The Brink by Shayla Black

Raine sat naked and crouched on the floor. In one hand, she clutched a knife dripping blood. The other she wrapped around her knees as she rocked back and forth, staring at Bill beside her, unmoving and lying in a puddle of his own fluids.

Her swollen right eye and the bleeding gash in her bottom lip told them that Bill had beaten her. As she gripped the serrated blade, crimson stained her fingers, her face, and her body. Liam felt his heart seize. His poor, wee lass had battled her demon again, and it had taken a toll on her.

But thank God she was alive.

Hammer approached Bill, gun pointed. Bending slowly, he pressed two fingers against the carotid artery. “He’s dead.”

Liam went limp with relief. Thank the fucking stars Bill Kendall could never, ever hurt their girl again. She had fought and won—for the final time.

“Raine,” Liam breathed, afraid to dart toward her too suddenly and risk scaring her more.

She didn’t respond, simply stared fixedly at the body lying near a metal-framed cot. Bill had once tied her to it, judging from the rope still hanging off the corners.

Hammer shoved his gun in his holster. Before Liam could call out to him, Macen ran toward Raine, kneeling beside her. He reached for her, then stopped and clenched his fingers into a fist as if afraid to startle the terrified girl. His gaze flittered between her face and the knife, still tightly gripped in her hand.

“Oh, baby. Sweet Raine. We’re here, precious.” Hammer’s voice broke. “Can you hear me, sweetheart? Look at me. Drop the knife. You’re safe. Bill can’t hurt you ever again. He’s dead.”

At the sound of her father’s name, Raine clasped the knife tighter, refusing to take her eyes off his prostrate body. Suddenly, she screamed, a blood-curdling sound that reverberated through the empty cavern of the warehouse, turning Liam’s veins to ice. Gooseflesh prickled across his skin.

Hammer jerked back and stood. He flashed Liam a look of helpless horror.

“She’s in shock, man,” Liam murmured. “Don’t raise your voice. It’s freaking her out.”

Hammer glowered. “Damn it—”

Liam laid a hand on his shoulder and swallowed down his own anxiety. “She’s naked, armed, and non-responsive. She’s covered in blood, which might be hiding wounds of her own. And it’s freezing in here. She needs Beck. Go get him. I’ve got this.”

“I can’t leave her now,” he shot back, his face contorted with devastation and shock, with remorse, guilt, and terror.

Liam couldn’t help them both at once.

Fighting his own panic, he tamped down his urgency to rush to Raine. “Let me handle her.”

Hammer swiped angrily at his face, struggling to gather his composure, clearly torn. Finally, he nodded. “Bring her back to us.”

Liam remembered Hammer saying nearly those same words to Raine just before she’d made love to him a few hours ago. Now they sounded like an eerie echo. “Call 9-1-1 and get Beck. Tell him to bring his bag.”

“I’m on it.”

When Hammer ran for the entrance, Liam inched closer, visually examining her for other injuries. He couldn’t tell with all the bloody streaks coating her skin.

“Raine, can you hear me?” He kept his voice deliberately low, not taking his eyes off her. He didn’t want to see her shredded clothes littered around the metal cot or the instruments of torture—a heavy baseball bat, a power drill, screwdrivers, hammers, pliers—lined up on the makeshift table nearby. What had Bill done to her?

Fuck.

An empty gin bottle lay nearby. The air around them reeked with the stench of copper, along with the contents of his bladder and bowels, which he’d voided as he’d died. Based on the man’s ashen skin, starkly white in the gloom, Liam guessed that Bill had bled out. He lay on his back, eyes staring wide in surprise, pupils dilated and fixed. At some point in Raine’s ordeal, Bill had removed his pants. His flaccid cock lay exposed.

Liam wanted to kill the bastard all over again.

Raine’s voice rose once more in an unnerving wail of distress.

Easing closer, avoiding the pool of blood surrounding Bill so he didn’t contaminate evidence, Liam took off his coat while speaking softly to her. The distance between them chafed. “There, love. He can’t hurt you now. Not ever again.”

This time she moaned as if she heard him and broke apart inside. But she never tore her stare from Bill, as though she feared the animal would rise up and finish her off.

Liam crept closer still, crouching before her and putting himself between her and the body of her nemesis.

Finally, Raine blinked, then moaned thinly as she tried to stare around him, still gripping the bloody knife for dear life. Her pupils flared wide. Shock swam in her eyes. Liam hated how haunted she looked and tried not to think about what the mongrel might have done to send her off the deep end.

Focus. Fall apart all you want later, but don’t you dare fucking lose it now.

“Oh, my sweet Raine,” he crooned. “Hammer and I are here. Drop the knife for us.” He couldn’t startle her by snatching it from her when she felt threatened. And he couldn’t risk tampering with the evidence by putting his fingerprints on the blade. “Come back to me, love…”

Instead of answering, she shivered and tried to peer around him. Her lips had gone blue, almost matching her troubled eyes.

Liam shifted to block Bill from her sight line again. He heard the sound of the warehouse doors being thrown wide, footsteps running toward them. Without looking back, he shoved up a palm to stop their approach and focused on Raine. Since cajoling wasn’t working, he needed to try something else.

