“I feel like shit,” he admitted.

  “You look like shit,” Liam returned with a little grin. “But I don’t suppose I look any better.”

  Wearing yesterday’s clothes and all covered in blood, no. Hammer glanced down at himself, then over at Liam. “Not so much.”

  His friend sank into the chair beside him. “I can hardly breathe, mate. While she was missing, I just kept asking myself how I was going to survive without her.” Liam stared down at his hands, wincing at the remnants of blood in his cuticles, under his nails, despite the twenty times he’d washed them. “She’s my life now. It was bad enough when I’d convinced myself she didn’t love me. But a world without her at all is one I don’t want to live in.”

  “Yeah. If we’d lost Raine…” He swallowed a lump in his throat. “I couldn’t go through that shit again. It would be a billion times worse than what I went through with Juliet.”

  “I finally understand how you must have felt when she died. I can’t change the past, and I’m more sorry than I can say that I wasn’t there for you. But I’m here now.”

  He exhaled a rough breath. “That means more than you know.”

  The glass double doors whooshed open. Seth came striding in, plastic bag in hand, beside Dean Gorman.

  “What’s the news about Raine?” Seth asked.

  Hammer shook his head. “Nothing. We don’t have a fucking clue.”

  “I can give you some news on the investigation,” Dean offered, sweeping a coat from his broad shoulders. “Gwyneth has been arrested for conspiracy to commit a kidnapping, as well as aiding and abetting. The fact that she left the assailant a voice mail with a time stamp prior to Raine’s actual abduction and recanted the scheme might persuade the judge to give a little leniency, but…” Dean rubbed at his neck. “Her sparkling personality will undo all that. I see the judge slapping her with contempt of court in the first five minutes. She had the nerve to complain about the smell in the squad car and insisted we find an air freshener.”

  Liam groaned. “That sounds about right. What’s likely to happen to her?”

  “She’s already lawyered up, and she’ll probably work out some deal. But with the voice mails on your phone, Liam, and the one she left on Bill Kendall’s, I’d say she’s going down for a long time.”

  “There is a God,” Seth muttered.

  “And He’s smiling down on us for a change.” Hammer clapped Liam on the back.

  “As long as I don’t have to look at the bitch’s face again, I don’t care,” Liam said.

  “On the flip side, the crime scene at the warehouse is being processed. I need pictures of your clothing.” Dean held up a camera and snapped a few shots.

  “Hell, you can have them,” Liam swore. “I won’t ever wear them again.”

  Hammer looked down at his own stained, grimy garments. “Me, either.”

  “I figured you’d want clean clothes.” Seth handed them the bag in his hand. “There’s a set for each of you.”

  Macen peeked inside, thrilled to find a complete change, down to the shoes. “Thanks, man. This will feel a whole lot better.”

  Liam nodded. “I’m grateful we won’t be seeing Raine while still covered in blood. Thank you, Seth.”

  A sight like that would set her back, no doubt. Hammer grimaced.

  “That’s what I thought.” Seth sent them a faint smile as his phone dinged. He pulled it from his pocket and scanned the screen. “Vivian just texted. She got off the phone with Gwyneth’s sister a few minutes ago. Kitty and her husband are boarding a flight to L.A. as we speak. They’ll be picking up Kyle as soon as they hit town this afternoon. Naturally, they’re frantic. And shocked.”

  More remnants of Typhoon Gwyneth. Hammer couldn’t be more thrilled that selfish, psycho hag was out of their lives forever.

  “At least the boy will be back with his parents soon,” Liam murmured.

  Seth pocketed his phone. “And until then, Vivian is having a ball.”

  Dean cleared his throat. “I hope you guys have a damn good explanation for why you reached the warehouse before the police.”

  “I’ll tell you what I told the other detective: Talk to my lawyer.”

  Gorman sighed, clearly realizing he’d hit a brick wall. “Fine. Then I need to prepare you for a few other things before you’re called back to see Raine.”

  A terrible thought occurred to Hammer. “Does the DA want to charge her for Bill’s murder? She acted purely in self-defense. Any fucking idiot—”

  “Can see that? Yes,” Dean cut in, his voice soothing and low, and Hammer realized he’d been shouting.

