They exchanged small talk until the door to the elevator on her right opened. As she entered and watched the doorman press the button for the penthouse, Raine inspected the fruit bouquet to make certain it was no worse for the wear after the car ride.

  She almost missed the ding of the other elevator and the blur of the familiar man in the gray suit storming by. He shoved out the lobby’s secure double door, and it closed behind him before she realized she’d just seen Liam, looking somewhere between determined and smug. A prickle of alarm skittered down her spine.

  Raine frowned. What the heck was he doing at Beck’s? Why would he visit when the doctor was in the middle of surgery? And had a houseguest?

  The elevator door in front of her began to close. Raine stuck her leg out to stop it.

  Hopping to keep her balance, she thrust the fruit basket in the doorman’s hand. “Can you hold this? That was my boyfriend. Something is clearly wrong. One minute…”

  She didn’t give the doorman an opportunity to object, just darted out of the lift and ran down the hall. “Liam!”

  He didn’t hear her. He’d already pushed his way out the second set of doors into the parking lot and now pressed the phone to his ear. He paused, a deeply satisfied smile adding dimension to his sharp profile. What the hell was going on with him?

  “Miss?”

  Raine turned. The elevator began to beep. The doorman, wearing a slightly impatient glower, held the fruit bouquet.

  When she looked back at the parking lot, Liam sauntered toward his car, still chatting on his cell. She frowned at his retreating back. The elevator’s beep became an insistent buzz. With a little curse, Raine turned away. She’d see Liam in less than an hour. She’d ask him for an explanation then.

  “Sorry.” She turned back to the elevator and took the silent ride up twenty-something floors, ignoring the doorman’s questioning gaze.

  Once the doors parted, she made her way to the corner unit. The guard pulled out a set of keys.

  “Go ahead and knock. If the houseguest doesn’t answer, I’ll let you in.”

  Tapping on Beck’s door and hoping a stranger answered was awkward, but she supposed he couldn’t just barge in on someone staying with the doctor.

  Raine lightly rapped her knuckles on the solid wood and took the fruit basket back in hand. “Thank you.”

  Suddenly, the door flung open. “So you’re back, Liam? What is the—” The blonde standing there fixed her scowl on Raine. “Who are you?”

  Raine couldn’t breathe. Statuesque, sexy, and lean, the British bombshell looked as if she’d stepped off the pages of a lingerie catalog, especially wearing daring red peekaboo lace undergarments. Despite the woman’s mussed hair, crimson lips, and gentle flush, the most terrifying thing of all was her familiarity.

  Weeks ago, she’d Googled Liam’s ex-wife. Now she wished she hadn’t. She looked even more gorgeous in person.

  The woman shifted her attention to the doorman, who gaped beside Raine, and gave him a haughty glare. “You may leave.”

  The doorman blushed profusely, then backed away, disappearing into the elevator.

  “Gwyneth.” The shell-shocked whisper fell from Raine’s lips. She almost couldn’t keep the heavy basket from slipping through her numb fingers.

  “Who the devil are you? Oh, you must be the maid. You’re impertinent. Call me Ms. Sinclair. Come back in twenty minutes. I’ll need clean sheets and towels, and you’ll—”

  The sound of a baby wailing from inside the condo stunned Raine. Why would Liam’s ex-wife be in Beck’s condo with a baby?

  “Oh, for heaven’s sake.” The woman rolled her eyes. “Never mind. Might as well come in now and get started.”

  She flung the door open wide and whirled around toward the bedroom. Her pert backside looked red and freshly branded. The word slut had been imprinted temporarily onto her cheek with some sort of impression paddle.

  As if suddenly self-conscious, Gwyneth grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch and began picking up all the implements of BDSM play scattered around the room. A dildo. Restraints with Velcro cuffs.

  Stunned mute, Raine blinked and shuffled in. The sight only grew more disturbing. Clover clamps lay on the coffee table. The slut paddle sat on the nearby sofa. Gwyneth scooped those up, too, as the baby howled in the background.