“Drop the knife, sub,” Liam demanded, hoping the familiar tone of his Dom voice might reach her instead.

At first, Raine didn’t respond—except to blink. She hadn’t even done that since he’d found her huddled and keening. Liam counted the slight change as a win.

“Don’t make me feed you pickles,” he warned sternly, then let his voice drop to a whisper-soft tone. “I’d rather love you. Drop the knife, and I’ll make you feel safe again.”

A frown tugged at the corners of her mouth before she dissolved into a silent sob. She drew in a shuddering breath, blinked again, then finally looked up at him. Slowly, she loosened her hold on the knife, and it slid free from her fingers to clatter on the concrete.

Relief slid through him in a drugging rush as he stood, avoiding the pool of blood. “Good girl. Such a wonderful, sweet love. Rise and come to me now. You’re cold. Let me warm you.”

Liam watched her face. The stupor lifted slowly, like a fog fading away. Raine focused on him, her face crumbling as recognition seeped in. The shell-shocked horror in her expression nearly floored him. She didn’t move.

“Liam…”

“I’ll help you, love.” He reached a hand out to her, praying she’d take it and let him hold her. Every moment she held herself away from him felt like another eternity of death. “Come here.”

“H-he hurt me.”

Those tiny words wrenched everything inside him as he reached out to her. “I know. I’m so sorry. We’re here, and nothing else will happen to you. Take my hand.”

As she tried to rise on unsteady legs, she wobbled. When she would have fallen, Liam caught her, wrapping her in his coat, then swept her into his arms, away from Bill Kendall’s remains.

Hammer and Beck rushed forward, meeting him halfway.

“Give her to me!” Hammer thrust out his arms and took her from Liam as Beck performed a cursory check for open wounds, broken bones, and head trauma.

“She’s bruised and obviously in shock,” Beck muttered in a soothing monotone, clearly trying not to upset Raine. “The bite marks?”

“Ours,” Hammer admitted.

Beck just nodded. “I don’t see any new wounds, but we won’t know for sure what she’s been through until we get her to the ER.”

Sobbing now, she clutched Hammer, who fell to his knees with her and gripped her tightly in his embrace, pressing his forehead to hers and breathing fast.

“That’s it, precious,” Hammer whispered. “You’re back with us now. Everything is going to be all right. We love you, Raine.”

Liam knelt down beside them and wrapped his hand in hers. He could feel the dam within him cracking as the fear and anger he’d suppressed finally escaped. He pressed a fist smeared with blood to his chest, working to hold in tears. They were useless now. Their girl needed help.

Beck knelt next to Hammer, his expression compassionate but insistent. “Raine? Are you with me?”

She nodded before another sob broke her.

“Good. Listen to me, princess. This is important. Vital.” Beck checked her pupils again, then cupped her face and drew her stare to his. “The cops are coming. They’re going to ask you a lot of questions. So will the doctors. No matter what, you must tell them every mark on your body is one your father inflicted. Do you understand?”

“But Hammer and Liam gave me—”

“I know. But if you tell the police that, they could be arrested. Then they can’t help you. Or comfort you. You have to do this. Okay?”

“Yeah,” she managed to breathe out. “I will.”

“Perfect,” Beck praised. “When they ask, just tell them that Kendall gave you every bite, bruise, cut, scrape, rope burn… Don’t forget.”

As Beck released her face, Raine stared at the three of them, holding tight to Liam’s hand while clinging to Hammer with the other. “I won’t. I want to go home.”

“I know, precious.” Hammer cupped her chin. “Soon. I’m so sorry he got to you.”

“We’ll need to get you checked out at the hospital first,” Beck explained. “But before the paramedics show up, I need to get some more details from you. Are you allergic to anything?”

“Just sulphur-based antibiotics,” Hammer supplied. “That’s all I know of.”

Raine nodded in agreement.

“Do you take regular meds for any condition?” Beck inquired.

“Only the occasional pain pill for her migraines,” Liam replied.

Beck nodded. “You’re on the pill, right?”

Raine shook her head, and Beck shot a disbelieving look toward Liam and Hammer.

“When were we supposed to find time for that between holidays, running away, and psychos?” Hammer growled.

“Understood,” Beck answered in a calm voice. “These are questions the ER doc is going to need to know. If I can provide him the answers, it will expedite Raine’s treatment.”

“We can tell him,” Liam insisted.

Beck shook his head. “You two won’t be allowed back with her for the initial examination. This is a crime scene, and you’re not family.”

“Bullshit. We’re all the family she’s got.” Hammer clearly struggled for composure.

“I’ll help get you two back to see her as soon as possible. Just a few more questions before the cavalry shows up…” Beck focused his attention on Raine once more. “So I’m assuming you haven’t voluntarily had unprotected sex recently?”

Liam heard the subtext and winced. So the presence of any semen should be Bill’s?

“She and I made love earlier this morning,” Liam breathed. “Bareback.”

Christ, it felt like a lifetime since she’d surrounded him with her warm body.

Shock swept over Beck’s face, one brow arching up sharply.

In the distance, the wail of sirens screamed closer. A movement near the door caught Liam’s eye. Gwyneth. She stared at Raine trembling in Hammer’s arms. Somehow, his ex managed to look completely shocked that Raine had truly been hurt.

