened. “I told you—I’m still listed as your emergency contact. Are you okay? Sam said you were out cold for much longer than usual. You scared the shit out of me, baby. Don’t do that shit. You know my heart can’t take it.”

  Crueler words had never been spoken than the ones leaving Logan’s lips—lips he’d loved to kiss, lingered over. Crossing his arms over his chest, Malik looked away. He needed to protect his heart. “It’s just a concussion. I’m sure it won’t be the last. See? No big deal. Feel free to leave.”

  Before Logan had time to respond, the door opened, and the doctor made his appearance. He took one look at Logan and reached past Malik with his hand outstretched.

  “I’m Dr. Lynch. Are you here to take Malik home?”

  “Logan,” Logan said, introducing himself. “And yes, I’ll make sure he’s taken care of for the night.”

  “Good,” Dr. Lynch said, before pulling out his pen light and shining it in Malik’s eyes, and making Malik’s stomach churn. “He needs to take it easy for the next few days. No gym, no sports, minimal TV and video games. I’ve also called in a prescription for anti-nausea medication, just in case. He needs someone closely monitoring him. If his headache becomes unbearable, or he seems confused, you’ll need to bring him back immediately.”

  Logan nodded as if he fully intended to follow Dr. Lynch’s orders to the letter. No way in hell would Malik allow Logan to care for him. He’d rather die.

  “When can I take him home?”

  Malik couldn’t breathe. Logan was serious. He planned to take Malik home.

  The doctor smiled, oblivious to Malik’s inner turmoil. “As soon as I get you to sign some papers, saying you’ll stay with him for at least the next twenty-four hours, he’ll be yours.”

  He’ll be yours. The knife in Malik’s heart twisted. Usually, it was no more than a dull ache. Tonight, injured and with Logan sitting at his side, every tumultuous emotion he’d experienced since losing Logan came rushing back to the surface. The betrayal. The heartache. The loneliness. As the doctor and Logan spoke, Malik stared at Logan, incapable of looking away
. Even the way his jaw moved with each word leaving his lips, fascinated Malik. He’d kissed every inch of Logan at some point. They’d been together for three years, as if they were meant to stay that way forever. That is, until the day Logan texted him, saying they were over. Indeed, he’d come home from an out-of-state match to find their house void of any sign of the man who’d meant everything to him. If only Logan had stayed gone. Maybe Malik wouldn’t hate him, but no. Logan still loved using Malik’s body whenever he chose to reappear. Malik’s heart had been shredded so many times by the sexy man at his side, he didn’t even recognize himself any longer.

  Malik switched his attention to the doctor, hoping to hang onto an ounce of pride. Dr. Lynch watched Logan with the same hunger Malik felt every time he set eyes on Logan. Malik’s heart sank. It was always the same. Logan’s ice-blue eyes, blond hair, and small frame made him the target of every horny dude for miles.

  “If you step out into the hall with me, I’ll find you a brochure on head injuries and how best to care for them.”

  Logan moved as if he meant to stand. Jesus. He was such an idiot. Logan never knew when people were flirting with him. Flipping his pride the bird, Malik threw his hand out and snagged Logan’s arm, stopping him. His gaze never wavered from the doctor’s. Malik wanted him to see the many ways he’d die if he continued down this path.

  “Logan has enough of those pamphlets to paper our living room.” Logan didn’t correct him. It hadn’t been their living room in eight months.

  “Huh. That many pamphlets yet you’re still here.” He stopped short of calling Malik an idiot, but Malik gathered it was understood.

  “If you don’t mind, we’d really like to go home,” Logan said, sounding sweet as he cut in.

  Dr. Lynch’s gaze moved between them. His expression made it more than clear he didn’t understand what Logan saw in Malik, but his features softened as he finally focused on Logan.

  “Of course, I imagine all this must be exhausting.”

  He couldn’t land a charge tonight. That was the only thought keeping Malik from doing just that. Logan held his smile until Dr. Lynch left them alone. The moment the door closed behind him, shutting them away from the world, Logan turned a concerned look his way. His gaze moved over Malik’s face in a way that had Malik’s throat tightening.

  “Are you okay? Seriously?”

  In spite of his feelings for Logan, Malik couldn’t ignore the genuine distress in Logan’s tone. “Yeah. You know I’m invincible.”

  Logan looked away and visibly swallowed. “Yeah.”

  It was almost funny how Logan couldn’t look someone in the eye and lie, considering how thoroughly he’d eviscerated Malik’s life. The question popped out before Malik could call it back. “What are you doing here, really?”

  A small smile touched Logan’s lips. “Would you rather I call your mom?”

  “Fuck, no.” His reaction came too swiftly to temper it, and Logan knew him too well. If anyone worried more about his health than Logan, it was Malik’s mom. The nagging phone calls would never end if she caught wind of this.

  The nosy nurse reappeared with discharge papers in hand. He passed Malik a pamphlet on domestic abuse along with his paperwork. Malik bit back a sigh. While shorter than most of his other visits, this trip to the ER had been jam-packed with fun. Malik was three times the size of Logan. Only a dumbass would think the man capable of physically hurting Malik. Mentally, that was another story. Maybe he’d keep the leaflet after all.

  Tossing his legs over the edge of the bed, Malik moved to stand. A wave of dizziness overcame him. Logan rushed to his side and eased him back down. The concern written on Logan’s face had the muscles in Malik’s stomach twisting into knots. Weakness was an odd emotion. When it hit, it rained down every single instance at once, making Malik a basket case. The desire to beg Logan to tell him why he’d left—why he’d thrown away every wonderful thing they had together, rose up in Malik’s chest. He ground his teeth to keep it from happening.

