Raine looked a lot like she had the first time Hammer had taken her to bed and used her so brutally, just before Liam had swept her away from Shadows to protect her at the lodge. This time, Macen had welted and marked her even more.
Son of a bitch…
A red haze spilled through his head. His fists curled in rage, nails biting his palms. The bathroom door opened, and Hammer came toward him. Liam didn’t pay him any attention until the man stood almost in front of him and braced a hand on his shoulder.
Liam jerked away. “Don’t fucking touch me, you bastard.”
“I—” Hammer scowled and sighed. “Oh, hell. Not here. Let Raine sleep. Let’s—”
“I’m not ducking into the damn bathroom again,” he interrupted, struggling to keep his voice low. “I’ll need room to knock your fucking block off.”
“Fine. Let me get my pants. I’ll meet you in my office.”
Even now, Hammer thought to dictate to him. I don’t bloody think so.
Instead, Liam stared at Raine, completely covered in Hammer’s marks of possession—the impressions of his teeth, the imprint of his fingers, the welts from his flogger, the chafing at her wrists and ankles from his cuffs. She looked like she’d been mauled by a beast.
Liam shook his head. All those marks, and none of them his. Just like she would never be…
That reality smacked him in the face with the force of a two-by-four.
He staggered out of the bedroom, through Hammer’s office, and into the corridor outside. Liam slammed the door and braced himself against the wall, struggling against the urge to plow his fist through the drywall.
Hammer hadn’t been satisfied by merely claiming Raine in front of everyone when Liam hadn’t been around to show her—or anyone else—his Dominance, too. Of course not. The wanker had dragged her back to his room and fucked her like an animal, savagely marking her all over.
The door beside him opened, and Hammer stuck his head out.
“What are you doing out there? Come in here where we’ll have some privacy.”
“I’m done listening to you, you rotten bastard,” Liam cursed. “How could you?”
“Calm down,” Hammer urged. “We’ll talk about this.”
“Save your breath. I already know about your public claiming of Raine. The whole damn dungeon is talking about how incredible it was. You couldn’t fucking wait for me to leave, could you?”
Hammer snorted. “What? I started the scene in the dungeon because she needed it.”
“Raine did? Ha! More likely, you needed it. I know you, Macen. You couldn’t wait to unleash your inner beast on her.” He gave in and punched the wall in a satisfying crack. Agony exploded across his knuckles—and he didn’t care. “I’m thinking you didn’t quite finish, mate. You missed branding a few spots. Shall I leave you to it?”
A tic in Hammer’s jaw was Liam’s only indication that his mate felt anything. “Oh, goddamn it. You had your chance to mark her this morning, but you—”
“Didn’t attack her like a fucking animal.”
“What’s going on?” Raine poked her head out the door, belting a robe around her small waist. “Liam! Oh, thank god you’re back.” She sighed in relief and stepped toward him, arms outstretched.
Liam pinned her with an angry stare that warned her not to touch him.
She stopped in her tracks and glanced between him and Hammer. “What’s going on?”
“Why do you care? I can plainly see who you’d rather be with,” Liam accused. “Don’t mind me. I’ll go on being invisible.”
“Don’t you dare make her feel guilty because you can’t get over your shit,” Hammer roared.
Liam snapped his gaze back to Macen. “My shit? And have you gotten over yours? You’re pulling all the same tripe you did with Juliet, but now you’ve gone off the fucking deep end.” He grabbed Raine and ripped the robe open, flicking his gaze over her marked skin. The imprint of Hammer’s teeth on the soft pad of her pussy made him want to hit again—and not just the wall. “Look at her. Bloody hell…”
Raine grabbed the sides of the robe and belted it again, hiding herself from him. She looked chastened and guilty and furious all at once.
Fine time to care that you stabbed me in the heart.
Hammer stepped in front of her protectively. “You don’t get to make her feel small or regret what she needs.”
Gaping, Liam stared at the two, then stepped back. He’d been pointing out how wretchedly Hammer had treated Raine, yet the man acted as if she needed protecting from him. Liam would never raise a hand to her, never hurt her. But Macen already had.
Raine peeked around Hammer’s shoulder. The look in her eyes said he’d wounded her tender heart. How the hell had he become the bad guy?
“Liam,” she began. “We never intended to upset you.”
They hadn’t, he realized. He ducked his head and shook it as cold reality slipped over him. “Because you never thought of me at all. I’ve been a fool, actually believing I was an important part of our threesome. I see now that you’re a couple, and I’m just in your way.” He looked at his bleeding hand, a symbol of his bleeding heart. “I can’t be second choice for you, Raine. Or just your third, Hammer. You have what you both want: each other. I’m done.”