The Brink (Unbroken Raine Falling 3)

“I’d hoped you would be happy,” she sniveled. “You’re too noble to take your anger out on our innocent baby.”

He refused to pack his bags for the guilt trip she kept trying to take him on. “As soon as the boy wakes, text me. I’ll swab his cheek, then return you to your hotel. I’ll call you once I have the results.”

“I don’t have a hotel,” she confessed. “I’d hoped we’d be moving in with you.”

He tried hard not to choke.

“I know now you’ve found someone else…” Gwyneth sniffled. “Is she very pretty?”

“You will not be living with me, and anyone in my life is none of your business.” His voice was brittle as ice. “I’ll arrange a hotel for you and the boy. Text me when he wakes.”

“The boy?” she gasped. “Kyle is your son.”

“That remains to be seen.”

Before she could say another word, Liam left without a backward glance. As he strode down the corridor, he palmed his phone, quickly reading the messages Hammer had sent. A pacifier? Calculating bitch.

He fired a message back to Hammer.

Liam: Heads up. I haven’t taken out the trash yet. Meet me in the bar as soon as you can. I’ll fill you in.

Hunched over a glass of scotch at the bar, Liam anxiously waited for Hammer. The burn of the single malt warmed his belly but didn’t calm the turmoil or the ache behind his eyes. Despite their intention to come clean with Raine over dinner, Liam realized that extricating himself from Gwyneth might not be as simple as he’d hoped. He should have known. When had anything ever been easy with that woman?

He glanced at his phone. What the devil was keeping Hammer? No doubt he was still in the sack with Raine. Liam tensed, his anger building again. Can’t go there. Fuck.

Picking up the tumbler, he rolled the amber liquid, watching it swirl within its glass prison. Liam felt just as trapped.

Lost in thought, he didn’t realize Hammer had joined him until the man plopped down on the barstool beside him.

“Why is Gwyneth still in my club?” Hammer groused.

“The baby fell asleep. I told her to text me when he wakes. I’ll get them out then.”

Hammer sighed in resignation. “The sooner the better. Having Raine and Gwyneth under the same roof makes me nervous.”

Liam nodded. “If Raine found my ex, I’m afraid she’d draw the worst conclusion.”

“Gwyneth having a baby on her hip wouldn’t help. And I don’t want Raine talking to that manipulative viper. She’d eat our girl alive. Unless she’s changed?” Hammer raised a brow in question.

“She’s trying to convince me she has. But she’s still a manipulative bitch, just more subtle.”

“So your meeting with her was fun?”

“Shoving my dick in a blender would have been more enjoyable.”

Hammer cringed, then gripped the open bottle of scotch and took a long pull. “That good, huh? Tell me what happened.”

“Not shockingly, Gwyneth claims the baby is mine.”

Hammer swore. “Is it? I mean…can you tell?”

“Not by looking at him. He’s got brown eyes and brown hair, but it doesn’t prove a thing.”

“What does she want from you?”

“She’s got it in her head that we’re going to reunite and be a family.” Liam shuddered. “Apparently, Kyle has emotional problems because he has no father. At least according to the boy’s psychotherapist.”

“Fucker, please.” Hammer rolled his eyes. “A shrink for a baby? She thinks you’re going to buy that shit? What else? Maybe you’d better start at the beginning.”

Liam shared the details of his run-in with Gwyneth, but he was barely halfway through before he could feel Hammer’s rage.

“I don’t give a rat’s ass how much proof she brought. Documents are forged every day,” Hammer erupted. “You’re not buying into her bullshit, are you?”

“Of course not. I told her I needed a paternity test.”

“Damn straight.”

Hammer seemed to calm slightly, so Liam told him the rest.

“The only thing that’s keeping me from tossing her to the curb is that baby,” Hammer grumbled. “Even I’m not that big of a prick.”

“She’s always called you the spawn of Satan, you know.”

Hammer laughed. “I’m happy to oblige her and play the part.”

“Speaking of obliging her, I need to find her a hotel.”

“Let her find her own place to stay.” Hammer scowled.

“She could have found one last night but didn’t. That tells me the only way she’s leaving Shadows is if I drag her, kicking and screaming.”

“The good news is…we’ve got plenty of rope and ball gags.” An evil smile tugged at Hammer’s mouth. “Do me a favor. Find Gwyneth a hotel close to the airport so she can climb on her broomstick and fly back to London faster.”

“I’ll do everything I can.”

Hammer chugged from the bottle again. “You know she wants more than a daddy for this kid. How much money?”

“She didn’t ask for any, just me by her side, helping her to raise emotionally stunted Kyle. God, I’m going to puke. I have to talk about something else. Tell me, how’s our girl?”