Liam palmed her breast again, looking down into her eyes like an indulgent lover. “It was beautiful.”
Fuck, that should have been him. It should be him now. But it couldn’t be, and Hammer knew all the fucking reasons why.
Still…he could hardly believe that Liam had swooped in and stolen Raine from him in less than two days with his fucking head games. But Hammer knew he hadn’t given her what she needed, and Liam would.
A bitter pill. It clawed his throat raw as he swallowed it down.
“We’ll be good together, you and I, lass. Just keep giving me all you can.”
She nodded solemnly. “I will. I want to. To really submit for the first time was amazing. I’d tried to imagine it so many times, but actually doing it? It both eased me and sent me soaring. I don’t know how to explain.”
“You’re doing fine. Keep talking. Tell me how the crowd made you feel?”
“I didn’t notice them. I was focused on you, like you said. They just fell away for me.”
“You did perfect. And what about Hammer?”
He saw her body stiffen at the question, the way she diverted her gaze from Liam. Hammer turned up the volume again and leaned in once more.
“I’m...torn.” She drew in a trembling breath. “You want me to be honest, right?” At Liam’s nod, she frowned. “I’m so angry at him. I mean, Beck? And Hammer did nothing to stop it. I don’t understand. I thought he cared at least a little. He’s taken care of me so diligently for years. But tonight…he seemed like a stranger. Even so, I’m realizing that my feelings for him aren’t like a switch I can turn off at will, but I’ll keep trying.”
God, her words hurt more than anything. She was going to try to put him out of her heart. Yes, it was better for her. And yes, he wanted her to be happy. But he would be alone again, just like he’d been for the last eight long fucking years.
Hammer reached up toward the screen and traced his fingers over the image of Raine’s cheek. His eyes stung, and he blinked quickly to stave off unmanly tears. “I’m so sorry. If I’d known what Beck planned to do… He’ll pay. Trust me. But go ahead and hate me, precious. It will be so much better for you.”
Regrets were like assholes; everyone had one. Hammer wished again that he could be what Raine needed, but he’d only break her in two.
Liam brushed away the baby-doll from her body, then tore off his trousers and grabbed a condom from the nightstand. Hammer knew by the gentle way Liam covered her what was coming next and he didn’t have the fortitude to sit and watch his ex-best friend make love to the woman who’d grown to become his everything. He muted the audio and killed the video feed from Liam’s room. Closing his eyes once again, he drew in a deep breath, then unleashed a primal scream of rage until his throat burned. Until he realized his machinations had backfired in his face and he could do nothing to take it back now.
Resigned and furious, he stalked out of the room to find Beck.
Tearing back through the dungeon, Hammer stared straight ahead, ignoring everyone in his path. But he felt the eyes of the club members on him, boring into him, silently wondering how he had lost control of that scene. He looked through them, not about to give anyone the benefit of seeing him care.
Down the corridor to the private rooms, he opened the door to his office, expecting to see Beck waiting. Instead, he found the room empty. His blood pressure spiked. Goddamnit.
Stomping down the hall again with long, heavy strides, Hammer heard the prick’s deep baritone instructing a submissive to strip. He didn’t bother knocking on the door, just barged in. Beck spun around as Hammer’s stare zeroed in on a startled sub kneeling at the sadist’s feet.
“You! Get your clothes on and get the fuck out,” he snarled to the scared woman. Then he turned his attention back to Beck. “You. Stay put.”
The little blonde looked between the two men. With a sigh, Beck gestured her out the door, and she scrambled away.
“Do we have a problem, Hammer? Whatever it is, couldn’t it wait until I got my dick wet?”
“Getting your dick wet should be the least of your concerns, you son of a bitch! What happened to our plan? You were supposed to be on my side. Why the hell did you deviate? Don’t tell me you didn’t understand when I told you not to mark or hurt Raine. You hid that paddle with your body so I couldn’t see what you were holding until it was too late. After seven years, I know a lot of your secrets. I also know you’re not stupid. What the fuck were you doing?”