by Shayla Black
With a grin, Liam bent to her breast and licked one nipple with a teasing flick, then sucked the bud deep into his mouth. She felt the jolt all the way to her clit and gasped in a startled breath.
“Or we can do this the hard way.” Hammer gave her a tight smile and bent to the wooden box again, withdrawing a TENS unit.
Her eyes went wide. She’d seen a sub jolt and twist and scream attached to the electrical device. She’d also seen them moan and beg and come. Everything depended on where the electrodes were attached and how intense the Dom made the impulses. Raine didn’t have many illusions; Hammer didn’t know her body exactly, but he knew what to do with the unit itself. It wouldn’t take him long to figure out how to get the reaction he wanted.
Macen left the room for a brief second and returned with a folding chair, which he opened directly beside her. But he didn’t sit, just set the device on the padded seat, within easy reach. He attached one pad to her bare pubic bone, then another right on top of her clit. As he turned the thing on, she tensed, but still couldn’t precisely brace for the tingling jolt that crept across her skin and up her nerve endings. Logically, stimulation there should give her pleasure. This felt like a whole bunch of ants crawling where they didn’t belong.
Raine tossed her head back and clenched her fists. “Shit!”
“Tsk, tsk, love. We haven’t even started and your mouth has turned foul. I won’t have it.” Liam slapped her thigh. “Hammer?”
“On it.” He turned the device down to something bearable. Just as she took a deep breath, he turned it back up, a smidge higher than before. “What’s it going to be?”
“Sorry, Sir,” she managed to say. “It slipped out. Please turn it down.”
They stared at her, watching her writhe for a long moment before Hammer slowly reached for the unit and turned it off. “You’re aware of your two choices?”
“Very much, Sir.”
“Excellent. Because we can do this all night long.” His superior smile looked every bit smug. “Your safe word?”
She turned her gaze to Liam. He knew it, but clearly he meant to make her say it aloud. “Paris.”
“Duly noted.” Hammer’s fingers hovered over the dials on the TENS unit, as if he just waited for the opportunity to light her up again.
“Did you have a favorite teacher in school?” Liam asked.
Raine frowned. She’d run away. When she’d returned, she’d given them a pronouncement she thought was life altering: She wanted to learn to open herself to them. And this is what they wanted to know? “Um…yeah. Third grade. Mrs. Denton.”
Hammer rewarded her with a caress of her breast, a thumb across her nipple, and a hot kiss just below her ear. “Are you comfortable having Beck and Seth here with us?”
“Yes, Sir,” she managed to answer, despite the distraction. “They’re easy to talk to.”
“Why?” Liam caressed his way up her thigh, then glided his fingertips along the cheek of her ass.
“Because…” Focusing with their hands caressing her bare skin was more than a little challenging. “They don’t have any expectations. They just listen and offer advice.”
“You’re doing a fine job, Raine.” Liam bent to her nipple and took one in his mouth.
As he sucked hard, Hammer toyed with the other. “What’s your favorite ice cream?”
“Caramel Caribou.”
Liam frowned, backing away to stare at her. “What the devil is that?”
“Another necessity to have on hand for that time of the month,” Hammer teased. “After the migraine, she turns into a sugar fiend.”
“That’s not true,” she protested.
“Oh, it’s not?” Hammer reached for the TENS unit.
“Okay, maybe so,” Raine rushed to say. “Yes, I like ice cream then, Sir.”
Hammer chuckled and his hand drifted away from the device. “Tell him what’s in it.”
“It’s toffee ice cream with caramel cups and ribbons. There’s a chocolate flavor, too.” She sighed.
“That’s right, precious.” He looked at Liam. “Another favorite of hers.”
“Would you rather have ice cream now or…” Liam brushed his fingertip up the insides of her thigh, caressing into her folds before easing two fingers inside her. “This?”
Raine swallowed back a gasp. “Definitely this.”
Hammer chuckled. “Right answer.”
She basked in pleasure, then Hammer added to it, pressing himself against her chest and looking straight into her eyes before he took her mouth, demanding everything clear down to her soul.
