When Raine woke about noon, Beck was there with some ibuprofen and a bottle of water. “You decide yet whether you want to go home or you’re running away for good?”
“Good morning to you, too.” She took the tablets and the water, then swallowed both down.
Beck grinned. “Just asking. Hammer has been texting me every hour on the hour since sunup. He and Liam want to know how you’re doing and what you’re thinking.”
“I don’t know.” Raine clutched her head. “Did I fall asleep on the couch last night?”
“Yep. You and Cuervo were all cuddled up.”
Raine had a vague recollection of Beck carrying her to bed, and she was more than a little embarrassed. “Sorry.”
He shrugged. “I didn’t take you for a Rambo movie marathon sort of girl.”
“I didn’t want anything romantic.” It would only have made her sadder.
“What do you want to do today, princess? I’ve already made my rounds at the hospital, so I’m free if you want to talk or head out to the beach…or get a good spanking.” He leered.
Raine shot him a quelling glare. “Behave.”
“Why, when being bad is so much fun?”
She took another swallow of water. “I don’t know what to do. I need to stop licking my wounds and come to some decisions.”
Beck pushed a strand of hair from her face. “Those men want to help you be whole. There’s no way they don’t love you.”
Liam did for sure. He’d tried so hard to reach her. The more she’d fallen for him, the more afraid she’d become. The more she’d pulled away. All the vows she’d spoken during their collaring ceremony? Raine knew she hadn’t kept up her end of their bargain. She’d given him no choice but to release her.
Hammer? He cared for her in his own way. She hadn’t failed him as badly. Mostly because he’d never set expectations or tried to take her in hand. Still, she knew in her heart that he must be disappointed.
In either case, she was going to have to grow or change or something because neither of them would accept her limitations forever. Liam had already made that clear, and Hammer was sure to follow. If she couldn’t change, maybe she’d be better off moving on. “I don’t know if love is enough.”
“Bullshit.” He leaned closer and leveled a contemplative stare her way. “I’ve been thinking about this, and I might have the answer to your problem. Do you realize you could have them both?”
She gaped at him in stunned silence. Had he prescribed himself some wacky pills? He must have because that notion… “You’re insane.”
He chuckled. “A lot of people think so, and maybe it’s a little true. But I’m right. Deep down, you know it. Even deeper down, you want them both, too. Admit it.”
Raine felt heat rush to her cheeks. She’d fantasized about that a few forbidden times when she’d let herself. She’d cuddled up to Liam in the middle of the night, thinking how complete it would make her feel to be sandwiched between him and Hammer. She’d always dismissed it as a pipe dream.
“What I want and what I can have aren’t even on the same planet.”
Beck smirked. “Think positive.”
“If I can’t even handle Liam’s expectations, how do you expect me to please him and Hammer?”
“They’ll teach you. Stop fighting and pay attention. Figure your shit out. You’re smart, Raine.” He leveled her a serious stare. “They’ve shared before. For the right woman, I think they’d do it again.”
And Beck thought that was her? “They shared Hammer’s wife, and in case you weren’t aware, that didn’t end well. Besides, they can’t get along for two minutes.”
“That’s a temporary pissing match. And it’s not your problem. Your issue now is helping you. If you do that, all your little dreams might come true. You could heal those two by giving them what they both need most. That’s you, Raine.”
Raine still thought Beck was a little insane, but her head hurt too much to argue. This mythical threesome wasn’t the point of their conversation. “If I go back to Shadows at all, I owe them a whole me. Their feelings are wasted if I can’t give either one of them—much less both—everything in return.”
“Right. So what’s in your way?”
What wasn’t? All her emotions were a crowded tangle in her head. The fear of being abandoned or hurt had been carved into her soul. Reacting to them was a reflex. How did she stop that?
Raine had to find a way. The last twenty-four hours had proven that living without them made her utterly miserable. She wanted to go home, wanted the familiar shelter of Shadows, of their arms. Despite what he’d said the last few weeks, Hammer would never commit to her. But that was okay; she could love him from afar. She’d been doing it for so long, she was a pro. She loved Liam so very much. He filled her heart. They could be happy—if she could hurdle her fears and move forward.