  Beck was a sadist, and this was his place. Gwyneth was his houseguest…except he was in surgery. The woman looked freshly flushed, and Liam had just exited the building, looking quite satisfied. Beck hadn’t known the woman long enough to have fathered a baby with her. But Liam had.

  Oh, god. She was going to be sick.

  Gwyneth disappeared into the bedroom. Raine barely managed to unload the fruit bouquet on the countertop dividing the living room and kitchen. The other woman had since belted a robe around her scantily clad figure and picked up the baby. Dark curls and dark eyes. Raine could so easily see them as having come from Liam.

  Had he decided to return to his ex-wife, the mother of his child? Had his lovemaking earlier today been a bittersweet good-bye? Did he and Hammer intend to sit her down tonight over dinner and tell her that Liam had a son and intended to take up with this bitch again?

  “Why are you just standing there?” Gwyneth huffed. “You can start in the bedroom.”

  No way could Raine go back there. She desperately wanted to know if she’d find any more evidence of her passion with Liam. On the other hand, hadn’t she gotten enough of an eyeful already? Seeing firsthand that he’d scened with her was bad enough, but to find out he’d taken the woman to bed and thrust inside her—

  Raine swallowed the thought—and the resulting bile—as the day’s events rushed back at her. Liam had been eager to leave the lodge this morning. To rush back to Gwyneth? Well, of course. Why wouldn’t he want a woman who’d given birth to his child and still looked like a supermodel? He’d refused to touch her in the car. Maybe she’d mistaken his anger for indifference. Liam hadn’t explained his mood. Obviously, Hammer had lied that the issue revolved around his business because he’d been temporarily covering for his old friend. Liam had fucked her as a kiss-off, and Hammer had been pissed about that. They’d spoken afterward, once Macen had told her to start the shower. Raine hadn’t heard more than a hum of their conversation, but they’d exchanged fast, furious dialogue. Then Liam had disappeared.

  Apparently to spend some “quality” time with his ex-wife.

  The hurt cleaved Raine’s chest, devastating her. Pain overwhelmed her until she couldn’t breathe. Every second seemed to last a thousand years as she watched Gwyneth pat the baby and stare at her impatiently.

  It wasn’t this woman’s fault that Liam wanted her more. But after Gwyneth had cheated on him, Raine would have thought Liam would steer clear.

  Looking at the stunning vixen, Raine knew why he hadn’t.

  “Get moving,” Gwyneth demanded.

  “I’m not the maid,” she muttered finally.

  “Who the devil are you, then?” Gwyneth cocked her head to the side and sidled closer, seeming to examine her with sharp green eyes. “Raine?”

  She lifted her head and glared back. So Liam had mentioned her. Raine didn’t know if she was happy that she’d been worth his acknowledgment or pissed off that the man she thought she loved had spoken about his last lover to his once-ex-and-again-current squeeze.

  “I don’t have anything to say to you,” Raine breathed.

  “You must. You came to see me.” The woman narrowed her eyes, shooting her another scrutinizing stare. “Did you see Liam as you arrived? What did he tell you about us?”

  Us? Raine’s stomach rolled again.

  “Nothing.” He hadn’t even stopped to look at her. Raine had imagined that he simply hadn’t heard her…but maybe he just hadn’t wanted to bother.

  Finally, a smile curled Gwyneth’s lips. “He must have been in a hurry. He’s so excited to begin our lives together again, this time with his son. This is Kyle.”

  Gwyneth grasped the baby’s wrist and moved it to simulate the baby waving.

  Hearing the woman confirm all her worst fears had Raine backing up a step.

  Pity crossed the other woman’s face. “Really, Raine. What did you think was going to happen? You’re cute, and I’m sure you have a great personality, but Liam needs more than you can give him. Did you imagine that he preferred you over me, especially when that meant taking Hammer’s sloppy seconds?”

  “He loves me.” She tried to convince herself as much as Gwyneth.

  The pity deepened. “Did he tell you that? Oh, poor girl. He is a silver-tongued devil. Of course he’d tell you what you want to hear so he could get you into bed, but now he and I are quite reconciled and—”

  “You cheated on him.” Raine frowned. The kind but firm man who’d told her about the painful dissolution of his marriage couldn’t be this heartbreaking barracuda Gwyneth described.

