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Beck opened her door. “Get in.”
Raine slid into the soft seat in silence and watched Beck back out. “I’m sorry for causing you trouble. I shouldn’t have come and bothered you here.”
“Yeah, you should have. You know they’re probably worried out of their minds.”
Maybe, and the possibility made her feel a bit guilty. “That’s why I wanted you to tell them I’m all right, just in case.”
“Well, I’m not a liar, princess. So let’s fill your belly and get you settled. Then I’ll figure out what to say to those two clowns.”
As they rounded the back of the hospital and approached the circular drive at the front, a familiar black Audi screeched into the passenger pick-up zone. Hammer and Liam jumped out, running full throttle into the building. Raine’s heart caught in her throat. Guilt gnawed at her composure.
“I’ll be damned. They stopped fighting long enough to look for you together,” Beck observed, sounding oddly happy. “Want to talk to them?”
Yes. Desperately. But what good would it do? “No.”
“Wait, did one of them hurt you?” he scowled, his expression like a thunder cloud.
Beck meant Liam, since he knew Hammer too well to believe that Macen would ever intentionally smack her except in play. But Liam could be so heartbreakingly gentle. Neither would ever bodily harm her.
Just break her heart.
“No.” She tried not to cry again.
Why wouldn’t this fucking useless sorrow go away?
“God, that face is killing me, princess.” He pulled away from the hospital. “Is that all you have, a purse and a bottle?”
“No. I have a suitcase, too.” She told him about the motel.
He pressed tight lips together and drove down toward the place. As soon as he pulled up front, Beck held out his hand. “Claim ticket?”
Raine hesitated. “You’re not dragging me back to Shadows?”
“Nope. But you’re not staying here. I’ve got someplace better and safer. And no, I won’t tell Liam or Hammer until you want me to.”
She gnawed on her lip. Beck might have messed with her mind here and there, but he’d never lied to her. She dug into her purse and handed the little scrap of paper over. He hopped out, then emerged two minutes later with her bag in hand.
After tossing it in his trunk, he eased back into the driver’s seat. “You know if they ever catch up to you, they’re going to spank you bright red. I’ll watch. And volunteer to help.”
Despite the grim situation, she managed a laugh. “Why am I not surprised?”
“Hey, you have a nice ass.” He winked.
“The answer is still no.” The last thing she wanted was another romantic entanglement, even if Beck was on the sexy side. She also didn’t need more hurt. Physical pain might help her process the emotional agony eventually, but she didn’t need it yet. And even if he’d do it, she hated to ask Beck for more.
He nodded. “Just trying to lighten the mood.”
A few minutes later, he pulled up in front of a new, industrial-looking building of high-rent condos. He flashed a key card at the parking garage. After the gate went up, they slid inside. Beck parked in a reserved spot, grabbed her things, and helped her into an elevator.
“You don’t have to do all this,” she protested.
“If I don’t want Hammer to kill me, I do. I don’t want to worry about you, either.”
On the top floor, he emerged and led her inside a corner unit. It was compact and sleek and had killer views that went all the way to the Pacific.
“The bedroom is through that door. Bath attached.” He set her suitcase down. “You’ve already seen everything else.”
“I don’t want to take up your space. If you live here—”
“No. I crash here sometimes, especially after surgeries that run late. I’ve got a house about ten miles from here, closer to Shadows. You’ll have the run of the place this weekend. The housekeeper just came, so it’s clean and stocked with food. Sit.” He pointed to the little kitchen table.
Raine sat as he bid, watching him move around the kitchen. “I’m a lousy cook, but I figure as many times as you’ve fed me over the years, I can return the favor this once.”
“I’m not really hungry.”
“I don’t care. If you’re going to get busy with Jose Cuervo, you need something in your stomach to toss up later.”
With a wry smile, she waited until he set some eggs, toast, and a bowl of fresh fruit in front of her. “Thanks.”
“Dig in. And start at the beginning.”
Raine did, confessing everything between Thanksgiving and this morning. When she finished, her food was gone, tears streaked down her face, and her nose was running.
With a curse, Beck grabbed her a tissue from the bathroom, then stomped back. “What did you expect Liam to do, princess?”
“I don’t know.”
“We’re not exactly friends, but I can guarantee that he didn’t give up on you. He wants you to think, make some decisions.”
