The Break by Shayla Black
“What do you mean, Dr. Beckman has left for the day?” Hammer demanded of the office manager. “Explain.”
Liam glanced at his Calibre de Cartier. It wasn’t even noon. “You mean he’s not merely breaking for lunch?”
The petite woman stood behind the counter of the empty waiting room, looking at the pair of them as if she’d lost her patience. She shoved her glasses back up the bridge of her nose and straightened her shoulders. “No, he canceled the rest of his appointments about an hour ago and told me to close the office for the day. If you had an appointment, you’ll receive a call to reschedule. Now, if you’ll excuse me…”
The woman glanced pointedly at the door, jangling the keys in her hand. She made it more than clear that she wanted them gone, probably to enjoy her unexpectedly free Friday afternoon. Liam glanced at Hammer. His old friend knew Beck far better, but playing hooky at the last minute didn’t sound anything like the doctor. Beck could be a dodgy prick, but he wasn’t irresponsible.
Liam could see that Hammer was a bit suspicious as well.
“You’re Vicki, right?” Macen asked.
She looked surprised that he knew her name. “Yes.”
“I’m a friend of Dr. Beckman, and he’s spoken highly of your efficiency in the past,” Hammer explained. “We need your help. We’ve got an emergency.”
“If it’s medical, you’re better off in the ER.” She scrutinized them quickly and frowned in confusion. “Adjoining building, first floor, at the back. I can call and have someone take you on a stretcher or in a wheelchair, if you need.”
“No,” Liam corrected. “Crisis might be a better word. We have a missing person and think that Beck may have seen her recently. Do you know if he received any unexpected visitors?”
The forty-something office manager set her keys down and looked as if she was weighing how much to say.
“The woman is petite, a few inches shorter than you. Dark hair, blue eyes. She would have looked distraught,” Liam volunteered.
Vicki hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “She was here.”
Oh, thank Christ!Relief flooded through him, knowing she was safe—or had been an hour ago. Beside him, Hammer looked equally relieved. Liam couldn’t fathom for the life of him why she was with Beck, but he hoped like hell the sadist would have calmed her. Unless…
“Was she injured?” he demanded.
“No,” Vicki assured, her starch softening.
“And? What happened then?” Hammer demanded.
The woman shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Liam frowned. “How long was she here? Did she speak to Beck?”
“Yes. Less than five minutes,” Vicki said. “Dr. Beckman finished an appointment, then came out here to speak with her. I couldn’t hear the discussion, but the doctor seemed somewhat agitated. He canceled all his appointments. The woman you’re looking for left. The doctor took another call, then gathered his things and departed. He didn’t say where he was going.”
“He must have her,” Hammer said under his breath.
Liam agreed. He was grateful…but bloody confused. Her reasons for seeking out Beck now didn’t matter. He just had to lay eyes on her.
“Thank you, Vicki. You’ve been very helpful, and we’ll not delay you any longer,” Liam said.
Turning together, he and Hammer exited the office with its faux-friendly décor. They headed back down the corridor and bypassed the elevator to sprint down the stairs. Hammer was already reaching for his phone, scrolling through his list of friends.
“Why would Raine go to Beck?” Liam questioned. “A month ago, he scared the piss out of her. He bruised her with that fucking rubber paddle. Why would she run to that bastard instead of talking to me? I know she’s got a terrible habit of not saying how she feels. But hell, if not to me, why didn’t she go to you, then?”
“I could guess…” Hammer sighed and pressed the button to connect the call to Beck. “She must know I’d help her, but she’s distressed and thinking with her emotions.”
“I suppose she believes she’s only ‘making things worse’ or whatever else runs through her head. Both of us have set her aside in one way or another. But how could she think we don’t care?”
Hammer sighed. “She’s probably embarrassed about being released or she thinks I would chide her for her behavior. I don’t know. Goddamn it, answer,” he growled into the phone as they tore out of the building.
In the anemic sunlight, they made their way to Hammer’s car and peeled away. Liam didn’t know where they were going. He didn’t think Hammer did either, but Raine wasn’t at the hospital. The cafeteria where she’d given her credit card was closed for now. When they’d checked, only an employee inhabited the gift shop. Raine hadn’t been injured, so why would she stay here? More to the point, Beck had gone as well.
