The Bond (Unbroken Raine Falling 4)

The smile he gave her in return told Raine that she’d perfectly read him. Then he captured her lips with his, seizing her, filling her mouth for a hot spark of a moment before he eased away.

It was done. They were one.

Together, they turned to the rest of the gathering and raised their clasped hands. Their guests stood and cheered as the happy trio bounded back down the silken path to the stairwell.

Halfway there, Hammer hoisted her into his arms. She squealed in surprise, then laughter. Liam put a fist in her hair and tipped her head back before stealing a kiss. They didn’t give her much of a breath all the way down to the party in the dungeon.

Most of the equipment had been pushed against the wall, moved out, or artfully hidden behind a drape so everyone could party now…and play later.

“I’ll be right back, precious.” Hammer kissed her cheek.

Before she could ask where he was going and if everything was all right, Liam distracted her with a soft kiss. “Are you feeling thirsty? It was a bit warm up there.”

He was always kind and thinking of others. It was one of the things she admired most about Liam. “Please.”

As they stepped away, guests began joining them downstairs, Beck first. He wore a wide grin and helped Heavenly, who held the other two pieces of Raine’s heart, which had expanded to accommodate her little twin miracles five weeks ago.

“Hi, my baby girls. Come see Mommy.” Raine held out her arms.

Heavenly smiled softly. “They’re such angels. Slept through most of the ceremony. Well, Ciara did. Catronia looked around at all the colors when she was awake.”

“Because she’s so curious.” Raine took one child, then the other, still marveling that she had two perfect bundles of girl with blue eyes, little bowed mouths and—no doubt about it—the O’Neill chin.

All their worrying that Macen had gotten her pregnant that torrid night Liam had first collared her had been for nothing. According to Bryn, her Irishman had actually done the job during their getaway at the lodge, right after Raine had figured out she was in love with him. Her pregnancy had been a shock, and she had come down some long, hard roads with her men to find this happy pinnacle in her life. But she wouldn’t trade a moment. Their daughters were perfect, and Hammer doted on them like mad. The twins would have both her big, bad men wrapped around their perfect, tiny fingers.

Seth joined them next, sidling up on the other side of Heavenly. She gave the doctor and the former cop both a secretive glance. Raine tried not to smile too wide. There was an interesting romance, and Raine couldn’t wait to see how it all played out. Heavenly had been through hell—and given Seth and Beck some, too. Not that it was totally undeserved… But nothing for them had been easy. Raine crossed her fingers they could find happiness—hopefully together. But it wasn’t a sure thing.

“What is that?” Heavenly pointed to a spanking bench.

Not just any spanking bench—the infamous one on which Liam had first claimed her. The one on which Hammer had flogged her and proclaimed that she belonged to him and Liam. Raine probably should have tucked it away, but she couldn’t bring herself to…and she’d been curious about Heavenly’s reaction.

Seth and Beck both bent to her, murmuring something in her ear.

Raine grinned. Yes, the sidelines would be an amusing place to watch this drama.

Caitlyn, Meg, and Aisling, three of Liam’s sisters, had flown out to see the nuptials. Rosaleen and Shauna had come with Bryn when Raine had given birth to the twins—and they’d been immensely helpful to her as a new mother. The last, Maeve, promised to come when her youngest got a few months older.

Raine had bonded right away with all of Liam’s family. Now she felt immensely blessed. She’d started her life outside the Kendall house completely alone yet wound up blessed with so much love.

Her sisters-in-law scurried up, gooing and cooing at the twins. Clearly, they missed their own children. But they loved their new nieces, too.

After pressing a kiss to each tiny forehead, Raine relinquished her daughters to their aunts with a smile and a wave. They went happily with bright eyes.

River approached with a hug. “Committed, collared. Happy and settled. It’s not exactly what I pictured for you all these years. But it’s better. It makes you happy.”

She nodded. “You going to stay and maybe play? Lots of interesting people coming tonight…”

In fact, Dean Gorman sauntered down the stairs in a sharp navy suit. A few eager subs followed, all looking pretty in their summery dresses. Pike trailed them, coming down the stairs in typical leather and eyeing their asses. His one concession to the event was a white dress shirt and a loose black tie. With spikes around his wrists and a wicked grin on his face, no one would accuse him of being conventional. Donald escorted his wife and sub, Vivian, who looked teary-eyed, to the bar lining the back wall. They waved, and she raised a hand in return.