  “Sorry.”

  Gorman just shook his head. “No apology necessary. It’s been a terrible fucking morning for you guys. But you’re right. I doubt the DA will file charges against Raine. It’s obvious she did what she had to in order to fight for her life. Rest easy on that.”

  Hammer let out the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. Beside him, Liam did the same.

  “Thank God our lass will be coming home,” he murmured.

  Yes. But would she be the same lass who’d left their arms mere hours ago?

  Hammer shoved the thought away. They had to get through today before they could worry about tomorrow.

  “I need to fill you in on what will happen next,” Dean went on, then dragged in a breath. “In cases like this, the victim will always be interviewed by a female detective. Seth provided me copies of the pictures you took of Raine after her father’s beating, just before she first came to live with you. So Detective Bates, who will be questioning her, has already seen the images and knows the history.”

  That was a relief, but how had Seth known?

  “I told him where to find the pictures, mate,” Liam muttered. “After the police read Gwyneth her rights and cuffed her, I called Seth to update him and told him to find the pictures.”

  Again, Hammer felt blessed to have his best friend at his side. “Smart thinking. Hopefully, it will make her interrogation a bit smoother.”

  Dean hesitated. “I wish that were true. You need to be ready for the fact that, as a woman living and working in what some people see as a pornographic or abusive environment, Raine will be grilled.” When Macen would have objected, Gorman cut in. “It’s an uneducated perspective, and Bates is a bit of a hard ass. She’ll want to be one hundred percent sure Raine isn’t afraid of or being abused by anyone at home. Independent of the criminal investigation, which won’t be easy, Bates will ask tough questions. They might rattle Raine.”

  Hammer gritted his teeth. Goddamn it, it was his job to protect her, and he felt so fucking helpless. Liam had to be fighting the same struggle. “Why the hell can’t they wait until she’s calmer?”

  Dean shook his head. “As a Dom, I totally understand why you’d want that and why it’s chafing you not to be there, holding her hand. As a cop, they need her unfiltered story as soon as possible, before the details go cold.”

  “We don’t like it,” Liam said, looking grim and exhausted. “But we understand.”

  “Mr. Hammerman? Mr. O’Neill?” a soft, female voice called from an open door that led to the depths of the ER.

  Hammer turned to a painfully young blonde with her flaxen curls tucked into some wispy, complicated cross between a braid and a bun. When he and Liam both charged at her and pinned her with their attention, she bowed her head, her cheeks flushing.

  “Yes,” Macen barked when they stopped in front of her.

  “Do you have news?” Liam asked.

  She raised big blue eyes to them, full of gentle intelligence. “Dr. Beckman sent me to tell you that Ms. Kendall doesn’t have any major injuries. She’s alert and talking. He’s been with her since she arrived. He’s personally ensuring she’s comfortable.”

  Liam let out a huge sigh of relief. “Our girl is okay?”

  The nurse nodded. “She’ll be fine.”

  “When can we see her?” Hammer demanded.

  “Neither of you are family?” the little blonde asked.

  “Technically, no but…” He gritted his teeth and looked at Liam. “Why hasn’t one of us married her yet? That would have solved this.”

  “That’s a good idea.” Liam nodded as if testing the idea and liking it. Then he slanted Macen a wry stare. “We should do that. Are we going to arm wrestle for it?”

  “Maybe you should flip a coin.” Seth horned in beside him, staring at the little nurse like a starving man at a buffet. He stuck his hand out to her. “I’m Seth Cooper.”

  She sent him a confused frown as she placed her fingers in his palm. “I’m Heavenly.”

  Yes, you are. Hammer read Seth’s unspoken reply all over his face.

  “Are you the patient’s family?” she asked.

  “Just a friend,” Seth assured.

  “She has no one else. We’re like her family,” Hammer insisted.

  “But you’re not actually related or married?” she double-checked.

  “One of us will marry her in the next ten minutes if we’ll be allowed to see her. Hell, we both would if it was legal,” Liam groused, sounding exasperated.