The car’s Bluetooth system kicked in, and the ringing phone carried over the sound system. Anxiety charged his veins. If voice mail picked up instead of Beck, Liam wondered if he’d bloody lose it.
“Where are you going?” he asked Hammer. “Where would Beck take her? His house? Another office?”
“I don’t know. Anywhere but here.”
Liam heard a click and tensed.
“Well, it’s about time you called, Hammer. I’ve been waiting,” Beck baited on the other end of the phone.
“Where the hell is she, you fucking bastard? Where did you take her?” Liam wanted to charge through the phone and strangle Beck.
Hammer cut him a glare as the doctor laughed.
It took everything Liam had not to pick up Hammer’s phone and smash it on the dash. If he didn’t need answers so badly, he might. He opened his mouth to say something, not caring much if he insulted the wanker.
Hammer slapped an arm across his chest. “Shut the fuck up and let me talk.”
There was little love lost between he and Beck, and Hammer stood a better chance of getting answers. Breathing hard, Liam swallowed down his impatience. “Get some answers.”
“Where is she, Beck?” Hammer demanded. “Where did you take her after you left the hospital? And don’t give me the bullshit that you don’t know.”
Beck laughed again. “It’s hard to tell which of you has their dick in more of a twist.”
Liam stared out the window and tried to block out Beck’s mocking tone. His only consolation was that he felt anger pouring off Hammer, too.
“I’m glad we’re so amusing,” Hammer grated out. “We’re not feeling very jovial at the moment since we’re worried out of our fucking minds because Raine is missing. So maybe you could pull your head out of your ass and help us?”
With another chuckle that made Liam want to punch the arse, he sank deeper into the luxurious leather seat. He could only hope that he’d have Beck by the balls someday and could repay the favor.
“Oh, put your panties back on. Raine is in one piece and perfectly safe. I made sure of it.”
“Where?” Hammer growled.
Liam wanted to add his two cents, and it only infuriated him more that every time he talked to Beck, the doctor took delight in poking at him. He’d love to tell Beck exactly where he could go, but that wouldn’t help them find Raine. He had to swallow it back—again. He was beginning to feel like his balls were stuck in a bloody vise.
“If she wanted you to know, she would have told you herself, wouldn’t she?” Beck heaved a sigh. “She’s thinking with the help of Jose Cuervo, and I expect I’ll have to check on her in a bit to help her hang her head over the toilet. But otherwise, she just needs space.”
“You’re letting her drink tequila in the middle of the day?” Hammer demanded.
“You think she’s still a minor, scout?” Beck sounded somewhere between amused and exasperated.
“She can’t hold her liquor, you stupid motherfucker.” Hammer looked like he might grind his teeth into dust. “And you know it.”
“Look on the bright side. She’s usually a happy drunk, so tequila might improve her mood.”
The mock chipper attitude crawled up Liam’s back. That vise around his balls tightened.
“Hey,” Beck added like he had a grand idea. “Is she a horny drunk, too?”
“Don’t you touch her, you fucking wankstain!” Liam railed. “If you lay a single finger on her, I swear to god I’ll kill you in the bloodiest way possible and I’ll enjoy every moment of it.”
Hammer clutched the wheel. “I’ll be all too happy to help him if you don’t stop yanking our chains.”
Beck scoffed. “She’s not going to jump off a bridge, guys. Geez, melodrama much? I’m not going to touch the princess. But you two have got to get a grip and back the fuck off. You can’t tell her to go away one minute, then expect to keep her under your thumbs the next.”
“I just want to bloody talk to her,” Liam insisted. “She ran away from home.”
“Left her keys to the club in her bedroom,” Hammer confirmed. “Did she tell you that part?”
“Not in so many words. Raine is trying to decide what to do next. Neither of you can rush her decision.”
“Why can’t she think at Shadows?” Liam demanded.
“Really?” Beck asked incredulously. “If this stunning display of calm and logic is any indication, I have no trouble understanding why she left. Look, she’s someplace safe, and I won’t betray her confidence. I gave her my word and I keep my promises. When she’s ready, she’ll tell me, and I’ll let you know. If it makes you feel any better, she’s staying somewhere secure. She can’t leave without me knowing. And no, I’m not trying to crawl in bed with her. So back down on the jealousy, lover boy.”