When Liam rubbed at a sensitive spot inside her, Hammer swallowed her moan.
Liam eased his fingers deeper. “Are you wet for us, love?”
With a last peck, Hammer lifted from the kiss and braced his elbow on the cross above her, still watching her intently. “Yes or no?”
Raine wanted to point out that Liam had his fingers up her pussy, so he’d be the first to know. Just a guess, but a flippant response would only halt the bliss they’d been heaping on her, and Hammer would turn the TENS unit on again. She hated feeling like ants crawled in her cooch.
“Yes,” she admitted. “I have been since you first put me in the car. I’ve wanted you two all day.”
“Lovely answer,” Liam crooned. “Even more than we asked for.”
“So good, precious.” Hammer bent to scrape his teeth over her nipple. A flash of pain mellowed quickly and coalesced into a pleasurable hum.
Liam circled against the sensitive spot high and deep inside her. “We’re talking. It’s not terribly painful now, is it?”
Answering—hell, speaking at all—was becoming difficult. Desire gnawed at her, stealing breath, robbing thought. Raine wanted nothing more than to melt against them, beg, do anything to keep these sensations coming.
“No, Sir. It’s heaven.”
The smirk rolling across Hammer’s face was her only warning that her task was about to become much harder. “Why did you give your virginity to Zak?”
Raine jolted. Liam withdrew, and they both stepped back. There it was, the blindside. This was the same damn game Liam had played with her last time she’d come to the lodge, but instead of punishing her with pickles, they’d devised something more physical and sinister.
Blurting the answer to this question opened up that vulnerable place inside of her that always made her want to shrink back and hide, but she had zero doubt that if she didn’t at least try to get it out, they would not only turn that little dial and make her suffer, but she’d fail them.
“To get your attention,” she admitted.
Hammer neither rewarded nor punished—yet. “You had it. I saw you every day. We talked about school, work, your friends, the club. I answered questions, ate meals with you, took you shopping. You had most of my attention.”
Looking back over those years, Raine realized Hammer was right. “That’s not what I meant. You spent every day with me, yes.” She bit her lip. Now, it was going to get painful. “You spent every night with someone else.”
“You were barely eighteen, Raine.”
“But I was eighteen, a legal adult. I was tired of you treating me like a child. I thought having sex would prove to you that I wasn’t a kid. I didn’t think you wanted my virginity.”
“I would have killed for it.”
The gravity in his tone quieted her. She’d done something she deeply regretted, and it had hurt him. What if she’d learned to communicate years ago? “If I had told you that I wanted to give it to you then…?”
“You never made me that offer, so we’ll never know what I would have done. Did Zak make you feel special and treasured that night?”
Damn it, he knew the answer to this question. Regret poured hot through her. The shame she’d felt that night scalded its way inside her veins again, black, ugly, devastating. “You know he treated me like trash.”
“Because he was a player. And an asshole. I banned him from Shadows afte
r I beat the fuck out of him.”
“So you tried to manipulate Hammer into giving you what you wanted instead of communicating?” Liam questioned. “Sex was the last thing your fragile heart needed at the time, but you took matters into your own hands and had a terrible experience. Do I have that right?”
Humiliation scraped at her as fat tears burned her cheeks. “Yes. But I didn’t know what to do. Growing up, anything I made the mistake of admitting I wanted was immediately taken away, destroyed, or killed. If I didn’t want any more broken CDs or dead puppies, I had to keep my mouth shut. In my head, if I told Hammer how I felt, he’d only spurn me. Or worse, kick me out and never speak to me again.”
Both men stood staring at her for a long, silent moment, as if absorbing her words. Then they moved in quickly, surrounding her, their hands and lips soothing her freshly opened wounds. Hammer kissed away her tears, his broad fingers stroking her hair, offering comfort. Liam enveloped her and tilted his head to capture her lips and swallow her sobs. When he lifted away, he gripped her so tenderly, as if trying to keep her from shattering in his hands.