  “To get his attention.” She waved Raine’s concern away. “I thought he had a plaything on the side and… Well, the misunderstanding is all quite resolved now. And so happily.”

  Acute pain slashed through Raine. She staggered back another step. This couldn’t be happening. It couldn’t. Liam had never seemed like a liar, cheat, or player.

  But how else could she possibly interpret Gwyneth’s attire, all the implements of pain and impact play she’d seen…and, of course, the baby?

  “Poor thing. You’re crushed.” Gwyneth managed to look contrite. “In your shoes, I’d be utterly humiliated. I’m not sure I’d speak to the bastard again. Liam is a man with dark tastes. He enjoys the hunt, the game. I’m afraid you haven’t been much sport. From woman to woman, let me give you some advice: Wash your hands of him this minute, and he’ll never have the power to hurt you again. I’ll make certain he doesn’t bother you anymore.”

  Gwyneth gave Raine what she supposed passed as a kind smile. It looked more like a shark flashing its teeth. Or maybe she just felt that way because this gorgeous woman trumped her every day and twice on Sunday. Raine knew she was never getting Liam back.

  Did she really want to be his pity fuck or “pet” project anyway?

  Betrayal washed a chill through her. Raine didn’t want to believe Gwyneth, but with so much proof, how could she think otherwise?

  A sob rose from the depths of her chest. Her whole body jerked. Her face crumbled. No way would she let this beautiful bitch see her cry.

  Raine turned and ran from the condo and the building, tears blurring her vision as she climbed into her car. The old her would have run far and fast and never looked back. She wasn’t even sure what this Raine would do as she drove away.

  Chapter Ten

  Hammer stood at the front door of Shadows, waiting for Liam to return. He hoped his pal made it back before Raine, so they’d have some time to talk—not only about Gwyneth but to discuss the best way to break the news about the woman’s return to Raine at dinner.

  When the familiar black SUV pulled into the lot, Hammer watched Liam bound out of the vehicle and hurry toward the entrance. As he approached, Hammer opened the door wide and shot the man an expectant stare. “Well?”

  “Raine’s still not back from her errands yet?” Liam sounded concerned.

  “No, but probably soon. She’s buying something sexy to wear for us tonight.” He grinned, then sobered as they walked past the bar. “So, what’s this story you have to tell me? Quickly, before she gets back.”

  “Oh, it’s hysterical,” Liam assured. “But first, I need to eat something before I pass out.”

  He turned to the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of water, and made a quick sandwich. As the two men headed toward Hammer’s office, Liam began relaying all the gory details in between bites, savoring every word.

  Hammer listened in shock and horror. “You found a picture of a guy jacking off in her texts?”

  “It gets better.” As Liam took the last bite of food, he headed toward the bathroom. “I’m going to use your shower, mate, so I can keep talking. Wait until you hear what Gwyneth did after I talked to Seth.”

  “I’m not sure I want to.” He winced. “Do I?”

  Liam laughed. “I almost had the bitch barking for me.”

  Hammer blinked, then let out a deep belly laugh. “I’ve got to hear this.”

  Following Liam into the bathroom, Macen leaned on the edge of the vanity, keeping an eye out the window for Raine as his friend showered and described Gwyneth’s “submission.”

  Hammer made Liam back up several times and repeat the humiliation he’d unleashed on the pretentious whore, laughing until his stomach hurt.

  Liam stepped out and grabbed a towel as Hammer shook his head. “I would have paid money—good money—to have seen that. You didn’t happen to record it on your phone, did you?”

  “Damn, I should have, right?” Liam laughed.

  “Hell, yeah. That thing would have gone viral in a matter of minutes.” Hammer snorted. “So you got Kyle’s sample dropped off and your cheek swabbed, too. Now we wait.”

  “Tom at the lab was expecting me and promised to rush it through as quickly as he could,” Liam explained. “Thank god for Beck’s contacts. I might have the results back early in the morning.”

  “Great. But after all the shit you found on Gwyneth’s phone, do you think there’s still any chance that baby is yours?”

  “I can’t say positively until we get the results, but I have serious doubts that he’s even her kid.”

