Shoving aside his confusion, he focused on Raine. Riling up both the executioner and the Dungeon Master wouldn’t help her. He dragged in a shuddering breath, trying to find some calm. Fuck, what a balls up! Seeing Raine so apprehensive made his Dominant heart growl with the need to protect. He had to start thinking with his head or he’d leave her vulnerable.
The girl clung to her bloody stubborn pride. Hammer hadn’t left her with much else, so she wouldn’t cede it without a battle. Earning her trust and teaching her to curb her temper would be a full-time job.
And god help Beck if he didn’t stop behaving like a barmy fuck. The sadist obviously enjoyed the power of toying with everyone. Personally, Liam didn’t know why Hammer let the man in the club, much less seemed to like him. Whatever the reason, Beck bore watching.
So did Hammer. The man’s famous cool-under-pressure façade seemed to be crumbling under…what? Frustration? Guilt? Longing? Probably a potent cocktail of all three—not that Hammer would admit it.
Beck smiled smugly, and Liam did his best not to bristle. Instead, he focused on the eerie quiet around them. The dungeon lacked the usual sounds of paddles, whips, sighs, and moans. Even the music seemed muted. It felt as if time had stopped, and every eye was on them.
The crowd held their collective breath with bated anticipation, eyes glued to the drama. Crossing his arms over his chest, Liam forced himself to stand and watch, determined to see this through for Raine, no matter what.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Beck reach into his toy bag and withdraw something oblong and red that looked like a colorful paddle. Liam started forward, but he wasn’t fast enough. Beck crossed his arm over his body, then brought the paddle down with a quick whoosh in a backhanded swat.
Someone in the crowd gasped. The legs of Hammer’s chair scraped the floor as he leapt to his feet and shouted just as Beck whacked the back of Raine’s thighs.
The telltale whiff of rubber assaulted him. Then agony erupted across her face, as if Beck had split her very flesh open down to the bone. Her wee body jolted as she stiffened every muscle and screamed. And screamed. And screamed some more, even when she’d run out of air and her mouth hung open in horrific silence. Her face looked shocked and wounded, eyes wide with distress.
Furious, Liam twisted around to Beck. The man’s expression gleamed with satisfaction—almost pride. His smug grin widened again when Raine hung her head and sobbed, tears pouring down her cheeks.
“What the hell are you doing?” Hammer snarled at Beck, his face blazing with rage.
Exactly what Liam wanted to know. His hand curled into a brutal fist, and he charged toward Beck. Suddenly, Hammer’s attention snapped Liam’s way, and a warning scowl dominated his face. Fuck, if he did anything to Beck, Hammer might really throw him out. Didn’t his friend fucking see that Beck was abusing the girl?
Rushing back to Raine, Liam grabbed her face. A glance down into her eyes—so blue, wide open, and terrified—kicked him in the gut. Silently, she pleaded for help as the tears kept running. He wanted to take her in his arms.
“You’ve got a safeword. Use it,” he demanded.
“Won’t let them win.” She gritted her teeth, holding herself together by pure will.
The whoosh filled the room again as Beck lifted the paddle. Raine gasped and grabbed the table, obviously bracing for another brutal blow. Liam glared at Hammer incredulously. The air stopped. He wondered if his old friend would really let this continue.
The Hammer he’d known once upon a time, never. But this one was miserable and tormented. Liam didn’t know where this man’s head was at all.
“Then say yes to me.” He bent to Raine and stared into her eyes, willing her to understand and accept. “Say yes, and all of this stops.”
“What?” Beck barked. “The only thing the princess gets to say is, ‘thank you, Sir. May I have another?’ And I’ve got plenty more where that came from.”
Raine’s eyes darted from Liam to Beck’s reflection in the mirror.
She flinched and breathed, “Yes.”
Relief and a dizzying thrill flooded Liam’s veins.
“Put that goddamn paddle down now,” Hammer barked at Beck. “Rubber? Are you out of your fucking mind? She’s not a pain slut.”
“Don’t be a pussy,” Beck sneered, fingering the rubber paddle, clearly eager to bring it down on Raine’s tender flesh again. “A few good whacks will pull the starch right out of her bitchy attitude and make her pliant as a kitten.”
Liam couldn’t disagree more, and neither man seemed to have heard what she’d said.
“If you hit her with that again, I’m going to chain your ass to a cross and beat you with it myself,” Hammer threatened.