The Edge of Dominance

  She shrugged. “I don’t remember exactly.”

  “What’s your relationship with him currently?”

  Raine sorted through possible answers and tried to choose the safest. “We live together.”

  “You have sex with him, correct?”

  “My client doesn’t have to answer that,” Calvin piped up.

  “It’s relevant to our investigation.” Perez glared. “I need to establish how long Ms. Kendall has been a sex slave.”

  “What?” Raine rolled her eyes, really wishing everyone would stop assuming she was a victimized slut. “I’m not a sex slave. Hammer and I are in a committed relationship, and I’m with him of my own free will.”

  Perez raised a dark brow at her. “You’re living with and committed to Mr. Hammerman, but you’re also living with Mr. O’Neill? Having sex with him of your own free will, as well?”

  Now Calvin looked every bit as annoyed as Raine felt. “My client has stated that she is not a sex slave. She is a legal adult, and who she chooses to have sex with is her business.”

  Raine tilted her head and tried to keep her cool. “Have you ever been married?”

  The detective blinked. “Twice.”

  “Did you love both of your husbands?”

  Perez looked at her as if the question was ridiculous. “At the time, of course.”

  “Then you should know exactly how it’s possible to love more than one man in your lifetime. I just happen to love mine at the same time, and they’re okay with that. Now, do you want to ask me real questions, or did you just bring me here to shame me?”

  By her side, Calvin chuckled under his breath. “Moving on…”

  The detective’s face hardened. “When did you and Mr. Hammerman begin having sex?”

  “If you’re asking whether I was a minor, the answer is no. I was a very-much-consenting adult. If you’re asking whether he ever mistreated, abused, raped, neglected, or in any way hurt me, the answer is also no.”

  “Did he pimp you out? Force you to have sex with himself and others? Did he make his living off your back?”

  “Hell no! This is ridiculous. You clearly know nothing about either of us.”

  “I know you’re pregnant.” Perez shot her a superior glance. “Do you know who the father is?”

  “No, and if not knowing was a crime, then most of the people who ever appeared on a daytime talk show would have been arrested. Macen Hammerman has done nothing except make me a happy woman. And I’ll tell anyone who asks me the same thing.”

  Now Calvin laughed outright. “Any other questions?”

  The detective scowled, and Raine had the impression these two had tangled over an interrogation before.

  Perez leveled Calvin a really nasty stare. “Tons, actually.” The woman tossed down stacks of paper on the table in front of Raine. “These are copies of money orders, written out to your father. Two thousand dollars a month over a span of six years. Did you know Hammerman was paying your father?”

  Raine glanced at the pages, her entire body clenching tight. She recognized Hammer’s handwriting, so she had to be careful. “I’ve never seen those before in my life.”

  That was the truth.

  “The way I understand it, you worked for Mr. Hammerman, kept his books.”

  “Yes, but—”

  “He wrote out a money order every month and you never saw or heard anything, despite the fact that you did his accounting?” Perez sent her a skeptical glare.

  “I kept the club’s records, not Hammer’s personal ones. He’s a private man, and I don’t know everything he does. If these copies came from my father, I’d be very skeptical. He was an abusive alcoholic, murderer, and rapist, always out to make a quick buck. I don’t know if these money orders are even legitimate. My father swiped some guy’s checkbook once and wrote hot checks for a week when I was a kid. So the more likely scenario is that my father was extorting Hammer for money.”

  “Because he was having sex with an underage girl?”

  “My client already stated that she did not have sex with Mr. Hammerman as a minor. Do you really need to keep treading the same ground?”

  Now Perez slapped her palms on the table between them and zeroed in on Raine. “Doing some simple math, you were underage when you went to live with Mr. Hammerman at that skanky club of his, weren’t you? Glare at me all you want, but you dropped out of high school at seventeen. The day you turned eighteen, you renewed your driver’s license and listed Shadows as your place of residence. Mr. Hammerman’s name is on every one of your bank accounts. Now you want to tell me you’re not a sex slave being held against your will?”

  “That’s exactly what I’m telling you.” Raine forced herself to stare down the detective. “None of what you just said proves anything except that I’m attached to one of the men I love.”

  “We have video evidence of him appearing to rape you.”