  “And even after all the humiliation you put her through, she still didn’t tell you what the fuck she’s up to, huh?”

  “Nope.” Liam shook his head. “Gwyneth stopped talking, so I left.”

  “Well, hopefully by this time tomorrow, all we’ll have to worry about is getting her out of Beck’s condo.”

  “I’ve got rope.” Liam smirked. “When we find out the baby’s not mine, I’ll thank Beck for use of his place and toy bag, then tie Gwyneth up and haul her to the airport. Then we can get on with our lives…with Raine.”

  “Speaking of…”

  “When did she say she’d be back?” Liam shot Hammer a worried glance.

  “She didn’t, exactly.” It was after five o’clock, and she knew they planned to leave for dinner at five thirty. Hammer frowned. “Let me see where she’s at. Maybe she got hung up in rush hour.”

  With furrowed brows, he pulled out his cell phone and launched an app. Liam stepped up next to Macen, looking at the screen. They watched a blinking green dot inch along a map of streets, coming from an all-too-familiar part of town. In tandem, both men raised their heads, sharing a look of abject dread before Macen swallowed tightly.

  “Bloody hell,” Liam groaned. “Why is Raine near Beck’s condo? None of her favorite stores are near his place.”

  Hammer felt his blood run cold. There was no logical reason for Raine to be in that neighborhood, unless…

  “Son of a bitch. I wonder if she stopped by Beck’s.”

  “I hope not. After the mood I left Gwyneth in, she’d eat Raine alive.” Liam scrubbed a nervous hand through his wet hair.

  Hammer tried hard to connect the dots, dreading the implications. “It doesn’t make sense. She knew Beck was in surgery. Unless she’d decided to ask him why we left the lodge so suddenly.”

  “Do you think she actually went to check out our story?”

  “I wouldn’t put it past her. Shit. Hang on a sec.” Hammer punched another button on his phone. A snaking green line appeared showing the route Raine had taken since leaving the club. She’d stopped at the condo, all right. Hammer closed his eyes. His bowels turned to liquid.

  “Oh, fuck no,” Liam moaned.

  “We’d better get ready.”

  “For Hurricane Raine,” Liam replied before he flattened his lips into a tight line. “This is going to get ugly.”

  “Ugly isn’t the half of it,” Hammer agreed. “Looks like we’re at DEFCON one, brother.”

  * * *

  Liam hoped Raine would merely be pissed off. He could deal with anger, but if Gwyneth had crushed her tender feelings, that heinous witch would rue the day she’d ever met him.

  Together, they watched as the green dot on Hammer’s phone moved steadily closer to Shadows and decided to intercept her at the entrance. No one needed to overhear what she was likely to shout.

  Liam had no illusions. He’d seen Raine rail at Hammer when she’d sneaked into his room a month ago and he’d rebuffed her for trying to seduce him. Today, he and Hammer would be lucky if all they had to do was dodge dildos.

  At least the truth was finally out, the deception and misdirection over. Now he had to deal with the nagging stress wrought by Gwyneth, his not-quite-son, and Bill Kendall. But the bright spot? When Raine had discovered their cover-up, she hadn’t simply run away, as she would’ve in the past. Even if she only came to Shadows to confront them, at least she was returning. They’d have the chance to persuade her they’d never meant to deceive or hurt her. If he and Hammer managed to end this evening with her heart still in their hands, he’d be eternally grateful.

  But he worried that was too much to hope for.

  Finally, Raine whipped her car into the lot and came to a screeching halt, straddling two parking spaces. Liam cocked a brow at Hammer. That’s our girl. As his friend nodded grimly, Raine tore out of the car and slammed the door, storming toward the entrance of the club. Even in her fury, she looked breathtaking…but she might not take the compliment well just now.

  She shoved the door open, her cheeks red but stained with silvery paths. A knife stabbed into Liam’s heart and twisted.

  From day one, she’d slipped under his defenses and into his very soul. Never had a woman created such chaos in his life. Or made him feel so much joy, immeasurable passion, and love—more than he’d realized he was capable of feeling.

  What would his life be like if Raine were no longer in it?