  The innocent little submissive in uniform bit her lip, looking as if she’d never heard of, much less considered, a ménage.

  Heavenly shook her head. “I’m sorry. I don’t make the rules.”

  Hammer elbowed Seth. “What else can you tell us about Raine’s condition?”

  “I’m just a nursing student. I’ve only been in to give her water and blankets.”

  “Do you know how much longer before we’ll be able to see her?” Liam asked.

  Heavenly shook her head regretfully. “The police haven’t even finished with her, so I suspect it will be a while. In the meantime, Dr. Beckman asked me to escort you to a nearby lounge. You’ll be able to shower there. Just let me know when you’re ready.”

  After exchanging a glance with Liam, Hammer knew they were on the same page. “Let’s do it now, just in case we’re able to see her sooner, rather than later.”

  “Follow me.” She let the ER door close behind her and led them to another closed door, accessible only with her electronic ID badge.

  “Thank you, Heavenly,” Seth called to her.

  She turned to him with a shy smile, not quite meeting his gaze. “You’re welcome.”

  In fifteen minutes, he and Liam had both showered and changed clothes. The hot spray had done a world of good in reviving him. Liam looked a bit more alive, too.

  When they emerged, Heavenly stood there with two hot plates of food. “Seth found you some breakfast at the cafeteria. There’s a little break room around the corner with coffee.”

  Heavenly pointed to her left. They smiled, thanked her, grabbed hot cups, then returned to the waiting room to juggle their plates in their laps, shove down food, and wait for news about Raine.

  By then, Seth was speaking to various members of the club who’d stopped by, updating them on what little they knew of Raine’s status. Hammer was grateful for their caring. He wiped his mouth with a napkin, finished the last swig of his coffee, and greeted the members, thanking them. Liam joined him.

  In the corner, they spotted a young man behind a magazine with wide shoulders, big hands, and piercing eyes. He didn’t look familiar, but as far as Hammer knew, the ER wasn’t clogged up with other cases at the moment.

  He frowned. If the asshole was a reporter looking for a scoop…

  Another Dom approached him before he could finish that thought and accost the stranger. Hammer and Liam talked to that club member and the others, managing to pass the next twenty minutes in only mild agony. The waiting still rubbed him raw, but being surrounded by concerned friends was definitely a balm. Raine would be touched by the number of people who had come to express their support.

  Finally, the door to the back of the ER snapped open, and Beck walked toward them.

  Hammer and Liam both cut their conversations short and rushed over.

  “What can you tell us?” Liam insisted, as if he couldn’t say the words fast enough.

  “Anything?” Hammer added.

  “Calm down. She’s shaken. Tearful. Afraid. But mostly fine. We cleaned her up, stitched her lip, and checked out the rest of her trauma.”

  “What do you mean by that?” Hammer barked.

  Beck held up a hand. “Kendall punched her in the eye. We’ve managed to reduce the swelling. The eye socket wasn’t broken, thankfully. But she’s bruised. There will be more contusions around her neck where he tried to strangle her.”

  Hammer’s blood iced over. A chill settled into his bones as he buried his face in his hands. Why the fuck hadn’t he been able to protect her? Yes, he knew the news was mostly good. He could be standing in the emergency room again hearing the speech about how they’d tried but there had been nothing the doctors could do to save her… He refused to fall down that mental black hole now.

  “Strangle her?” Liam breathed the words in shock. “Oh, Raine must have been terrified.”

  “But she’s a survivor.” Macen kept reminding himself of that over and over. If he didn’t, he’d go fucking insane.

  “We didn’t do a rape exam. Raine swears Bill didn’t penetrate her. Apparently, he couldn’t get it up.”

  Besides finding Raine alive, that was some of the best news he’d had all day.

  “What a relief,” Liam said, again mirroring his thoughts.

  “She’s talking to a female detective now. As soon as the woman is done, you can see Raine. But you should know, the police treated Raine’s body like a crime scene because it is. It’s… Honestly, it’s been nothing short of a nightmare for her. She’s fragile and she’ll need you.”

