The Bond (Unbroken Raine Falling 4)

“You bastard!” Marlie hissed. “How can you put your mouth on that—”

“Be very careful,” Hammer warned.

“Or what?” she challenged. “Some fearsome Dom you are, dropping to your knees to clean up her broken china and soggy fucking muffins. You’re pathetic and stupid. Obviously you and that dumpy piece of trailer trash deserve each other!”

River growled.

Hammer had to hold Raine back from attacking Marlie again.

Liam stepped in and tucked their girl under his arm. “She’s not worth it, love. Let Hammer say his piece.”

As Liam inched Raine away, Hammer faced his nemesis. “Let’s get one thing straight. To me, you were a plastic whore, no better than a blow-up doll.”

“That’s why she was ‘obscured’ for Mum. She’s more artificial than real,” Liam mused behind him as if he’d just figured that out.

Probably so, and they’d discuss that later. For now, Macen kept lighting into Marlie. “You’re a parody of a real woman, both inside and out. No heart. No soul. Not one redeeming quality to entice any man to do more than sink his cock inside you and achieve a few minutes of empty gratification. You’re a shallow, selfish, narcissistic, calculating bitch. You tried to rip me away from my best friend and our woman, and I would love to tear you apart with my bare hands.”

Marlie blanched and swallowed tightly, shrinking back in fear. “Don’t. Please.”

“Who sounds pathetic now?” He narrowed a vicious stare her way. “I’ve been given something you’ll never have: a second chance and unconditional love. You don’t have the capacity for either. And you don’t deserve them. These two people I love more than anything will always stand by me. Nothing you say or do could ever take me away from them. Think about that while you’re rotting alone in prison.”

Fury bubbled in his veins and throbbed in his temples. The urge to rain down his unholy wrath on the whore trembling before him thrummed through him. But her inability to let go when she should have had started this fucking disaster. He refused to make the same choice or give her another ounce of his energy.

Dismissing Marlie altogether, he pinned Dean with a forbidding glance. “Get her the fuck out of my sight.”

“With pleasure.” Dean grinned.

As he dragged Marlie toward the door, she spun and spat at them. “This isn’t over.”

“Yeah, it is,” Hammer vowed.

Raine laughed, raised her hand, and waved. “Hey, bitch. Buh-bye.”

Saturday, February 23

By six thirty Saturday evening, Macen looked a little distracted.

Holding back an amused smile, Liam watched his friend fidget. “What’s got under your nettle?”

Not that he didn’t have an idea or two why, but it would be interesting to hear Hammer’s answer.

“I tried to call a few people, see if they wanted to come over for a drink tonight since your parents are leaving tomorrow. I thought it would be a nice send-off. Beck, Seth, River, Pike… They all have plans.” He shrugged. “No idea what the fuck they’re doing. I guess I’m a little disappointed.”

Trying not to laugh, Liam turned away and pretended to pour himself a drink. Keeping Macen in the study while everyone else put the finishing touches on his surprise birthday party had been a challenge.

All day, he and Raine had been forced to get creative to keep Macen out of the house and away from all the preparation. Pike had called Macen back to the club for an “emergency” that might have involved a teeny bit of preplanned vandalism and destruction. Liam had rushed over to help, then hustled his best friend off to a guys-only lunch after the incident had been resolved, giving Hammer the argument that his mother wanted to spend more girl time with Raine.

They’d stayed for a while at the club, and Liam had noticed Hammer texting her, wanting to come home because he’d missed her. On the pretext of running errands, she’d dropped by, left them both with a gigantic smile, then driven off with a wave.

Afterward, he and Macen had decided to pay Lewis a visit. The little tech worm had tried to slam the door in their faces, but neither Hammer nor Liam had been willing to leave without making clear their opinions, as well as laying down a few threats to his pecker if the twerp ever came near Raine or Shadows again.

Satisfied they’d made their point, they’d grabbed a beer at a nearby pub before Macen had returned to Shadows to finish some long overdue paperwork. Liam had sneaked home to help with the last of the decorating and preparation. And the minute Hammer had pulled his SUV into the garage for the evening, Liam had dragged him directly into the study to stall for more time.

Thankfully, he had something important on his mind.

“My parents will be perfectly pleased without a boisterous good-bye. Hell, Mum bought half the city. It’s no wonder she’s still packing.”