Rage roared inside Liam. Battling his anger, he softly released Raine’s hand and stood slowly. Once out of her sight, he tore off and headed straight for Gwyneth. When she saw him charging after her, she backed away, clearly deciding it might be a good idea to flee.

With a scream, she took off running. Liam pursued her. She didn’t get far. Emergency vehicles poured into the car park. A patrol car skidded to a halt in front of her.

Jerking her hands into the air, she startled the emerging officers, including Sergeant Gorman, with her pleading. “Arrest me. Please!”

* * *

Hammer wore out the carpet in the emergency room. Thirteen paces. Back and forth. Over. And over. Since they’d arrived, forty-eight minutes had gone by according to the clock above the triage desk. It felt like forever. How fucking long until they had some information about Raine’s condition? Until they found out what the hell she’d survived? How much longer before he and Liam could see her, touch her, assure themselves she’d be all right? Hell, his attorney had already been escorted to Raine’s side and would see her even before he did. What a stupid injustice.

The image of her clutching the bloody knife, rocking and in shock, had seared itself in his brain. It would never fade. He would never forget. And he’d never stop reliving this terrible day.

Would it haunt Raine for the rest of her life, too?

He’d almost fucking lost her. He’d closed his eyes to sleep, and when he’d awakened, she had been gone. She’d nearly been taken—poof, in a blink, in an instant—forever.

Macen picked up the pace as he trekked across the room once more, as if he could escape that reality. He watched Liam parked on the edge of a chair, staring fixedly at the wall, somewhere between shocked and too furious for words. He’d said almost nothing since the ambulance had carted Raine away. Dean Gorman had sent the detectives to take their statements, and Liam had given appropriate, if short, answers to all their questions. Since then? Nothing.

In a corner of the empty room, a small TV irritated him with canned talk show laughter. A breaking news story interrupted, and a perky newscaster appeared to say that Raine Kendall, a sex worker at a local BDSM club, had been abducted in the parking lot by her estranged father. She’d been found alive and was being treated at a local hospital. Her condition was uncertain. They also flashed Raine’s picture all over the screen.

Liam’s head snapped up. Hammer let out an ugly curse.

The anchor cut scene to a reporter, who stood just outside the ER door, posed in front of the camera, vomiting out the sketchy details of Raine’s ordeal.

“I’m going to kill them all.” Hammer charged at the door, ready to shove the mic up the young dude’s ass and make sure it reached the station manager, too.

Liam leapt to his feet and grabbed Macen’s arm. “And I’d like to help you. But we can’t go charging out there now. We have to wait for news about Raine. What if she needs us? Besides, your attorney is with her so her rights are protected when the police question her. You can’t get yourself arrested just now.”

Hammer still struggled to breathe without thinking of murder, but Liam’s logic finally penetrated. “She’s not a fucking sex worker.”

“I know.” Liam tugged on his arm and shoved him into a chair. “But you’ve got to calm down. The important thing is that she’s alive and—”

“Yes, but what the fuck else do we know?” He made a mental note to call the TV station and ream them out as soon as he’d seen Raine and assured himself she was well.

Liam sighed tiredly. “Too little, I grant you. But since I was just here last night with Kyle and cunt-face, I can tell you that nothing happens quickly. Beck is back there with our girl, expediting what he can and watching over her. When there’s news, you know he’ll tell us.”

Vaguely, Hammer realized that, somewhere in the midst of all the shit they’d endured, Liam had learned to trust Beck. They hadn’t exactly been buddies since meeting just over a month ago, but Liam finally had decided not to hate the guy anymore. A small but welcome victory.

Right now, Hammer would chuck it all just to see Raine.

He stood again, feeling ready to crawl out of his skin. “I can’t stand this.”

“Do you think I can?” Liam asked. “I’m every bit as worried as you, Macen. But you darting back and forth, wearing a path into the carpet, won’t make anything happen faster.”

God, he needed Liam’s voice of reason…but sometimes he really despised it. At least he had his best friend at his side. That kept him from tearing up the place. Now if he could just crush the TV and kill the reporter…

“I feel like shit,” he admitted.

“You look like shit,” Liam returned with a little grin. “But I don’t suppose I look any better.”

Wearing yesterday’s clothes and all covered in blood, no. Hammer glanced down at himself, then over at Liam. “Not so much.”

His friend sank into the chair beside him. “I can hardly breathe, mate. While she was missing, I just kept asking myself how I was going to survive without her.” Liam stared down at his hands, wincing at the remnants of blood in his cuticles, under his nails, despite the twenty times he’d washed them. “She’s my life now. It was bad enough when I’d convinced myself she didn’t love me. But a world without her at all is one I don’t want to live in.”

“Yeah. If we’d lost Raine…” He swallowed a lump in his throat. “I couldn’t go through that shit again. It would be a billion times worse than what I went through with Juliet.”

“I finally understand how you must have felt when she died. I can’t change the past, and I’m more sorry than I can say that I wasn’t there for you. But I’m here now.”

He exhaled a rough breath. “That means more than you know.”

The glass double doors whooshed open. Seth came striding in, plastic bag in hand, beside Dean Gorman.