The first step was brutal honesty.
“My dad.” For starters, anyway. “He had all the power in the house when I was a kid.”
“And he abused it, along with you.”
Raine resisted the urge to grab the covers up to her chin and protect herself. From what? Beck was only here to help her, and she had to stop hiding from everyone. It only led to self-destruction.
“Yeah. I’ve avoided really thinking about it, but…I know it—he—is a stumbling block.”
Beck sat back and stared. “Have you talked to anyone professional about it lately? I know Hammer took you to see a counselor right after you came to Shadows.”
She sighed impatiently. “She asked the dumbest questions. ‘So I guess your dad’s behavior made you mad?’ Um, you think?”
He stifled a laugh. “So she wasn’t the therapist for you. She wasn’t very good in the sack, either.”
Raine batted Beck’s shoulder. “TMI, dude.”
“That sounds a lot like back talk, princess.”
The warning was too obvious to miss. She dialed back on the banter. “Sorry. It wasn’t meant that way. I appreciate everything you’ve done. I know you didn’t have to.”
Beck waved her away. “You haven’t seen or talked to your dad since you left home, right?”
“No.” She recoiled. “God, no.”
For a long time, he said nothing, and Raine sensed that he weighed his words carefully. Finally, he rose from the edge of her bed. “Okay, then. Food? It’s after noon, but I figure you’re hungry.”
“Are you?” She rose and batted down her self-consciousness about her skimpy tank and boy shorts. Despite his half-hearted flirting, the rapport between them wasn’t sexual. Besides, Beck had seen most everyone at Shadows naked, including her. He was a doctor. She didn’t have any parts different than his patients or the other females walking around the club.
He got a gleam in his eye. “You offering to cook? Bachelor food and hospital cafeteria garbage sucks.”
She laughed. “I’ll be happy to. Give me a few minutes, and I’ll make something divine.”
It was the least she could do.
After brushing her teeth and hair, Raine washed her face, then changed into a pair of yoga pants and a faded sweatshirt. Slipping on a pair of socks, she padded into the kitchen. Beck stood on the balcony, looking out toward the ocean.
For years, he’d been a mystery, other than the pain he inflicted on subs at the club. When they’d first met, she’d lumped him in with her father mentally a bit, and it hadn’t been fair. The subs asked for his pain—begged for it. But this personable, compassionate side of him surprised her. Why should he be single when he could tempt just about anyone? Raine didn’t understand. Even now, his profile looked pensive…unhappy. She hoped he found what he was looking for soon.
In the kitchen, she made herself at home. Beck’s housekeeper had obviously found a gourmet grocery store because Raine found all sorts of goodies. She seared him some bacon-wrapped scallops, sautéed vegetables, and whipped up a heap of garlic-parmesan mashed potatoes. He’d left a bottle of sauvignon blanc chilling in the fridge. She brought two glasses and the bottle out to the balcony, along with a corkscrew. She schlepped napkins, forks, and took two full plates next, then set them on the little table.
The day was chilly, the wind blowing. The almost perpetual fog near the coast blanketed the air. Raine hadn’t made any decisions about what to do or how to do it yet, but somehow a new peace outweighed the turmoil that had made her a hot mess yesterday.
Beck took a bite of his scallops. His eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he moaned loudly. She’d heard him have quieter orgasms.
Raine giggled. “So you like it?”
“Oh, princess. Forget Liam and Hammer. Come live with me.”
“I’ll take that as a yes.” She rolled her eyes.
“Are there seconds? And dessert?”
“No, and I’ll see what I can do.”
Beck sighed in bliss. Then they fell into a comfortable silence as he poured the wine and they ate.
Thoughts turned over in her head. And over and over. She’d struggled for so long with Hammer, fought Liam’s every attempt to reach her. But Beck asked such a simple question. So what’s in your way? And when she’d admitted that she hadn’t seen her dad in over six years, he hadn’t said a single word about it. But his expression had been clear. She should.