“I would never have cast you aside, sweet girl,” Hammer breathed as he caught her gaze in his. “You’re the most precious gift life has ever given me. I may not have shown it, but I’ve treasured every single day you’ve been with me.”
She saw love in his eyes. It was there, just like Beck had sworn. At that moment, it didn’t matter if Hammer could say the words or not, she saw it, felt it, drank it in, and filled herself with every ounce of it.
How many years had she convinced herself that he didn’t care? How many ways had she tried to coerce his affection because she simply hadn’t asked? So much wasted time, energy, and heartache. It was too late to change the past. All she could do was move forward, knowing she had his love now. And that if she wanted to keep this connection growing, they had to talk.
Liam’s soft lips peppered her cheeks, her nose, her mouth. Looking into his gentle brown eyes, Raine saw compassion and devotion reflected back at her. He had never stopped believing in her, never stopped trying to open her up, never stopped steeping her in his love.
She didn’t know how it was possible, but Raine was falling even more for these men.
“You’re doing beautifully,” Liam murmured. “We’ve got you. You’re safe. Keep being brave. We’re not going anywhere.”
She sniffed and nodded as he reached up and wiped her tears with his broad thumb.
“We’re so proud of you,” Hammer added. “We know this isn’t easy. It’s hard for us at times, too. But until we open all the wounds and purge what’s inside, we can’t begin to help you heal them.”
“I know.” Raine nodded as she slumped against the cross. She had to dig through the past if she was going to embrace her future. Now that she knew she could draw strength from their unwavering tenderness and understanding, she could go on.
Liam traced his fingertips over her lips. Gazing into her eyes, Raine could see something heavy weighed on his mind. Remembering all the ways she’d dodged his questions in the past, whatever he was about to ask, she owed him nothing but honesty now.
“When I brought you here the first time, we talked about your father. Or rather, I asked and you gave me an abbreviated version of events that basically told me almost nothing. If you’d given me the whole truth, I would have understood you better. I could have helped you more. But you tied my hands with your silence.”
“I didn’t know how to give up my control or let down my walls, Sir. I’m trying to learn now. Saying I’m sorry isn’t enough, but that’s all I can say.”
“I don’t understand, Raine. Why did you hide the truth? I was listening. You had to know I wouldn’t punish you for being honest.” Confusion furrowed his brow. “If I’d known the truth, we might not be here having this bloody inquisition. Tell me why you kept it in.”
His words drowned her in guilt. She seemed to be a never-ending pool of it today, as they pointed out all the ways she’d screwed up and she had to take responsibility. But she couldn’t let the shame she’d dragged around like an anvil for years take her under for good.
She could give Liam excuses—she had plenty—things like she hadn’t known him that well at the time or she hadn’t realized that he’d been so serious about helping her. But they were lame and pointless and would only get in the way.
Instead, Raine fought for a ragged breath and returned his stare as regret poured from her. “I was afraid to be that vulnerable to you. My father took my power from me. Anything he knew I liked or wanted, he made sure I never got. Then he would crawl into my head and tell me all the ways I wasn’t good enough for those things. He manipulated me and he crushed me.” Tears fell, and she had to force herself to whisper, “I wasn’t strong enough to stop him.”
God, she was so afraid to hear either of them agree with that.
“Stop. I need a minute. I can’t…” She turned her head away. “You know my most hurtful secret and…”
“Stay with us, precious. Are you worried you’re still not strong enough?” Hammer asked, nearly pressing his face to hers. “Or did beating the shit out of him change that?”
Raine choked back a sob. She even hated the tears running silently down her face. More weakness. But if they were going to spend this much energy helping her, she owed them the ugly truth.
“In the moment, I felt so strong. I’d let what he said roll off my back. I’d vanquished him and made him bleed for a change. Then…” She sagged on the cross as a sob took her. “Beck drove me to the beach, and I realized his insults were coiled up in my brain. I thought I’d taken the head off the snake, but I could still hear him hiss. I worry I’ll never be strong enough to block him out.”