“What’s the news about Raine?” Seth asked.

Hammer shook his head. “Nothing. We don’t have a fucking clue.”

“I can give you some news on the investigation,” Dean offered, sweeping a coat from his broad shoulders. “Gwyneth has been arrested for conspiracy to commit a kidnapping, as well as aiding and abetting. The fact that she left the assailant a voice mail with a time stamp prior to Raine’s actual abduction and recanted the scheme might persuade the judge to give a little leniency, but…” Dean rubbed at his neck. “Her sparkling personality will undo all that. I see the judge slapping her with contempt of court in the first five minutes. She had the nerve to complain about the smell in the squad car and insisted we find an air freshener.”

Liam groaned. “That sounds about right. What’s likely to happen to her?”

“She’s already lawyered up, and she’ll probably work out some deal. But with the voice mails on your phone, Liam, and the one she left on Bill Kendall’s, I’d say she’s going down for a long time.”

“There is a God,” Seth muttered.

“And He’s smiling down on us for a change.” Hammer clapped Liam on the back.

“As long as I don’t have to look at the bitch’s face again, I don’t care,” Liam said.

“On the flip side, the crime scene at the warehouse is being processed. I need pictures of your clothing.” Dean held up a camera and snapped a few shots.

“Hell, you can have them,” Liam swore. “I won’t ever wear them again.”

Hammer looked down at his own stained, grimy garments. “Me, either.”

“I figured you’d want clean clothes.” Seth handed them the bag in his hand. “There’s a set for each of you.”

Macen peeked inside, thrilled to find a complete change, down to the shoes. “Thanks, man. This will feel a whole lot better.”

Liam nodded. “I’m grateful we won’t be seeing Raine while still covered in blood. Thank you, Seth.”

A sight like that would set her back, no doubt. Hammer grimaced.

“That’s what I thought.” Seth sent them a faint smile as his phone dinged. He pulled it from his pocket and scanned the screen. “Vivian just texted. She got off the phone with Gwyneth’s sister a few minutes ago. Kitty and her husband are boarding a flight to L.A. as we speak. They’ll be picking up Kyle as soon as they hit town this afternoon. Naturally, they’re frantic. And shocked.”

More remnants of Typhoon Gwyneth. Hammer couldn’t be more thrilled that selfish, psycho hag was out of their lives forever.

“At least the boy will be back with his parents soon,” Liam murmured.

Seth pocketed his phone. “And until then, Vivian is having a ball.”

Dean cleared his throat. “I hope you guys have a damn good explanation for why you reached the warehouse before the police.”

“I’ll tell you what I told the other detective: Talk to my lawyer.”

Gorman sighed, clearly realizing he’d hit a brick wall. “Fine. Then I need to prepare you for a few other things before you’re called back to see Raine.”

A terrible thought occurred to Hammer. “Does the DA want to charge her for Bill’s murder? She acted purely in self-defense. Any fucking idiot—”

“Can see that? Yes,” Dean cut in, his voice soothing and low, and Hammer realized he’d been shouting.

“Sorry.”

Gorman just shook his head. “No apology necessary. It’s been a terrible fucking morning for you guys. But you’re right. I doubt the DA will file charges against Raine. It’s obvious she did what she had to in order to fight for her life. Rest easy on that.”

Hammer let out the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. Beside him, Liam did the same.

“Thank God our lass will be coming home,” he murmured.

Yes. But would she be the same lass who’d left their arms mere hours ago?

Hammer shoved the thought away. They had to get through today before they could worry about tomorrow.

“I need to fill you in on what will happen next,” Dean went on, then dragged in a breath. “In cases like this, the victim will always be interviewed by a female detective. Seth provided me copies of the pictures you took of Raine after her father’s beating, just before she first came to live with you. So Detective Bates, who will be questioning her, has already seen the images and knows the history.”

That was a relief, but how had Seth known?

“I told him where to find the pictures, mate,” Liam muttered. “After the police read Gwyneth her rights and cuffed her, I called Seth to update him and told him to find the pictures.”

Again, Hammer felt blessed to have his best friend at his side. “Smart thinking. Hopefully, it will make her interrogation a bit smoother.”

Dean hesitated. “I wish that were true. You need to be ready for the fact that, as a woman living and working in what some people see as a pornographic or abusive environment, Raine will be grilled.” When Macen would have objected, Gorman cut in. “It’s an uneducated perspective, and Bates is a bit of a hard ass. She’ll want to be one hundred percent sure Raine isn’t afraid of or being abused by anyone at home. Independent of the criminal investigation, which won’t be easy, Bates will ask tough questions. They might rattle Raine.”

Hammer gritted his teeth. Goddamn it, it was his job to protect her, and he felt so fucking helpless. Liam had to be fighting the same struggle. “Why the hell can’t they wait until she’s calmer?”

Dean shook his head. “As a Dom, I totally understand why you’d want that and why it’s chafing you not to be there, holding her hand. As a cop, they need her unfiltered story as soon as possible, before the details go cold.”

“We don’t like it,” Liam said, looking grim and exhausted. “But we understand.”

