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Raine blinked, then frowned his way. Yeah, she had a lot of questions he’d better answer soon.
“Hey! So you saw the stragglers I found at the airport,” a familiar voice said as he appeared in the doorway, another massive suitcase in hand.
Liam whirled. “Seth?”
He grinned slyly. “When your mom called me to say they’d be flying through New York on their way to see you and that I should come along, I decided…what the hell. If I’m going to fall off into the ocean, this is a hell of a place to go.”
“Thanks for the heads-up, mate.”
Seth grinned. “Your mom said you’d know she was coming.”
He had—at the worst possible time.
“You’re a good boy.” Bryn patted Seth’s shoulder. “A tragic past, sadly. But the best is coming. You’ll see.”
Seth just smiled and moved in to hug Raine. “You doing okay with these two lugs?”
“Right now, I might be ready to leave them for you.” She rolled her eyes.
“Nope. I knew her first. After all, the princess and I have already scened together.” Beck chuckled and slanted a glance Raine’s way as he stepped through the door. “Haven’t we?”
“That’s not what I’d call it.” Raine shook her head. “And you’re never touching me again.”
“You should both bugger off and leave our girl alone.” Liam poked at the pair. “Mum, Da, I’d like you to meet a good friend of ours, Dr. Kenneth Beckman. Beck, my parents, Bryn and Duncan.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet—”
“Kenneth, dear. I’ve been waiting to meet you,” Bryn cut him off with an excited coo. “So full of secrets… But you’re not nearly as scary as you want everyone to believe. Well, come on, then. Give us a kiss.”
As Bryn bustled closer, Beck gaped in silence. For once, the man had no snappy comeback.
“It’s all right,” Hammer assured, slapping Beck on the back. “That just means she likes you.”
Still looking shell-shocked, he bent and quickly pecked Bryn on the cheek.
“Lovely.” Bryn wasn’t smiling anymore. “Now, then… You’re all here for a reason. I’m sorry I’ve no more time to explain, but it’s important you understand you’re family to one another, whether you’re blood or not. You’ve trouble ahead, and each and every one of you has a role to play during these tough times. Seth and Kenneth, you’ll be essential. And Liam, dear, follow your da’s example. He taught you well.”
So his mother had come for some reason other than the baby. Damn it all.
Liam rubbed at the back of his neck. “Sit down and tell us more.”
“No time for that. I hated to barge in on you earlier, but I’m afraid I’ve waited too long as it is.” To his surprise, his mother looked Hammer’s way. “Macen, brace yourself.”
Hammer froze. “Oh, shit.”
Liam went rigid with dread. “Mum, don’t. We can’t take any more. We’ve been through too much, and we’ve got a baby on the way.”
Bryn made a beeline for Raine, wrapping an arm around his lass’s delicate shoulders. “No matter what happens next, you mustn’t blame yourself. None of this is your fault.”
“Mo grá, ease off,” Duncan suggested. “You’re scaring everyone, especially wee Raine.”
“I’m only here to help,” Bryn assured. “She’ll see that soon enough.”
“What trouble is coming?” Hammer sidled closer, his face grave.
“How does she know there’s trouble? Would someone please tell me what’s going on?” Raine demanded.
“Of course Liam didn’t explain that, either.” Bryn slanted another chastising stare his way. “Well, dear, I’m fey.”
Raine blinked. “You’re not a fairy.”
“No, dear. We’re psychic. It runs in the family…” She sent Liam a pointed stare. “When everyone remembers their gifts.”
He shook his head. “Mum, don’t…”
“Sorry, son.” She turned to Hammer. “Macen, dear. Call your lawyer and do it now.”
Fear gripped Liam’s gut. “Lawyer?”
Hammer turned ashen. “Why?”
Suddenly, she sighed with regret. “I’m sorry. Time has run out.”
Right on cue, the doorbell rang.
“Answer it, Macen,” Bryn said softly. “It’s for you.”
The gravity in her tone made Hammer’s gut tighten with dread. He darted a glance at both Liam and Raine. She still looked a bit confused, but dread racked Liam’s face.
With a curse, Hammer clenched his jaw and pulled the door open.
Two uniformed officers stood on the porch. “Mr. Hammerman?”
He reared back, confusion needling his brain. What were the police doing here? He had no other family they could report as dead. Had there been a break-in at the club? Or had River somehow escaped custody?
“I’m Macen Hammerman. What can I do for you?”
“We need you to come with us to answer some questions.”
He scowled. “About what?”
“We’ll explain at the station.”
That made him wary. “Legally, I don’t have to answer questions.”
“True, but you can either come with us voluntarily or we can make this official and arrest you.”
Hammer’s heart stuttered. “For what?”
The officer looked at him in disgust. “Kidnapping, rape, sodomy, and oral copulation with a minor, pimping, human trafficking… Do I need to go on?”