  “We’re ready. Just lead us to her.” Hammer wanted to barge past Beck.

  “Please. We can’t do anything for her out here.” Liam sounded at the end of his patience.

  “As soon as she’s done with the questioning, I’ll have Heavenly escort you back. But during this interview, no one is allowed to be with Raine except her attorney. We just have to wait until the interrogation is over.”

  Hammer knew that. Some distant part of his mind accepted that fact. The man in him railed. The Dom in him roared. Why the fuck was it taking them so long to let him and Liam see their woman? How fucking crazy would he go before they could?

  Beck returned to Raine’s side. Macen took up pacing again. Liam couldn’t seem to decide whether to stand or sit. The club members milling around talked. The man with the magazine said nothing.

  After what seemed like an eternity, Heavenly appeared again with a smile. “You can see Raine now.”

  Neither one of them could move fast enough. He and Liam bounded through the door and followed her down a hall.

  A few paces away, Macen ran into his attorney, a fifty-something grandfather who wielded the law like a shark. They shook hands.

  “I’ll call you later so you can fill me in,” he said, dashing for Raine’s room.

  “Give me a ring.” The man in the pristine suit waved. “But she did great. She’s a tough cookie. You shouldn’t have any worries legally.”

  Absorbing that relief, Hammer jogged back to Liam’s side, then rounded the corner. There, they found Raine cradled in Beck’s arms. The doctor stroked her hair as her shoulders shook in silent sobs. The sight ripped out Hammer’s soul. The look on Liam’s face told Macen he felt the same.

  “I’ve been asking for Liam and Hammer,” Raine cried. “I’ve done everything the police and the doctors needed. Why can’t I see them?”

  “We’re here, love.” Liam rushed into the room.

  Macen followed, dying to hold her in his arms now—and until the end of time. “We came to see you as soon as we were allowed, precious.”

  Beck eased back and turned to them. Finally, Hammer and Liam got a good look at their girl.

  Hammer’s chest tightened. Though she was no longer covered in blood, the brutality Bill had inflicted on Raine enraged him and broke his heart. But under the stitches and bruises lay a strong, resilient woman. Their woman. And she’d never looked more beautiful.

  “Liam…Hammer.” Raine opened her arms to them, despite the IV and a few assorted bandages. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

  Beck stepped back as Hammer rushed toward her. Liam did the same, flanking the other side of her bed. Hammer bent and nuzzled his face into her neck, inhaling her familiar scent deep with weak-kneed gratitude. He brushed gentle kisses over her cheek. Tears stung the backs of his eyes as he drank her in. Slowly, he lifted his head. She took his hand.

  Liam had her other hand tucked in his as he leaned in and brushed a reverent kiss on her forehead, closing his eyes to savor the sweet moment.

  Heavenly hurried in, carrying a white blanket over her arm—and stopped short at the sight of them both giving Raine affection. The pretty nurse blushed furiously and darted Beck a curious stare before dropping her gaze again. The doctor tensed and stared a hole into the girl. Couldn’t the damn sadist step out of his fucking door without attracting subs like a damn magnet?

  “I have a warmer blanket for you, Ms. Kendall.”

  “Please don’t call me that,” Raine snapped at the other woman, then frowned. “I-I’m sorry. Just call me Raine, okay?”

  “Of course.” Heavenly quickly tucked the blanket around Raine before scurrying out of the room.

  Beck’s eyes narrowed on the sway of the woman’s ass as she walked away.

  Raine tried to smile but winced as the stitches in her lip pulled. “Honestly, Beck. You’ve been mentally undressing that poor nurse since we got here. You can’t be serious. She’s like Little Red Riding Hood to your Big, Bad Wolf. The instant you finish sucking the flesh off her bones, you’ll be picking your teeth with them.”

  Hammer was relieved to hear the sassy Raine he knew, but she clearly forced the levity.

  Beck frowned. “I’m not going to hurt her.”

  “Said the sadist,” Hammer grumbled under his breath.

  The frown creasing Beck’s face became a scowl.

  “What are you waiting for?” Liam asked him. “She’s getting away, mate.”