Raine’s first instinct was to run. God, when had she become such a coward? More to the point, could she ever be happy if she kept ducking and dodging everyone who simply wanted to know her?
“I should face him,” she admitted.
“Liam? Hammer?” He shoved another bite of potatoes into his mouth.
“My dad.”
“At some point,” he agreed.
Why wait? Prolonging this limbo wouldn’t give her any way to move forward. “Today.”
“That’s…decisive.” Beck drew in a breath, considering. “Let’s talk about that for a minute. Do you know what you’re going to say?”
Raine had rehearsed so many speeches in her head, mostly after she’d first gone to live at Shadows. But so many of the words crowded her head now, she wasn’t sure where to start. “I’ll think of something.”
Beck set his fork down. “He’s dangerous. I can’t let you see him without going, too. I’ll give you space to talk to him, but I won’t be far off.”
Raine considered that for a long moment. She’d pondered storming her father’s castle before, but always pictured going with a gun…then rethought it because, frankly, he scared her. At least a foot taller than her and a whole lot meaner, he’d probably take the gun away and shoot her. Or she’d see him, lose her damn temper, and shoot him on the spot. Prison didn’t sound like fun. A few times she’d considered that doing hard time might be worth killing the bastard, but something had always held her back.
“I can’t put you at risk.” She shook her head.
“Well, either you and I can go together, or I’ll stick about ten feet off your sweet ass all day, and you can pretend not to notice me. Your pick.”
“Amazing choices, Beck.” Inside, she turned warm. Who would have guessed that the rubber paddle-wielding sadist would turn out to have a huge heart? His kindness and protection were a surprising but blessed relief. “I guess you can go with me, then. I’d feel better if we had more backup.”
“Oh, we will. My friends Smith and Wesson are coming along.” He grinned. “I’ll clean up the dishes. You get ready. An hour?”
“Thirty minutes. I’m not getting dolled up for that old bastard.”
“Good girl.”
The plan made sense and sounded so liberating when she’d been tucked away in the safety of Beck’s condo. Zipping down the road toward her childhood home half an hour later…not nearly as much. Raine’s stomach twisted. She wrung her hands. Her palms started to sweat. Her heart thundered.
Beck put a hand on hers. “It’s going to be fine. Say what you need to say. You’ll be safe. The most important thing is that you purge as much of your anger as you can.”
“I really can’t thank you enough.” She looked at him gratefully.
“Then stop trying and go get him, princess.” He pulled his Mercedes up to the curb at the end of the block and rolled up to the house slowly. “This it?”
Her heart lurched as she nodded. “Yeah.”
She’d been more terrified in her life, but not in a long, long time. Hammer had taken her in and given her the safe environment her father hadn’t. She’d repaid him by running away without a word. Just like she’d given Liam a brick wall rather than her heart.
With another glance, Raine drew in a deep breath. She was doing the right thing.
Beck stopped the car and killed the engine, then climbed out. She opened her door and looked around. Nothing much had changed in the neighborhood. Mr. Markland’s religiously trimmed shrubs stood in a meticulous, straight line. Mrs. Fullsome’s garden looked full of color, despite the fact that December had begun.
As she stepped onto the sidewalk, she turned her attention to her father’s house. The red front door had faded, but it still looked imposing. Behind that solid surface lay a house of horrors. Each year—hell, each day—had turned exponentially more terrible. Raine stared at the house like it was a demon that would steal her soul.
She clutched her stomach. God, she needed to be unshackled from her past, but she did not want to be here. She’d vowed never to lay eyes on Bill Kendall again. For six years, she’d kept that promise.
Now, Raine forced herself forward, determined to take back the parts of herself he’d maliciously stolen.
Beck walked with her to the edge of the property, then he grabbed her hand, squeezed…and let go. She sent him one last stare. He nodded at her. Silent encouragement.
Later, she’d tell him again how grateful she was that he’d come along.
Time now to face down the devil.
Sucking in a bracing breath, Raine knocked.