Liam didn’t have to guess who Beck was talking to. It infuriated him even more. On the other hand, he realized that the doctor had become a brick wall. There’d be no going under, around, or over him for more information. The click of the call ending confirmed that, like it or not, they’d have to wait until Raine decided whether or not to come back to Shadows.
* * *
Hammer glanced up as Liam stormed into the kitchen the following morning. He looked as lousy as Hammer felt.
“Did you hear from Beck again?”
Liam’s question immediately told him that his old friend hadn’t heard from Raine, either. “Just a quick text about midnight to say she’d finally fallen asleep. He emptied the rest of her bottle down the sink and made sure she ate before tucking her in.”
“Nothing about what’s going through her head?”
Exactly what Hammer had wanted to know. “Not a word.”
They both looked at the empty coffee maker. He’d mocked Liam’s attempt at making the brew yesterday, but Hammer couldn’t do much better. They already missed Raine, but this, just like prowling the dungeon sleeplessly at three a.m., shoved her gut-wrenching departure in his face again. And now that Raine had been gone over twenty-four hours, Liam looked like he was ready to crawl out of his skin. Hammer totally understood.
“Why won’t that wanker tell us what she’s thinking? She’s talking to him, right? What’s she saying to him that’s so bloody secret?”
“Whatever she wants. He won’t break her confidence.”
Liam raked a hand through his hair. “I don’t like it. I think that prick has always wanted her.”
“I know you and Beck got off on the wrong foot, but she’s in good hands. The fact that she turned to him is a big fucking relief.”
“How do you figure that?” Liam bellowed.
“That means that she doesn’t want to cut all ties to Shadows. That might even mean she knows that she needs to listen to someone who won’t spoon-feed her bullshit.”
“He’s a damn sadist!” Liam gawked. “She’s not a masochist.”
“Get your head back in the game.” At least one of them had to remain calm, and Liam needed a rock right now. Looked like it was him. “Losing control isn’t like you. You’re too smart. Start acting like it.”
“Piss off,” Liam shot back, but it didn’t hold any malice. He straightened up and seemed to pull himself together.
“That’s better.” Hammer nodded. “Don’t worry. I know Beck. He’s not going to beat Raine or take advantage of her. He’ll do everything possible to help her clear her head and make some decisions. Beck and I talked about her recently. I’m confident he’ll guide her back in this direction, if it’s possible. But he’s right. We can’t rush her. If she comes back, we want her to be sure of her choice, not looking for the way out again.”
“We don’t know what bloody advice he’s giving her. He could be telling her to fly off to Timbuktu, for all we know.”
“He’ll give her the exact same advice you or I would if we knew a sub was floundering.”
“What if she doesn’t come back?” Liam paced the kitchen, probably seeing Raine everywhere, just like he did.
“Then we have no one to blame but ourselves.”
If he’d been honest with Raine eons ago, she’d still be at Shadows, safe and sound. The frustration clawing Hammer’s guts would be nothing more than a bad dream. He gave her credit for walking out on her own two feet instead of taking a bunch of sedatives. At least he could be thankful for that. He’d rather have her alive anywhere in the world than cold in the ground.
Guilt crossed Liam’s face before he stifled it and glanced at his watch. “A few days ago, Seth promised to come out for a bit. I got a text from him early this morning saying he was leaving LaGuardia and would take a taxi to Shadows.”
“Seth, here?” What the fuck for? “He said he’d never step on land that might crumble into the ocean.”
Liam hesitated, then turned squarely to face him. “I called to ask his help with Raine.”
Whoa.Wasn’t that a kick in the nuts? In the past, Liam would have come to him, and Hammer didn’t have to guess what Seth’s visit said about the state of their friendship. He regretted it like hell. Then again, he’d withheld the details of Juliet’s suicide. Quid pro quo was a motherfucker.
The one piece of good news? Liam calling in reinforcements said that he was serious about helping Raine.
“I see. As usual, you have a plan. Want to clue me in?”
Liam rubbed at the back of his neck. “I already enacted the plan. It went out the back door when she ran off.”