“Mr. Hammerman? Mr. O’Neill?” a soft, female voice called from an open door that led to the depths of the ER.

Hammer turned to a painfully young blonde with her flaxen curls tucked into some wispy, complicated cross between a braid and a bun. When he and Liam both charged at her and pinned her with their attention, she bowed her head, her cheeks flushing.

“Yes,” Macen barked when they stopped in front of her.

“Do you have news?” Liam asked.

She raised big blue eyes to them, full of gentle intelligence. “Dr. Beckman sent me to tell you that Ms. Kendall doesn’t have any major injuries. She’s alert and talking. He’s been with her since she arrived. He’s personally ensuring she’s comfortable.”

Liam let out a huge sigh of relief. “Our girl is okay?”

The nurse nodded. “She’ll be fine.”

“When can we see her?” Hammer demanded.

“Neither of you are family?” the little blonde asked.

“Technically, no but…” He gritted his teeth and looked at Liam. “Why hasn’t one of us married her yet? That would have solved this.”

“That’s a good idea.” Liam nodded as if testing the idea and liking it. Then he slanted Macen a wry stare. “We should do that. Are we going to arm wrestle for it?”

“Maybe you should flip a coin.” Seth horned in beside him, staring at the little nurse like a starving man at a buffet. He stuck his hand out to her. “I’m Seth Cooper.”

She sent him a confused frown as she placed her fingers in his palm. “I’m Heavenly.”

Yes, you are.Hammer read Seth’s unspoken reply all over his face.

“Are you the patient’s family?” she asked.

“Just a friend,” Seth assured.

“She has no one else. We’re like her family,” Hammer insisted.

“But you’re not actually related or married?” she double-checked.

“One of us will marry her in the next ten minutes if we’ll be allowed to see her. Hell, we both would if it was legal,” Liam groused, sounding exasperated.

The innocent little submissive in uniform bit her lip, looking as if she’d never heard of, much less considered, a ménage.

Heavenly shook her head. “I’m sorry. I don’t make the rules.”

Hammer elbowed Seth. “What else can you tell us about Raine’s condition?”

“I’m just a nursing student. I’ve only been in to give her water and blankets.”

“Do you know how much longer before we’ll be able to see her?” Liam asked.

Heavenly shook her head regretfully. “The police haven’t even finished with her, so I suspect it will be a while. In the meantime, Dr. Beckman asked me to escort you to a nearby lounge. You’ll be able to shower there. Just let me know when you’re ready.”

After exchanging a glance with Liam, Hammer knew they were on the same page. “Let’s do it now, just in case we’re able to see her sooner, rather than later.”

“Follow me.” She let the ER door close behind her and led them to another closed door, accessible only with her electronic ID badge.

“Thank you, Heavenly,” Seth called to her.

She turned to him with a shy smile, not quite meeting his gaze. “You’re welcome.”

In fifteen minutes, he and Liam had both showered and changed clothes. The hot spray had done a world of good in reviving him. Liam looked a bit more alive, too.

When they emerged, Heavenly stood there with two hot plates of food. “Seth found you some breakfast at the cafeteria. There’s a little break room around the corner with coffee.”

Heavenly pointed to her left. They smiled, thanked her, grabbed hot cups, then returned to the waiting room to juggle their plates in their laps, shove down food, and wait for news about Raine.

By then, Seth was speaking to various members of the club who’d stopped by, updating them on what little they knew of Raine’s status. Hammer was grateful for their caring. He wiped his mouth with a napkin, finished the last swig of his coffee, and greeted the members, thanking them. Liam joined him.

In the corner, they spotted a young man behind a magazine with wide shoulders, big hands, and piercing eyes. He didn’t look familiar, but as far as Hammer knew, the ER wasn’t clogged up with other cases at the moment.

He frowned. If the asshole was a reporter looking for a scoop…

Another Dom approached him before he could finish that thought and accost the stranger. Hammer and Liam talked to that club member and the others, managing to pass the next twenty minutes in only mild agony. The waiting still rubbed him raw, but being surrounded by concerned friends was definitely a balm. Raine would be touched by the number of people who had come to express their support.

Finally, the door to the back of the ER snapped open, and Beck walked toward them.

Hammer and Liam both cut their conversations short and rushed over.

“What can you tell us?” Liam insisted, as if he couldn’t say the words fast enough.

“Anything?” Hammer added.

“Calm down. She’s shaken. Tearful. Afraid. But mostly fine. We cleaned her up, stitched her lip, and checked out the rest of her trauma.”

“What do you mean by that?” Hammer barked.

Beck held up a hand. “Kendall punched her in the eye. We’ve managed to reduce the swelling. The eye socket wasn’t broken, thankfully. But she’s bruised. There will be more contusions around her neck where he tried to strangle her.”

Hammer’s blood iced over. A chill settled into his bones as he buried his face in his hands. Why the fuck hadn’t he been able to protect her? Yes, he knew the news was mostly good. He could be standing in the emergency room again hearing the speech about how they’d tried but there had been nothing the doctors could do to save her… He refused to fall down that mental black hole now.

“Strangle her?” Liam breathed the words in shock. “Oh, Raine must have been terrified.”

“But she’s a survivor.” Macen kept reminding himself of that over and over. If he didn’t, he’d go fucking insane.