It seemed like forever before the door jerked open. Her knees nearly went out from under her when her father stood in the portal, glaring when he laid eyes on her.
His stark gray hair stunned her. He’d been salt and peppery the night she’d run away. The grooves around his mouth and chin had deepened, as if he’d been wearing an angry scowl every moment since she’d gone. The faint white scar of her handiwork slashed down his cheek. The sight brought back both brutal memories and deep satisfaction that she’d fought Bill off and marked him for the rest of his miserable life. His blue eyes hadn’t changed. They were the same eyes she saw every day when she looked in the mirror.
At the venom there now, a shiver wracked her spine.
The monster still resided inside the old man’s frame. He’d once terrified her. Now, Raine refused to show fear. Bill Kendall was the reason she couldn’t trust. Couldn’t communicate. Wouldn’t truly give herself to Liam—or anyone. Since leaving this hellhole, she’d never wanted to heal. Lancing her wounds and leaving them to bleed made it less likely that she’d ever allow anyone to hurt her again. She had let this vile asshole strip her ability to love.
Never again.
“What are you doing here, whore? And who’s he?” He nodded Beck’s way. “I suppose you’re fucking him, too?”
She ignored his question and thrust her chin out. “I’ve got a few things to say to you.”
“Why should I listen? I didn’t want you here then and I don’t want you here now.”
“Believe me, I’m not staying. I just came to say that I hate you and you’d better not ever speak to me again. Oh, and I wanted to give you this.”
Raine doubled up her fist and sent it flying into his jaw with a brutal crunch. Pain exploded through her fingers, zipping up her arm, but she didn’t care. When Bill’s head snapped around and he clutched the side of his face, it was worth the pain.
“You little bitch!” He stormed onto the porch and seized her arm in a cruel grip. “You’re going to pay for that.”
With a vicious yank, he dragged her toward the house. Raine dug in her heels. Bill turned and snarled, raising his fist to her. She fought the urge to cower.
Behind her, Beck dashed onto the porch. “Need help?”
“Fuck off,” Bill sneered.
“I got this,” she told Beck. She needed to face her father alone.
Thankfully, Beck let her.
Forcing the tension from her muscles, Raine waited for the old bastard to assume she’d given up and curled into a sniveling ball. He fell for her ruse, swinging his beefy fist toward her with unabashed triumph. Suddenly, she countered, raising her forearm and blocking his attack. She followed that with a jab to the stomach. He roared, the sound booming with shock and hate.
Raine kneed him in the balls.
Lurching and grunting, he doubled over, clutching his crotch. She seized the opportunity and grabbed his hair, then slammed his head against the doorframe.
He screamed.
Beck laughed. “Yeah, you definitely got this, princess.”
“I’ll thrash you for that.” Bill lifted his head to look at her with a stare so furiously blue, his eyes almost glowed. Blood trickled from a gash between his brows, ran down his face, and gathered between his teeth.
He looked every inch like a demon.
“Don’t you ever touch me again. I was a girl, and you beat me within an inch of my life.”
“Isn’t that what Master Pervert and the mick do to you before you spread your legs for them at that kink club?”
She gasped. Of all the things Raine expected to spew from his lips, the fact that he knew where she’d been and who she’d been with felt like a kick to the stomach. Had her father tracked her down…or had Hammer and Liam come here looking for her?
Either possibility made her sick. She swallowed the nausea down. Later.
“Shut up! I won’t let you desecrate them. They’re real men, which is more than you could ever say.” Raine doubled up her fist again and delivered a quick uppercut to his chin.
“Filthy slut! I’m going to call the cops on you.”
“Go ahead, and I’ll tell them everything you ever did to me, including trying to rape me as a minor. Want that to get out? Should I shout it louder for the neighbors?”
The anger built and swelled inside her like a volcano. The lava in her veins bubbled over, and Raine hit him again, his nose the perfect bull’s-eye. After a sickening crunch, blood spurted.
