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“Tsk, tsk, Raine,” Liam added.
Raine blinked. “But I was—”
“A very bad girl,” Liam scolded in her ear. “We’ll have to broaden your vocabulary and work harder on your communication skills.”
She arched a brow as she peered over her shoulder.
Hammer expected her to toss out some smartassed comeback, but he tugged on her hair, cutting her off. “Don’t go there.”
She barely managed not to roll her eyes. Life with her would never be easy, but then…anyone could do easy. Hammer lived for a challenge. Raine would give him one every day.
“There will be repercussions, lass,” Liam warned.
“Yes.” He yawned, suddenly feeling twice his age. “But not right now. This feels too good. But soon. Very soon.”
Raine let out a low moan just as a cell phone began to ring. Hammer felt Liam tense.
What the fuck now?
If Gwyneth was calling to cause more shit, Hammer would drive to Beck’s place and set the bitch straight for good.
Raine rose up on one elbow as Liam rolled out of bed. Macen could see the anxiety crawl across her face.
He pulled her to his chest and placed a kiss on her cheek. “Don’t worry, precious. If that’s Gwyneth, she won’t get the chance to hurt you again.”
She tensed as Liam pulled out his phone.
Confusion wrinkled the man’s forehead as he pressed it to his ear. “Beck?”
Liam pressed the phone to his ear and closed his eyes, rubbing at them with his thumb and forefinger. Every time the damn phone rang, something else fucked up was about to happen. “What’s going on? I thought you’d be in surgery.”
“Me, too. The hospital in Cleveland took the donor off life support, but apparently the patient is hanging on. They’re anticipating another eight hours or so. Looks like the surgery might not happen until tomorrow. So I went back to my condo.”
That rattled Liam. “My ex-wife is there.”
“Right. I was focused on getting some decent sleep, and I’d forgotten.” Beck hesitated. “What a hellacious, stick-up-her-ass—”
“I know.” Liam sighed. “Neither Seth nor Hammer can stand her. Raine had the misfortune of running into Gwyneth earlier. It didn’t go well. We’ve been…talking about it since.”
Beck chuckled. “With your pants off, I’ll bet.”
In fact, Liam wasn’t wearing a stitch now, but he didn’t admit that. “The baby is swabbed. I doubt he’s mine, but when I prove that tomorrow, I’ll move my ex-wife out of your place and put her on a plane back to London. I know it’s an inconvenience, but I’ll gladly put you up in a hotel room tonight.”
“No worries. I’ve got a house to crash in, man. The condo is just for convenience. But that’s not why I’m calling. When I met Gwyneth, she was rocking Kyle and crying. And behaving like a shrew, but she was worried, and I digress… Anyway, once I proved my medical credentials, she let me examine the kid. I’m no pediatrician, but something is definitely wrong. He’s running a fever and throwing up green. We’re at the emergency room now. I hate to ask this of you, especially since you don’t think this is your kid, but I have to get some shut-eye before this surgery, and she’s falling apart.”
“And you want me to come there?” Liam challenged, then rolled his eyes.
“I think it’s a good idea.”
Liam was so bloody exhausted. A decent meal and a night in bed with Raine and Hammer were all he wanted. But Gwyneth was in an unfamiliar hospital, surrounded by strangers in a city she’d never visited. Even if Kyle wasn’t her son and she lacked mothering instinct, she still seemed to care for him on a basic human level…maybe more. Would he want to be stuck alone in a waiting room, pacing the floor, anticipating news that might come in five minutes or five hours?
That sounded like the worst torture.
Yes, he’d wanted to humiliate Gwyneth, but that didn’t mean he wanted anything to happen to the boy. And maybe, if she was truly shaken, her defenses would be down and he’d finally get some answers.
“I’ll be there in less than thirty.”
“Thanks,” Beck said.
“Thank you for taking care of Kyle and letting me know.”
When they hung up, Hammer glowered, appearing as if he’d like to grind his teeth into dust. Raine had gone quiet.
“You have to go,” she murmured, clearly wanting an explanation and not asking.
Was she so disappointed that she wouldn’t ask? Or was she trying to show him her trust? Liam wished he had time to puzzle through it now. Nothing was more important to him than Raine, but damn it if life hadn’t prevented him from having the time to make certain she felt emotionally secure.
“I do and I’m sorry about dinner,” he said with regret, dressing as he explained the situation.
She opened her mouth, then closed it. He thought for sure she’d clam up and force him to drag an answer out of her, but she surprised him.
