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She swallowed and dropped her gaze. But she finally nodded. If she wanted to know where they were going, she didn’t ask.
“And be quick about it.”
With guarded posture, Raine obeyed. The wild tangle of her dark, silky hair was the last thing he saw before the bathroom door closed. He heard the water come on. She stepped in a moment later, interrupting the spray. Sobs followed.
Fuck if that didn’t piss him off all over again.
But he had other things to do besides stand about and listen to her cry her heart out for another man. At the end of the day, he’d wanted to believe she was different. Didn’t that make him a fucking idiot?
Exiting his room, Liam backtracked down the hall and shoved the door open to Hammer’s domain. The man just stared like a statue, unmoving. He wore the same shell-shocked expression as Raine.
Everything he’d believed about Hammer, everything that had happened past and present, converged to just this moment as the silence beat heavily.
What the fuck had happened? That’s what he’d like to know. He’d awakened to an empty bed hours ago and heard Hammer and Raine fucking like bloody rabbits. It was what they’d both wanted. What he’d originally sought for them. From the cries of Raine’s ecstasy and Hammer’s roars of passion, Liam had assumed they were happy together. That he was out, and Hammer was in like Flynn. And her betrayal had hurt far more than it should for a woman he’d taken to bed once or twice. Everything about it had poked his most miserable insecurities.
But Hammer knew that.
After listening to them fuck half the night, hearing Raine scream Hammer’s name, Liam had packed, fully intending to walk away from the pair of them. Let them bloody well tear one another apart.
Looking at Raine’s ravaged body and her mournful face…his anger had spiked. He shouldn’t feel sorry for her, but goddamn it, he couldn’t help it. She’d been hurt enough.
Raine had gotten under his skin. Caring about her hadn’t been part of his plan. How the bloody hell had it backfired so quickly? Despite Hammer’s mocking reproach, she’d already become more than a pair of blue eyes and a great rack to him. Far more.
Hammer had hit him where it hurt most. By god, he intended to do the same.
Cold fury curled like a wild thing inside him, itching for release, as he stared at Hammer. He forced it down, delivering every word with control. “I remember Juliet being marked now and then, but nothing like what you’ve done to Raine. Your own wife couldn’t handle it. How do you think the girl will cope? You used her with a ruthless selfishness, but I shouldn’t be surprised. You have the audacity to think you love her? Like you ‘loved’ Juliet?”
Again, Liam clenched his fists at the thought of all the bruises, of her pain as she’d tried to walk back to his room. Of the betrayal Hammer had dealt him, doubly vile because the man knew how it would push his buttons.
Hammer seethed, rage in his haunted eyes. “I do love her. God help me, even more than Juliet. Not that I owe you an explanation.”
Liam sneered. “Not that I believe you. Take a look at your wretched mug in the mirror. You’re a pathetic motherfucker who destroys women to make himself feel big. You’re not fit to call yourself a Dominant, let alone her Dominant.”
“I told you yesterday that I wasn’t good for her, but you wouldn’t listen.” The man lunged in his face. “Who the fuck do you think you are? You’re not my life coach. You’re not God. You sure as hell aren’t my friend.”
“I could say the same to you.”
Hammer’s eyes turned to ice. “You thought this up, didn’t you? Of course. How fucking like you. You ‘collared’ her to trick me into claiming her. And now you’re pissed that it almost worked? Asshole,” he hissed. “I’ve seen you play people for years. I just never imagined you’d do it to me.”
“Fuck you! I tried to help. You could have taken Raine as your own any time before last night, but you chose not to. Now I agree with your reasons. You aren’t good for her, but you conveniently forgot that, didn’t you?” Liam accused. “You waited until Raine became mine to fuck her. For the pleasure of cuckolding me? Were you trying to crawl under my skin? You broke the Dominant code of conduct. Don’t you ever think of touching Raine again. I’ll be taking her and going now. And after the way you’ve treated us both, I’d best not be hearing a word from you.”
“Don’t you dare preach to me about the code of conduct. The honor of your training collar means shit! Only you would collar a sub with ulterior motives. Stellar job, asshole. Don’t deceive yourself; you’re going to fuck up her head.” Hammer shook his head in disgust. “Oh, and you’re not taking her anywhere, motherfucker!”