“Hammer made me attend self-defense classes. If you try to hurt me again, so help me, I’ll kill you, you worthless piece of shit, for all the years of misery you caused me. You drove my mother away, then my brother, my sister…and finally me. You deserve every moment of your wretched solitude. Rot in it!”
Raine clenched her fist again, but a firm hand at her elbow stopped her. She turned to find Beck shaking his head—and his gun pointed in Bill’s face.
“You’ve done your damage. He’s not worth a trip to jail. Let’s go.”
She’d love to stay and inflict more pain. It was exhilarating. Empowering. Emancipating. But Beck was right. She refused to imprison herself in any way because of Bill again.
The adrenaline began to bleed from her veins, leaving her slightly shaky. But she felt more together than she had in years. No, ever.
She nodded. “I’m ready.”
“This isn’t over!” Bill screamed. “Walk away, you fucking cunt, but you haven’t seen the last of me.”
She didn’t bother turning around, just raised her hand and flipped him her middle finger. The bastard didn’t deserve anything more.
#
They arrived back at the condo. Beck let her in quietly. In fact, he hadn’t spoken a word to her since they’d left her father, like he’d known that she needed to be alone with her thoughts, replay the afternoon a few times in her head to feel the upsurge of triumph…then the downhill slide into wondering what came next.
Instead of heading straight back to his place, Beck had driven her to the beach and let her walk, silently trailing a few feet behind and keeping an eye on her. The crashing waves had quieted her head some. Not nearly as well as Liam’s spanking days before Thanksgiving, but this worked for now.
Eventually, she’d sat in the sand, closed her eyes, and cried until Beck picked her up and put her in the car again.
Now she glanced at the clock on the oven. Ten minutes to six. “You hungry? I saw you had some steaks in the fridge. I can cook those up.”
“Would cooking clear your head or would you rather have pizza?”
“I’m actually not hungry.”
“Skipping dinner isn’t an option. Choose again.”
Raine sighed. “I’ll cook.”
“You want another bottle?”
She grimaced. “No. Hair of the dog doesn’t appeal at all to me.”
“Good. That’s the first time I’ve seen you be a sad drunk. It sucked.”
“Gee, I’ll be more considerate of your delicate mood next time.” Raine rolled her eyes.
Beck swatted her on the ass. “Sassy little thing. I’ll start the barbeque.”
“They’re better in the oven. I got it.”
Forty-five minutes later, they sat down to dinner. Afterward, Beck answered a couple of texts, then swore. “I have to head to the hospital for a bit. You’ll be okay here? You won’t do anything stupid?”
“Like jump off the balcony?” Raine looked at him like he was crazy.
“Like run off,” he said pointedly.
She lost her feisty mien. “No. It doesn’t work anymore.”
He grabbed his keys, then kissed her forehead. “That’s progress. You’ve done good.”
“Should I have breakfast ready in the morning?”
“I’ll have to see how this goes. I’m probably headed to surgery. If that’s the case, I’ll be back tonight, really late.”
Then he was gone. He was asleep on the sofa when she woke the next morning.
Raine whipped up some pancakes and set them in the oven with crisp bacon and a note. Then she slipped out to explore the building. Sure enough, the swanky place had snazzy fitness equipment. A circuit of weights and cardio helped clear her mind a bit more, and she returned to find dirty plates in the sink and the word Thanks! at the bottom of her note. Beck himself was gone.
She wandered around the little apartment, but she’d already seen it all and exhausted the available movie selection. Cable shows about silly chef challenges and house hunting didn’t hold her interest.
Palming her phone, Raine stared at the little device, but like last time she’d pondered making calls, she tucked her mobile away. It wouldn’t be fair to Liam if she called just to hear his voice when she didn’t have any answers to give him. And it would be equally unfair to ring Hammer for his gruff familiarity. She had nothing to offer him, either.
Raine whiled away the day on the balcony, just thinking. How did she learn to open herself up to the people she loved, especially if those people were at one another’s throats? How did she go back to Shadows without tearing everyone apart even more?
Beck dragged in about eight o’clock. She’d been about to open a can of soup, but he took it from her hand and led her out the door. “Mexican and margaritas. Now.”