“We didn’t do a rape exam. Raine swears Bill didn’t penetrate her. Apparently, he couldn’t get it up.”

Besides finding Raine alive, that was some of the best news he’d had all day.

“What a relief,” Liam said, again mirroring his thoughts.

“She’s talking to a female detective now. As soon as the woman is done, you can see Raine. But you should know, the police treated Raine’s body like a crime scene because it is. It’s… Honestly, it’s been nothing short of a nightmare for her. She’s fragile and she’ll need you.”

“We’re ready. Just lead us to her.” Hammer wanted to barge past Beck.

“Please. We can’t do anything for her out here.” Liam sounded at the end of his patience.

“As soon as she’s done with the questioning, I’ll have Heavenly escort you back. But during this interview, no one is allowed to be with Raine except her attorney. We just have to wait until the interrogation is over.”

Hammer knew that. Some distant part of his mind accepted that fact. The man in him railed. The Dom in him roared. Why the fuck was it taking them so long to let him and Liam see their woman? How fucking crazy would he go before they could?

Beck returned to Raine’s side. Macen took up pacing again. Liam couldn’t seem to decide whether to stand or sit. The club members milling around talked. The man with the magazine said nothing.

After what seemed like an eternity, Heavenly appeared again with a smile. “You can see Raine now.”

Neither one of them could move fast enough. He and Liam bounded through the door and followed her down a hall.

A few paces away, Macen ran into his attorney, a fifty-something grandfather who wielded the law like a shark. They shook hands.

“I’ll call you later so you can fill me in,” he said, dashing for Raine’s room.

“Give me a ring.” The man in the pristine suit waved. “But she did great. She’s a tough cookie. You shouldn’t have any worries legally.”

Absorbing that relief, Hammer jogged back to Liam’s side, then rounded the corner. There, they found Raine cradled in Beck’s arms. The doctor stroked her hair as her shoulders shook in silent sobs. The sight ripped out Hammer’s soul. The look on Liam’s face told Macen he felt the same.

“I’ve been asking for Liam and Hammer,” Raine cried. “I’ve done everything the police and the doctors needed. Why can’t I see them?”

“We’re here, love.” Liam rushed into the room.

Macen followed, dying to hold her in his arms now—and until the end of time. “We came to see you as soon as we were allowed, precious.”

Beck eased back and turned to them. Finally, Hammer and Liam got a good look at their girl.

Hammer’s chest tightened. Though she was no longer covered in blood, the brutality Bill had inflicted on Raine enraged him and broke his heart. But under the stitches and bruises lay a strong, resilient woman. Their woman. And she’d never looked more beautiful.

“Liam…Hammer.” Raine opened her arms to them, despite the IV and a few assorted bandages. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

Beck stepped back as Hammer rushed toward her. Liam did the same, flanking the other side of her bed. Hammer bent and nuzzled his face into her neck, inhaling her familiar scent deep with weak-kneed gratitude. He brushed gentle kisses over her cheek. Tears stung the backs of his eyes as he drank her in. Slowly, he lifted his head. She took his hand.

Liam had her other hand tucked in his as he leaned in and brushed a reverent kiss on her forehead, closing his eyes to savor the sweet moment.

Heavenly hurried in, carrying a white blanket over her arm—and stopped short at the sight of them both giving Raine affection. The pretty nurse blushed furiously and darted Beck a curious stare before dropping her gaze again. The doctor tensed and stared a hole into the girl. Couldn’t the damn sadist step out of his fucking door without attracting subs like a damn magnet?

“I have a warmer blanket for you, Ms. Kendall.”

“Please don’t call me that,” Raine snapped at the other woman, then frowned. “I-I’m sorry. Just call me Raine, okay?”

“Of course.” Heavenly quickly tucked the blanket around Raine before scurrying out of the room.

Beck’s eyes narrowed on the sway of the woman’s ass as she walked away.

Raine tried to smile but winced as the stitches in her lip pulled. “Honestly, Beck. You’ve been mentally undressing that poor nurse since we got here. You can’t be serious. She’s like Little Red Riding Hood to your Big, Bad Wolf. The instant you finish sucking the flesh off her bones, you’ll be picking your teeth with them.”

Hammer was relieved to hear the sassy Raine he knew, but she clearly forced the levity.

Beck frowned. “I’m not going to hurt her.”

“Said the sadist,” Hammer grumbled under his breath.

The frown creasing Beck’s face became a scowl.

“What are you waiting for?” Liam asked him. “She’s getting away, mate.”

“I can take a hint.” Beck grinned. “I’ll give you all some privacy. Back in a few.”

“Try to leave her in one piece,” Hammer called after him.

After shooting him a dirty glare, the doctor hustled out the door, taking the levity of the moment with him. The guilt and pain that had wracked Hammer the instant he’d discovered Raine missing returned.

Finally alone with the two people he loved most, Hammer wrapped his arms around Raine, thankful that Liam was on the same page, embracing her as if she was his everything. “Let it out, precious. Give your pain to us.”

Their reassurance seemed to break the dam holding in Raine’s emotions. She sobbed for endless moments. Neither he nor Liam let go. Instead, they whispered how glad they were that she was safe, that she’d found a way to survive, that they loved her.