“Let me get this straight. Uncollaring her was the plan?” Hammer stifled his opinion of that colossal screw-up. “Got a plan B?”
Liam gritted his teeth. “I’m working on it.”
A chime sounded from Liam’s pocket, and he pulled out his phone. “Speak of the devil. Seth says he’s in the parking lot and will someone open the fucking door.”
His friend smiled for the first time since Raine had fled, then left the room. Hammer looked again at the coffeepot, wondering if Seth could do any better than either of them. He remembered the other Dom from his club days back in New York. Smart, firm, fair, funny. If someone from the past had to come back and haunt him, Seth wasn’t a bad ghost.
A few minutes later, Liam and Seth rounded the corner. The other man hadn’t changed much in the last eight years. He might look a little older—just like Hammer knew he did—but Seth had remained a fit, good-looking SOB. He probably still had subs falling at his feet. Not a strand of gray in that neatly trimmed golden hair. He managed to get sun, despite the New York winters. His green eyes were sharp with wit, as always.
“Hey, man!” Hammer held out his hand. “Good to see you. It’s been a long damn time.”
Seth shook his hand. “Too long. How the hell are you? You’re looking good.”
“Well, then it’s better than I feel. Thanks for coming.” He turned to the coffeepot. “You know how to work this? Liam makes tar, and I brew motor oil.”
“That’s not true!” Liam protested.
“You’re right. That would be insulting tar,” Hammer quipped.
Seth shook his head. “You two and your puppy dog faces… There’s a fucking donut shop around the corner. Go buy a hot cup.”
Hammer’s hopes dwindled. “Shit. You can’t make decent coffee either?”
“I don’t step foot in the kitchen,” Seth admitted. “How have you been drinking coffee all these years if you don’t know how to make it and aren’t buying it?”
“Raine.”
“Ah… So she spoils you.”
“How are you drinking coffee without making it?” Hammer asked. “I don’t remember you being a Starbucks guy.”
“I eat pussy really well. It gets me coffee and anything else I want.” Seth flashed a cheesy grin. “It’s a far more important skill than working that thing.” He pointed to the coffee maker.
“We’re fucked, then,” Liam said.
“Why hasn’t Raine made the coffee? Get her out here. I want to meet the girl who’s got Liam’s balls in a twist.”
Hammer and Liam exchanged a glance, then Hammer gave his old pal an expansive gesture. “It’s all you.”
Liam shook his head and blew out a breath. “Let’s go around the corner and buy a hot cup or two. This may take a while.”
“Actually, we might need something stronger than coffee.” Hammer sighed. “It’s five o’clock somewhere, isn’t it?”
“In Russia, maybe…” Seth frowned. “What the hell is going on?”
Liam raised a brow. “How many blondes does it take to go around the corner and buy coffee?”
“None, asshole,” Seth shot back. “They delegate.”
After ten minutes and a bit more teasing, they’d made their way to the donut shop, bought a gallon of coffee, and walked back to Shadows. Hammer poured a mug the second they hit the kitchen and drank half of it down in one swallow. He gave a moan of relief. Liam followed suit. Seth shook his head.
“It’s not bad.” Liam peered into his cup. “But it’s not as good as Raine’s.”
No, it wasn’t.
“Oh, you’re both whipped by this girl and her voodoo pussy. Where is she? I want to shake her hand.” When neither of them said a word, Seth frowned. “Spit it out. I haven’t seen faces this glum in ages. Did you just find out there’s no Santa Claus?”
“There’s no Raine. We discovered yesterday morning that she’d left.” Liam stared out the window.
Seth whipped his head around. “What?”
Liam and Hammer spilled all the gory details about the last twenty-four hours as Seth poured himself a cup of coffee and stared.
“I’ll be damned. So the plan backfired.” Seth scratched his head.
“And then some,” Liam confirmed.
“Would Beck let me talk to the girl?” Seth asked.
Hammer exchanged a glance with Liam, then shrugged. “No offense, but she’s closed off right now. She might be talking to Beck, but I don’t know that for sure. And if she’s not talking to any of us, she’s not going to talk to a stranger. I’m going to text Beck for an update.”
Liam nodded, obviously liking that idea. “Any news about Raine would be welcome.”