Who was she to argue with that?
“I know a great place.” She smiled.
“Perfect.” He handed her the keys. “You drive. I’m fucking exhausted.”
Wow, the control freak was going to let her drive his ridiculously expensive convertible? She grinned. “You’re on.”
Fifteen minutes later, they sat with some salt-rimmed beverages and had ordered enchiladas.
Beck sighed. “Ah, chips and booze revived me.”
“You’re such a man.”
“I’m also a Dom. So here’s the portion of the day where I ask you to tell me what’s in your head. What are you going to do next?”
“I gave that a lot of thought while you were gone.”
“Only because you didn’t want to watch Rambo again. I know it.”
Her life was upside down, and Beck still made her giggle. “Okay, that’s kind of true.”
He winked at her. “So, cough it up, princess. I love having you crash with me. I could get addicted to the food really fast. But I’m back on call starting tomorrow, and you won’t like me coming in and out at two a.m., and that couch made my back hurt like a bitch.”
Beck deflected the importance with humor, as he often did. But he was also dead-on.
Raine dragged in a breath, trying to decide how to ask her questions. “If I go back to Shadows, what are my obligations?”
“To Liam?” He shrugged. “Nothing. He uncollared you. That makes you fresh meat, and I’m pretty sure all the lions will circle now. Hammer’s threat probably won’t keep the beasts away for long.”
She doubted anyone would want to take on a mess like her after she’d put Liam through the wringer, but it wasn’t important. “What are my options?”
“You can do whatever you want. Are you looking for another Dom?”
The bowl of chips suddenly looked really interesting. Okay, so she couldn’t meet Beck’s gaze.
Raine bit her lip. “I think I need one.”
“I think you do, too.”
So she’d gotten that part right. The affirmation was nice, but it was the rest that stumped her. “What do I do?”
“Who do you want?” He held up a hand. “Let me rephrase that. Who do you think is most equipped to help you?”
If she could open up, both Liam and Hammer knew exactly how to reach her, but with so much history—and so much of it bad—would they? Obviously, Beck thought so, but…
Sifting through her other options, she forced herself to look at him. “Would you do it?”
“No.” His answer was so swift and emphatic, it stunned her.
“Can I ask why?”
“Sure. I like my balls where they are. Hammer would kill me. Liam would bury me. I like you, princess, but…no.”
“But we wouldn’t be sexual. In fact, it’s better if it’s not.”
“It wouldn’t matter. They couldn’t handle seeing you give your power to me.”
And she’d likely drive a wedge between Hammer and Beck, too. “I’m sorry. It was unfair of me to ask.”
“No, it was logical. You need help; I could help you. It burns me to say no, but at the end of the day you need someone who doesn’t mind losing their balls and who doesn’t want to fuck you more than they want to help you.”
“You’re right.”
But who?
“Look, you need to really give yourself in a way you never have. I get that you’re going to have a hard time with trust. After what I saw yesterday, I totally get it. And by the way, I wanted to shoot the son of a bitch for trying to rape you. I’m sorry.”
“It’s ancient history, and I need to put it in the past, but thanks.”
Beck nodded. “You already know Dominance and submission isn’t about sex, but exchanging power. You, as a sub, give your control over to the Dom, who takes, treasures, and molds it into something that will complete you. When you finally start giving yourself in return, you’ll find the beauty. The reward will be worth the struggle. But no one can fulfill your deepest needs until you let them know you inside and out, deep down, to the tiniest recesses of your heart.”
“I’m not so good at that.” She winced.
“Think of it this way… I wouldn’t go to the tire store and buy half a tire because I wouldn’t get anywhere on it. With submission, if you’re not willing to give your all, then like that tire, you’ll be at a standstill, princess. It’s all up to you.”
Their waitress delivered the enchiladas, and they dug in. Beck bought dinner. Raine chewed on his advice. As they walked to the parking lot, the crisp wind whipped through her hair. But it was good to feel alive and finally have direction. “I know what to do.”