Long minutes later, Hammer kissed the tears from her cheeks, then Liam placed a tissue beneath her nose. She stared up at his partner with those beautiful blue eyes.

“Blow, Raine,” Liam instructed.

She didn’t protest or argue that she could do it herself. She simply let Liam pamper her—no questions asked—because they both needed it. Hammer sent her an approving smile.

“How are you feeling, love? Is there anything we can get you?” Liam asked in that tender voice that always made Raine glow.

“I’m fine.”

She put on a brave face, but Hammer saw through it.

“Tell him the truth,” he pressed.

Raine laced her fingers through his. “Right. Honesty. Communication.” She blew out a breath. “I’m sore everywhere. But the pain tells me I’m alive. And I’m so thankful to be out of that horrible place and away from that monster forever.”

Hammer clenched his teeth as he inhaled a deep breath. “So are we.”

“God, yes,” Liam seconded. “Would you like to talk to us about it, love? Or is it too soon?”

“We’ll help you through this no matter what,” Hammer assured. “Lean on us. I swear to god we won’t let you down again.”

“Neither of you let me down. I went running out of the club instead of waking you up. I didn’t think anything so terrible would…” Raine’s chin quivered.

“Shh.” Hammer leaned in and gingerly touched his lips to hers, careful not to disrupt her stitches. “It’s all right. Tell us how to help you.”

Raine blinked as if unsure what she needed, then swallowed. “I don’t know where to start. Every minute seemed more and more horrific. I was so scared.” Her voice cracked but she continued. “H-he told me he’d been raping my older sister for years, and she let him to protect me.”

Hammer silently thanked the woman for her tragic sacrifice. But he couldn’t say he was at all surprised to find out that Raine’s sister had suffered under Bill’s hand.

“Oh, love,” Liam moaned. “It must have been awful.”

“Then, instead of taking her to the airport to leave for college, he k-killed her. He just took a knife and…” Raine sobbed out in a gut-wrenching wail. “He couldn’t wait to tell me that he’d killed my m-m-mom, too.”

Shoving down his wrath and wishing he could kill the dead man all over again, Hammer perched on the bed beside her. Liam did the same. Together, they wrapped their arms around her and held her until she slowly regained enough composure to carry on.

“I don’t even know where their bodies are.” She sniffed. “The only one who truly escaped was my brother, but I don’t know where River is or what’s happened to him.” Then what little self-possession she’d managed dissolved. “I thought once you two found me that all the bad stuff was over, but god, the EMTs came and…”

Raine pushed against them as if suffocating. He and Liam both eased back, exchanging a worried glance. Hammer suddenly realized Raine didn’t need their physical comfort as much as she needed to vent the torment bottled up inside her.

“They bagged my hands. I couldn’t touch anything until the police came. They took the bags off but scraped under my fingernails to ‘preserve evidence.’ Then they examined all my bruises and bite marks with so much pity in their eyes I wanted to scream. They took pictures of every single inch of my body, poking at me and making me pose for them as if I were some kind of freak. When they finished scrutinizing every crack and crevice, I felt as if all the loving marks you two had left on me were tainted and disgusting. I couldn’t even say one word in our defense to make them understand.”

Hammer took her hand as the words spilled off her lips. He had to clench his jaw so he didn’t lash out in rage. Liam’s expression bled self-reproach and anger as he skimmed his fingers up and down her arm. Neither of them knew what to do, except listen and offer comfort.

“But I remembered what Beck said at the…” Her breath shuddered. “What I had to do. So I told the female detective and your attorney that Bill did everything to me. God, the questions she asked… They never seemed to stop. The police wouldn’t let Beck stay with me while she interrogated me. That woman kept asking if I was afraid or being abused because I live in a sex club. I tried to explain that Shadows wasn’t simply a club for folks who wanted to randomly get it on, but she didn’t acknowledge anything I said, just kept asking questions.”

More tears spilled down her cheeks. Hammer couldn’t fucking stand that he was unable to erase the injustice she’d had to endure after the atrocities at the warehouse.

“I had to tell a total stranger everything about my family, starting as far back as I could remember. But she didn’t stop there. She also wanted to know all the hateful, degrading, vile things my father had said to me my whole life. I wanted so badly to tell her that when I stuck that knife into Bill and watched him die, I didn’t feel a damn thing except relief because he fucking deserved it.”

Raine hung her head and burst into tears. Low, long sobs filled the room and tore at his heart. Hammer and Liam surrounded her once again, holding her, encouraging her to release her grief and anger, repeating that they loved her, assuring her everything would be all right.

Macen had no way of knowing whether he could keep that last promise because he no longer had to wonder if the day’s events would haunt her for the rest of her life. He knew they would. Instead, he had to help her find a way to move forward.

Something he’d never been particularly good at himself.

“We’re proud of you for being so brave, love,” Liam cooed.

“You’re alive, Raine. You have so many tomorrows to look forward to,” Hammer murmured. “If you’d like, we’ll move into the new house before Christmas. Just the three of us…together.”