No one moved for a long moment, then Liam and Hammer rushed to unfasten her cuffs from the cross, as if they couldn’t get her down fast enough. Macen peeled away the pads of the TENS unit. Was this it? Had her ugliest truth finally broken their will?
She risked a peek at Liam. Heartbreak was all over his face as he gathered her in his arms and carried her gently to the bed. Hammer followed close behind, sorrow etched into his expression. Almost as one, they melted to the mattress on their knees.
Liam settled her on her back. His fingers shook as he cupped her face and kissed every tear away. “We’ve got you, love. I’m so sorry for all that monster put you through, but he can’t hurt you now—or ever again. Even if you don’t believe it, you’re too strong to let him. He may have taught you to expect the worst in others, but we will always be here. I’ll always protect you. And if I get the chance, I’ll fucking slice the bastard. I’ll make him bleed.”
“You can’t. He’s dangerous. I don’t want him near either of you. Somehow, he knows where I’ve been all these years. He told me—”
“It doesn’t matter if he knows where to find you.” Hammer stretched out behind her, stroking her with such uncharacteristic tenderness. “If he ever comes near you again, he’s a dead man. That’s a promise.”
“That it is, my brave, beautiful lass.” Liam brought her head to his chest. “Don’t worry about us. Just let it out and know that I love you. I’m amazed by the way you’ve carried on so well for so long.”
“I haven’t. That’s why we’re here.” She sobbed.
“Give yourself a bit of credit. You’ve been through more than most, Raine,” Liam whispered. “I saw what you endured. The brutality of it blindsided me. Getting flattened by a truck would have been easier, I think. I can only imagine how you felt. I truly wish I’d known sooner so I could have helped you.”
On the one hand, Raine completely saw Liam’s point. Maybe if she’d told him everything earlier, she could have started healing and saved them all so much pain. But the more important he’d become to her, the more frightened she’d been to be vulnerable with him. On the other hand, how could he know the extent of her father’s cruelty?
She froze. “What do you mean, you saw it?”
Ham
mer exhaled heavily, then eased back. Something—guilt, maybe, or regret—flashed across his strong face. “There’s something I should tell you. You wouldn’t allow me to call the police after I’d found you. But I needed ammunition against Bill in case he came back for you.”
Raine’s heart drummed in her chest. “And?”
“I was worried about you. All those bruises, the gash in your lip… Hell, I didn’t know whether or not he’d broken your damn eye socket.” As he spoke, he turned both angry and ashen. “I called Beck into your room after you fell asleep. He checked you over to make sure nothing was broken before we could get you to the hospital that next morning. Maybe it wasn’t the right thing to do, but while we were there, I took pictures of everything that prick had done to you.” He hesitated. “I showed them to Liam when you went missing.”
Raine felt as if he’d yanked the floor out from under her. She fought and struggled, elbowing wildly until she sat up and scurried back, staring at Hammer in horror. “You took pictures? And kept them for all these years?” She swung her gaze to Liam. “You saw them?”
Liam nodded solemnly. “It’s all right.”
“The hell it is!” She jumped to her feet and glared at Hammer. “You betrayed my trust and didn’t tell me for six fucking years?”
He leaned in and grabbed her wrist, tumbling her back down flat on her back between them. “Watch your goddamn mouth. I took them to protect you, so I’d have something to show the police if they ever came knocking. They’ve been sitting in my safe all this time, and I only showed Liam because one of us needed to reach you. If it wasn’t me, then he needed to know what demons you were fighting. Blame me and hate me all you want. It doesn’t change what I did. I’d make the same choice again.”
Something between sincerity and determination filled his face. Raine closed her eyes. Logically, she saw his point, but that didn’t make her ache less. “I didn’t want anyone to see me like that. I wanted you to forget. I didn’t ever want Liam to know.” She tried to curl up into a ball and hide her face. “It’s the reason I wandered the streets for two days before you found me. The second anyone saw me, I ran. By the time you discovered me, I was in so much pain. I meant to leave the next day, but…” Together, he and Liam held her down, not letting her hide. Feeling like that scared girl again, stripped and defeated, she stopped struggling. “Can I be alone?”