#
Liam sat at the bar with Seth and Hammer, barely listening to their chatter. Another pointless day of waiting and worrying weighed upon him. If he had to spend another hour twiddling his thumbs, he’d go stir-crazy. Why hadn’t Raine returned? Or at least contacted him? It was driving him batshit mad.
The numerous texts Hammer had exchanged with Beck hadn’t shed a speck of light on her location—or her thoughts. The fucking evasive wanker just kept saying that he wouldn’t break her confidence. What gave him the right to keep Raine away? Liam ached. Five minutes alone with her—that’s all he wanted so he could figure out what rolled around in her head.
He sighed and eyed the bottle of water in front of him. Ten thirty. Night had long ago fallen. The club was closed on Sundays, and the unsettling quiet scraped him raw. Raine probably wasn’t coming back tonight. The agony of being shut out of her heart and life wrenched him, and it looked like he had another day of hell coming.
Liam’s only consolation was that Hammer obviously shared his pain. That didn’t give him the satisfaction he’d imagined. The man wore his worry in the lines of his face and the dark circles under his hazel eyes, which matched the baggage under his own. Liam drained his water. There was no hiding the fact that neither of them was getting much sleep.
He gazed up at the illuminated glass shelves behind the bar, eyed the rows of colored bottles that called to him, promising sweet oblivion. But he couldn’t risk it. He needed to keep his wits in case they got a lead on her whereabouts. There was too much at stake to have his brain muddled with booze.
Still, remaining on the tall barstool and not pacing the floor like a lunatic was a bloody chore. Shadows felt haunting and empty without Raine. Every moment clawed at his composure.
Over and over, he kept reliving their last morning together. He’d seen the love pouring from her eyes. He’d felt it. Hell, he’d nearly been able to taste it in the air. In that moment, he’d believed with every fiber in his being that he had finally, unequivocally reached her.
The unadulterated bliss had vanished when Raine had been unable to tell him how she felt. She’d backpedaled behind her walls and shut him out. Why had her love for him frightened her so badly? She hadn’t trusted in their bond, despite his painstaking effort to build it. Surely she knew he’d never let her fall, that he would be her safety net, no matter what.
Then again, maybe she didn’t know.
His visit to the Kendall house rolled through his brain like a bad horror film. Her vile excuse of a father, coupled with the pictures of her frail body beaten and bruised, had gouged out a chunk of his soul. And he’d only witnessed the heartbreak. She’d lived it, and he could only imagine what that had done to her psyche.
If he’d known then what he knew now, he’d never have removed her collar. He’d change everything, wrap her in his arms and reassure her that she’d never have to feel lost and alone again. He’d promise her that she could reveal all the secrets she hid deep inside, and no matter what, he’d still be by her side, protecting, nurturing, and loving her.
Seth said something and Hammer laughed, drawing Liam’s attention back to their conversation. He smiled as if he’d heard the comment instead of being lost in the dream he’d let slip through his fingers.
A strange creaking from the vicinity of the front door broke the hush of conversation. Hammer snapped to attention. Liam didn’t recognize the sound, but Hammer tensed, braced his hand on the bar. The lines of worry on his face gave way to something like anticipation. Liam didn’t know what the hell was going on, but he turned to the sound, damn near holding his breath.
“Anybody home?” a deep voice echoed from the entrance.
Beck.
Liam’s heart stopped, then started pounding ninety to nothing against his ribcage. He shoved away from the bar, and his stool crashed to the concrete floor with a deafening boom. Hope soared. If Beck had come, maybe he’d brought Raine. Right on the heels of that thought came the worry that the prick had stashed her somewhere and simply meant to rub more salt into their wounds. If so, Liam vowed he’d beat the bloody crap out of the bastard.
Heart chugging, blood surging, Liam charged for the front door. Hammer dashed beside him. They rounded the corner. Beck slid past them and headed toward the sleeping rooms, holding a familiar suitcase as he and Hammer both stopped and stared toward the portal.
With raven hair pulled away from her bare, pale face, wearing a sweatshirt that nearly swallowed her whole, there Raine stood.