  He’d seen the same worried expression on Logan’s face a hundred times. Malik already knew it was pointless to ask a single question.

  “I signed up for a new fight today. If I win this one, everyone will know my name.”

  Logan tried smiling. It didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Why is that?”

  Malik helped Logan with dinner as he answered. “Because my competitor is one of the biggest names in my weight class. Are you okay?” Something about Logan’s expression bugged the shit out of Malik.

  Logan looked away and grabbed some plates from the cabinet. “I’m fine. How’d you swing a fight with one of the biggest names in your weight class?”

  Malik wrapped his arms around Logan’s waist and pulled Logan against his chest. With his sexy ass grinding against Malik’s crotch, Malik almost forgot he needed to know what was bothering Logan.

  “Because I’m awesome. Now, have I told you how sexy you are today?”

  Logan chuckled. “I don’t think it’s come up.”

  Malik’s heart sang at the happiness in Logan’s voice. “How about how you’re my whole fucking world? Have we had that discussion?”

  Logan relaxed into Malik’s hold. “Not today.”

  Attempting to draw Logan’s delicious scent into his lungs, Malik pressed his lips to the spot beneath Logan’s ear and inhaled. “I’ll tell you tomorrow,” he promised. Right now, they had other fun things to discuss.

  Tomorrow had never come, and Malik didn’t know why. The question haunted him day and night. He’d resigned himself to never knowing peace again.

  *

  By the time Logan left the hospital with Malik and pulled into his drive, his skin crawled with the need to escape the hatred in Malik’s stare. When Malik realized they were headed back to Logan’s apartment instead of Malik’s place, Malik had put up one hell of a fight. In the end, he’d recognized the futility of the situation. Logan could be damn stubborn when he set his mind to something. In this case, no way would Logan take Malik home to die alone in his sleep.

  Logan’s blood ran cold as he thought about Sam’s call. The man had been panicked in a way Logan had never witnessed before. Considering Sam was a strongman competitor and one of the steadiest men Logan knew, Logan had half-expected he’d find Malik on life support by the time he made it to the hospital.

  “I think I still have some of your clothes if you’d like to take a shower.”

  Actually, Logan knew he still had some of Malik’s clothes, but no way in hell would he admit to it—like he still cared. Showing up at the hospital was bad enough.

  “That would be great. Thanks.”

  Malik sounded stiff, but Logan still released a pent up breath. Considering how much Malik hated him, every conversation could always go either way.

  “Would you like something to eat?” Logan didn’t know why he couldn’t shut up.

  “I’m good. Let me grab a shower and a few hours of sleep, and I’ll be good. I just want to be done with this night.”

  “You mean you just want to be done with me.” Logan wanted to bite off his tongue. He hated that Malik made him weak.

  “Take it how you want.”

  With his head down and holding his silence, Logan headed for the bedroom. No good could come of him saying another damn word. He’d already said too many. After finding one of Malik’s shirts and a pair of sweat pants, he handed them over.

  “Here you go. You know where to find everything else.” And how sad was that? They’d split eight months earlier and still Malik knew where everything was in Logan’s new apartment. They never seemed to fully quit each other. That wasn’t true. They’d given up on each other in every way that counted. Their bodies still believed they belonged together.

  While Malik showered, Logan got ready for bed. He tried not to picture Malik’s nude body with beads of water rolling down every hardened inch. Malik’s body was a-fucking-mazing. He stood an entire foot taller than Logan. His shoulders were wide enough to
make Logan feel tiny. In Malik’s presence, Logan had always felt protected and cherished. Now, he just felt alone and loathed.

  When the bathroom door opened, a cloud of steam rolled out along with Malik. Logan tried not to stare as Malik climbed into Logan’s bed. The way the sweat pants clung to Malik’s ass, shaping it perfectly had Logan’s mouth watering. His body ached with desire. Everything else wept with loss. There’d been thousands of times Logan had caught people eyeing Malik with open hunger. Every single time, Logan had smiled, knowing this sexy man would be going home with him. Malik never looked twice at anyone else. Now it was all gone because Logan was weak.

  Giving up on trying to figure out the cruelties of life, Logan switched off the light, and moved to the opposite side of the bed.

  “What are you doing?”

  Logan climbed onto the mattress, doing his best not to touch Malik in any way. “I can’t keep an eye on you if I’m not here. Don’t worry. I’m not trying to molest you.”

  Logan turned on his side, keeping his back to Malik. He couldn’t see the relief in Malik’s face. If he did, it might finally kill him. Loving Malik was already slowly doing that. Five minutes passed before Malik responded.

  “I can’t sleep with you beside me. It hurts too much.”

  It was the same as Malik punching him. Logan couldn’t do this. He’d had the best of intentions, but this, it was fucking killing him. He might really die.

  Logan snagged his pillow. “I’ll sleep on the couch and check on you a few times.” Before he slipped from the bed, Malik’s weight landed on him, pinning Logan on his stomach.

  “I said I couldn’t sleep. That wasn’t your cue to leave.” Logan’s body betrayed him, going hard. Malik’s touch always did that. All it took was the insinuation of sex with Malik and Logan’s body was on board. “I hope you have a condom around here somewhere.”

  This was one of the many ways Malik always made him pay. They’d forgone condoms a long time ago, way before Logan moved out. He knew Malik’s insistence now was a dig at Logan. Whether he meant to insinuate Logan slept with everyone, or hoped Logan would think Malik did, either way the result was the same. Logan felt sick. He’d done this. If Malik took home a different man every night of the week, Logan had no one to blame but himself. Likewise, if Malik honestly believed Logan fucked anything that moved, he’d planted that seed in Malik’s head. Logan intentionally didn’t keep condoms for this reason. No way could he let anyone else touch him. His heart belonged to Malik.