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“I divorced Gwyneth with good reason. I would never want her back, and I certainly wouldn’t leave you for the likes of her. That’s the sincere truth.”
“Oh, so now you’re telling me the truth? But not earlier today in the car?” She wagged a finger in his face. “You two spent the last few days lecturing me until you were blue in the faces about honesty and communication and how great our relationship would be if we could all just trust one another. Blah, blah, fucking blah.”
“Raine,” Liam reassured softly because telling her to calm down would not go well. “Love, I don’t want Gwyneth. I didn’t touch her.”
“Bullshit! I saw the nipple clamps, an imprint paddle, and the fresh welt that said slut on her ass—not that I doubt that for a minute. Oh, I forgot the restraints and the elephant dildo. So if you weren’t playing with her, you were…what? Recreating your good times and reminding her of all she’d been missing?”
Liam didn’t falter. “No. If you’ll stop losing the bloody plot, I’ll explain.”
“Explain what? She told me the two of you have worked out her ‘lapse of judgment’ that ended your marriage. Wow. So I guess paddling her was better than couple’s therapy, and now all is forgiven. How long before you leave me to join her and be a family?” Raine challenged, as if waiting for the other shoe to drop. Of course she zoomed right to the worst-case scenario. In her case, it had happened every damn time.
“Oh, that calculating cunt,” Hammer muttered.
Indeed. Gwyneth had played Raine perfectly. Like dominoes in a row, each felled the next in an inevitable chain reaction. But Liam had handed his ex-wife the means. His maneuvers—however well intended—had backfired.
“Why would you think she told you anything resembling the truth?” Liam asked.
“Because I already know you two lied to me.”
“To protect you, yes. We’re sorry if that upset you. But her lies were meant to confuse you and cause you pain,” Hammer spat. “Don’t let the doubt she planted in your head grow, precious. And don’t give her any of your power. That belongs to us.”
“Nothing she said is true.” Liam sighed. “All she wants to do is separate me from you. You can’t let her.”
“Give me one reason I should believe you,” she challenged.
“Do you think we would have planned to take you to dinner tonight to explain everything if we weren’t going to tell you the truth?” Macen asked.
She shot him a skeptical glare. “Maybe it was taking you two that long to get your stories straight.”
Liam leaned into her face, fusing their gazes together. “Because I love you, Raine. That’s why you should believe me.”
Liam had this one chance to convince her that he loved her with every cell in his body. If not, she’d let doubt overtake her and leave. But as long as he was breathing, he’d keep fighting for them.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t read Raine now. Since she’d always worn her emotions on her face, that was dangerous. She hadn’t dropped the f-bomb for several minutes, so he took that as a good sign. But he still sensed a palpable storm raging beneath Raine’s surface.
She teared up. “You didn’t even tell me about your son.”
“I don’t think he’s mine,” Liam countered. “Tell me what else Gwyneth said to you so I can explain everything.”
“She pitied me. No, first she thought I was the maid. Then she said I was cute, but I couldn’t keep you amused for long because you like the hunt, and I’d never provide you enough sport.” She covered her face, and her body shook. Pain drenched every sob as she swiped at her cheeks and backed away. “I’m sorry I wasn’t entertaining enough for you.”
His worst fears had come to pass; Gwyneth had cut her to the bone. The knife in Liam’s chest twisted harder as he watched Raine cry, longing to enfold her in his arms and kiss away every tear. Fierce and proud, she looked hauntingly lovely, even as she stood wronged and breaking before them.
He bit back a curse. If he had a do-over on this afternoon, he wouldn’t have simply humiliated Gwyneth; he would have throttled her.
Liam darted a glance at Hammer, who looked as if he wanted to unleash his own form of justice on Gwyneth. But now, they needed to deplete Raine’s anger and heal the devastation the bitch had inflicted—fast.
Hammer met his stare and nodded.
Without a word, Liam wrapped Raine in his arms.
She flinched and bucked against him. “Don’t you touch me!”
He ignored her because she obviously needed the reassurance of his embrace badly. Instead, he nudged her against the wall as Hammer gathered her flailing arms and pinned them above Raine’s head.
Liam cupped her cheeks in his palms and forced her to look at him. “Listen to me, Raine, and listen well. You’ve let Gwyneth crawl inside your head and dredge up your insecurities. Hear my side of things before you decide to do anything rash, like throw us away.”
