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“I tried, you stubborn fuck. You weren’t listening.” Hammer turned serious again and pinned her with a stare. “One more thing stumps me, Raine. I understand why you felt you couldn’t talk to Liam after he uncollared you. Why didn’t you come to me?”
“And say what? I couldn’t ask you to fix my boo-boo, Macen. I worried that if I went to see you that we’d…” She closed her eyes, looking tense and uncomfortable. “Fall into bed, and that I wouldn’t have the strength to say no. Then you both would have thought I’d chased you down for revenge sex. It’s even an ugly thought, and I didn’t want that.”
“I half expected you to,” Liam admitted. “But I’m glad I meant enough to you that you didn’t like the thought of seducing him just to hurt me.”
“I’ve never wanted to hurt you,” she swore, then sent a pleading stare Hammer’s way. “Or you. The last thing you wanted to hear was me crying about Liam. Besides, I thought that without me there, you two might fix your friendship. I didn’t want to be in the way anymore.”
Hammer didn’t like it…but he understood her point.
“Look at me.” He didn’t say another word until she did. “No matter what’s happening in your life, Raine, if you need anything, I always want you to come to me.”
“But you couldn’t fix it, Sir. No one could.” She sent a remorseful stare Liam’s way. “It was my doing.”
“You have no idea what I’m capable of, precious. So don’t imagine that I couldn’t have helped. You didn’t give me a fucking chance.”
“You really didn’t give me one, either. You just left, even after I told you not to run away,” Liam pointed out. “Did you not believe we’d worry about you?”
“I thought you might,” she confessed softly.
“Might?” Hammer barked.
“That’s why I went to Beck. I told him to let you two know that I was okay.”
“And you thought Beck should be your messenger boy instead of calling us yourself?” Liam glared her way. “Did you honestly think we wouldn’t be frantic to find you? Bloody hell, we were out of our heads.”
“I know.” She grimaced, and Hammer could see the worry on her face again. “I saw you. I was in Beck’s car, and you two were running into the hospital.”
Hammer’s jaw ticked and he fought like hell not to lose his mind. “And you didn’t make him stop? Turn around and flag us down?”
Liam shot him a fierce scowl, and Hammer figured he must not have done a great job at hiding his anger.
“I needed more time to sort things out. I wasn’t ready to talk to either of you. But I picked up my phone at least a hundred times to call. I missed your voices.” She sniffled. “I missed you.”
“Then don’t put any of us through that again,” Liam demanded. “Tell us that you’ll stand and fight and face your problems when things get tough.”
“Say it.” Hammer leaned into her face, teeth clenched.
Liam bent to her ear. “We want to hear it, Raine. Promise us you’ll never run again.”
She hesitated, seeming to wrestle with her thoughts. Fear gripped her expression, then she gathered herself, dug up courage, and nodded. The play of emotions entranced him. His triumph spiked.
“All right,” she whispered. “I won’t run again. I promise.”
Hammer felt the tension drain from his body. He sighed with relief. Liam pressed a kiss to her forehead, then nuzzled her cheek. Hammer kissed her shoulder, her neck, her lips for a soft moment. “Thank you, precious. We needed to hear that.”
“We did.” Liam agreed and sent a stare his way, reaching for Raine’s ropes. He wanted her free.
Fuck, yes. As much as he enjoyed her bound, Hammer wanted to hold her more. Clearly, Liam did, too. Raine had given them so much today. Her honesty—even when it hurt. Her promise—even when it cost her. Christ, she was stunning.
Together, he and Liam worked the knots, starting at the rope across her shoulders. The first binding slithered free and fell to the carpet with a soft thud. A soft pink pattern with the rope’s imprint embossed her skin. For the first time, he saw Raine wearing the marks of his dominance. Not the bruises he’d given her when he’d fucked her mindlessly that drunken night, but the stamps of his possession dancing over her flesh when he’d worked with Liam to control her. Holy shit, the sight made his cock throb.
“Hammer?” Liam prodded him, already untying the binding across her hips.
With a nod, he rushed to catch up, unknotting the silk around her upper arms, under her breasts, then releasing the cuffs holding her wrists before finishing at her hips and ankles.
Raine sat up, reaching for them as quickly as they lunged for her. She pressed herself against Liam’s chest and buried her face in his neck even as she reached her free hand to him, and Hammer used it to draw himself closer, meshing his back to hers. So small, so fragile. So brave.