“That’s right,” Liam added. “There’s no stopping us now, love. It’s you, Hammer, and me from now on. You’ll have your hands full making that house into our home. Start your new life with us. We’ll fill it with so much love you won’t be able to drink it all in.”

Raine sucked in a quivering breath before she raised her chin and wiped her eyes. There she was, their Raine—bold and beautiful and determined to fight back the darkness, at least for this one priceless moment.

“I’m beyond ready,” she vowed.

Hammer couldn’t help the tears of pride that filled his eyes. If he and Liam nurtured and coaxed this brave girl, she could conquer the world.

Suddenly, Seth and Beck entered the room. Seth sent a gentle smile her way. Just as he opened his mouth to say something, Heavenly scurried in with a fresh cup of ice chips.

“Well, hello again.” Seth smiled at the sweet-faced blonde.

She couldn’t quite meet his gaze. “Hi.”

Both Beck and Seth homed in, watching the woman’s every move as she set the plastic cup on the hospital tray near Raine’s bed, then hurried toward the door with a nervous smile at the pair.

Beck stopped her with a hand on her arm, and Hammer didn’t think he’d ever seen the doctor touch any submissive so tenderly. “Thank you for your help.”

“My pleasure. I enjoy helping others.”

No doubt, the innocent girl had no idea how much her words fired up Beck’s Dominant loins. Instead, she darted out of the room. When Beck realized Seth stared at the sway of her hips as she walked away, he growled in warning.

“What?” Seth asked, arching a brow.

Hammer smirked as the beginnings of a plan hatched in his head. He and Liam had endured a shitload of ballbusting from these two. Finally, the opportunity for some payback looked promising.

“Not you, too?” Raine shot Seth a suspicious look.

“I didn’t do a thing,” he insisted way too innocently.

“Make sure you keep it that way.” Beck sounded more than annoyed.

Seth rolled his eyes, then sidled up to the bed next to Liam and gently caressed Raine’s inky hair. “You doing okay, little one?”

“Yeah.” She did her best to send him a smile. “Thanks.”

Before they could say more, the ER doctor strolled into the room, glaring at the sudden crowd.

Beck gave Seth a shove and nodded toward the door. “Let’s give them some privacy, Captain America.” He waved at Raine. “We’ll be back shortly.”

“Thank you, guys. For everything.”

After they’d gone, the doctor introduced himself to Liam and Hammer, then turned all his attention on Raine.

“We’re going to keep you overnight so we can keep an eye on you and give you some IV antibiotics for the bite marks, just in case. I don’t think you’ll need to stay longer than that.”

Raine sighed. “Can’t I just go home?”

“If he wants you to stay, you’ll stay,” Hammer ordered.

“But don’t worry, love. We’ll be with you, too,” Liam assured.

“How are you feeling now?” the doctor inquired, pen and chart in hand.

“Much better now.” The look she sent him and Liam told Hammer how relieved and grateful she was to have them at her side.

Macen’s heart opened even wider to her. How had he ever denied a moment of her love?

“Good.” The balding, thirty-something doctor smiled. “I’ve got your test results back. Would you like to go over them privately?”

“Whatever you have to say to me, you can say to the three of us.” She reached out and clasped both their hands.

“Okay.” He took their unusual relationship in stride, like a medical professional who’d seen and done it all. Then he glanced again at her chart. “Most everything came out normal. I’ve just got a few questions. Are you having any tingling or numbness in your feet or hands?”

“No, they feel fine,” she replied as she held up her hands and wiggled her toes.

The ligature marks around her wrists from Bill’s ropes were red and chapped. Hammer couldn’t wait for the day they disappeared—as well as the wounds on her face—so he’d never have to be visually reminded of Bill Kendall or his brutality again.

“Good.” The doctor nodded. “Any floaters or sparks of light in your eyes?”

Raine shook her head.

“Do you have any discomfort in your jaw when you talk?”

“A little, but it’s going away,” she assured.

“Are you having other pain? Anything hurting more than a Tylenol can relieve?” The doctor darted a glance at the bite marks on her neck but didn’t mention them.

“My shoulders are stiff from being tied… In fact, I’m getting a little sore all over.”

The doctor nodded. “Then I’ll get you a couple of acetaminophen. I see your last period started November twenty-second, is that right?”

“Yes.”

“Was it normal?”

“Not really. It was late and a bit short, but I was under a lot of stress.”

She sent Liam an apologetic frown. He merely squeezed her hand.

The doctor nodded. “That sometimes happens, but it’s nothing to worry about. But I don’t foresee any problems from today’s ordeal. Even so, I recommend you follow up with your OB/GYN in a week or so and have him check you out thoroughly.”

“Why?” Liam asked with an alarm that reflected Hammer’s own.

Had fucking Bill raped her after all?

The doctor ignored Liam and cocked his head at Raine. “Didn’t you know? You’re pregnant.”

Not everyone is handling the trio’s recent bombshell well. Ready to see the twists, turns, and thrilling end? Conclude the epic, dark romance journey with Raine, Hammer, and Liam in The Bond now!

One woman. Two friends. Happily ever after?

THE BOND

The Unbroken Series: Raine Falling (Book 4)

by Shayla Black and Jenna Jacob

NOW AVAILABLE!

(available in eBook, print, and audio)

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