AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Thankfully, liquidity wasn’t a problem. But like Raine, Liam wanted to do something to help free Hammer and end this nightmare now.
The knocking became more insistent. “FBI. Open up. We have a warrant to search the premises.”
Raine froze, staring at the door, then at him with wide, terrified eyes. “There’s nothing here for them to find.”
“Liam?” His father pressed.
“I’ll talk to you later, Barnes.” He ended the call and didn’t bother putting his phone away. The FBI might take it from him in moments anyway. Besides, he had to warn someone at Shadows.
“Mum, take Raine to our room. Help her get dressed. Quickly. We only have seconds.”
Raine looked like she wanted to argue but turned and disappeared down the hall, Bryn in tow.
“Son?” Da asked from the living room.
“Don’t open the door yet. One minute.” Liam scrolled through his contacts and found Pike’s number, dashing off a text to expect the FBI at the club’s doors any minute.
The Dungeon Monitor sent back two words: They’re here.
And he could do nothing to help them or protect Hammer’s club. Bloody hell. All he could do now was shield Raine.
He called out to her and Mum. “Hurry!”
“Last warning. FBI. Open up or we’ll break the door down.”
“Fucking wankers,” Liam muttered. “Da, open it.”
Duncan nodded and reached for the latch as Raine emerged wearing a pair of yoga pants and a T-shirt, looking pale and shaken but resolved. She’d fastened her Valentine’s Day gift around her wrist.
“Good girl.” He took her hand in his and gave it a firm squeeze. “We’ll need to leave until they’ve finished their search. We can’t go to Shadows. They’ll be combing through the club, too.”
As if those words had punched her in the chest, Raine gasped just as his father opened the door. Federal agents swarmed in.
A tall blond bruiser approached Da. “Where is Raine Elise Kendall? We have a warrant to search her property, residence of Macen Daniel Hammerman.”
Everyone turned to look at her, and Liam held his breath. Would she crumble?
“I’m Raine Kendall.” She gathered herself and descended the stairs, her voice carrying over the collective din. “Show me your warrant.”
She faced down the official, chin raised. Liam had never been prouder of her.
The big agent met Raine in the middle of the living room. Liam stood right beside her, supportive and protective.
“I’m Agent Wade Kelly.” He pointed to a no-nonsense woman stepping across the portal. “This is Agent Vera Singh.”
“Ms. Kendall wants to see the warrant,” Liam reminded with an edge in his voice.
The fed raised a suspicious brow. “And you are…?”
“Liam O’Neill, Ms. Kendall’s partner. We both live here with Mr. Hammerman. We’d like to see the damn warrant.”
Agent Kelly motioned to Singh, who handed Raine the paperwork without a word.
She opened it with trembling fingers. Liam scanned the multiple pages of the document as she did, but the words swam before his eyes. Sexual exploitation of a child jumped out first. Then he saw therefore commanded to search the premises of… Signatures, an official-looking seal, and references to seizing property filled the rest of the space.
God, this was so real and happening so bloody fast.
He felt Raine’s stare on him. She wanted to defy this court order, but she knew that wasn’t an option. A sense of violation tightened her face and burned in her eyes. Liam could almost read her mind. This was her first real home, and these investigators were going to trample all over it, defile the peace she’d found here.
Someday, somehow, he’d make it right for her again.
Until then, Liam could only take her hand. “Let’s leave so the agents can do their job.”
As soon as he entwined his fingers with Raine’s, he felt the fight she hid just under her skin. But she managed to nod.
When he looked back, his parents stood behind them, ready and waiting.
After a quick search of Raine’s purse, Agent Singh seized her phone. She endured the intrusion in stony silence, but Liam knew she wanted to scream. To his surprise, they didn’t take his cell phone.
As Agent Kelly shoved them out the door, Raine took one last look through the portal, obviously wanting to imprint her sanctuary firmly in her memory before the tornado of search teams hit it.
Liam curled his arm around her waist and plucked her off the porch. After prodding her to his SUV, he ushered her to the passenger’s seat and buckled her in. He didn’t ask if she was all right. She looked somewhere between ready to explode and a breath from falling apart. When he caressed her face, he felt her struggle.
“I’ll take care of you,” he swore.
Raine looked over at him with hollow blue eyes. “You didn’t sleep all night, did you? I’m sorry. You’ve tried so hard to comfort me… You’re upset, too.”
He sighed heavily. “Gutted.”