  Raine flipped an alarmed glance at Calvin, then remembered he didn’t know anything. But she knew her passion for Hammer.

  “You don’t have to comment on that,” the lawyer put in.

  Oh, but Raine wanted to.

  “I don’t know what video you’re talking about…” Probably club surveillance she had no idea how they would have gotten their hands on. “But what may appear like rape to you is bliss to me. I like rough sex, and that’s not a crime. I consented every single time.”

  Perez sent her a quelling glance. “You’re telling me that a fragile little thing like you enjoys being mauled by a man who’s bigger, older, and far stronger?”

  “Yes. It’s called submission, sweetheart.” Raine couldn’t resist.

  “So you admit you’re a slave?”

  “No. If you don’t know the difference between a submissive and a slave, you’ll never understand a word I say. I choose to give my power to him and I can take it back like that.” She snapped her fingers, then she looked over at Calvin. “Get me out of here. I won’t stay since she’s not interested in any truth that doesn’t crucify Hammer.”

  “I agree.” Calvin rose and grabbed his briefcase. “Let’s go.”

  Beside him, Raine leapt from her chair. She wanted to go home. She wanted to see Hammer and Liam. She wanted to put this shitty night behind them.

  “Wait!” Perez called out, finally getting off her high horse. “Ms. Kendall, you don’t have to protect Hammerman. We see victims like you all the time, manipulated by some experienced charmer who knows how to lure an innocent girl into the sex trade. What did he give you that you lacked at home? Money? Affection? Did he prey on your insecurities and make you feel pretty before he took you to bed? Before he shared you with his friends and associates?” The detective rounded the table and cupped Raine’s shoulder. “Don’t let him get away with this. Just say the word, and we can lock him up. He’ll never hurt you—”

  “Don’t touch me.” Raine jerked away. “And don’t patronize me. You and your lurid fascination need to get a life. Hammer is an amazing man, and no matter how you try to put the most salacious slant on our relationship, we love each other, and I’ll defend him with every breath. If you’re looking for a witness to testify against him, it won’t be me.”

  She didn’t wait for either Calvin or Perez to reply. She jerked open the door and marched out without looking back.

  At the end of the hall, she caught sight of Liam pacing, waiting for her. She ran to him and threw herself in his arms. “Are you all right?”

  “Fine, love. Are you? What did they ask?”

  “Terrible questions that made me out to be a spineless puppet. I lost my temper.” She turned to Calvin, who had just caught up. Apprehension twisted her stomach. “I screwed that up for Hammer, didn’t I?”

  “No.” Calvin looked like he was still laughing. “I think it’s safe to say if this goes to trial, the prosecution won’t be calling you to testify on their behalf.”

  Probably not. But Raine still worried there would be a trial, followed by a prosecution an
d a railroading of justice. She was terrified that Hammer was going down—and she could do nothing to stop it.

  Chapter 7

  On the drive home, Hammer bitterly recounted his interrogation to his grim-faced friends. Seth shook his head at the detectives’ allegations.

  “All I want to know is where to find River,” Beck piped up. “I’d like to ignore my Hippocratic oath for a few hours and unleash a shitload of non-consensual pain on that cocksucker.”

  “Get in line,” Hammer grumbled.

  The rest of the ride seemed unusually quiet. Beck was never one to mince words, but after that quip, he exchanged a few glances with Seth that had Hammer frowning.

  “Something else going on?” he asked them.

  Seth pulled into the U-shaped driveway as dusk turned to night. He and Beck seemed to share another silent conversation.

  Now Hammer was downright suspicious.

  “Nope,” Beck quipped. “Now…do you want to hang out in the car with us, connect to your inner vagina, and discuss your feelings? Or would you rather spend the night with Raine and Liam?”

  No contest.

  “Find your own vagina,” Hammer shot back. “I’m going inside.”

  Garden lights illuminated their house. As he stared at the warm gray stucco structure, fear and what-ifs gnawed at him. His heart was behind that glossy black door, shining from those big picture windows. He ached to lock himself inside with the two people he loved most, find respite in Raine’s body, and spend every moment giving her memories with Liam.

  Someday, memories might be all he had left.

  “Good man.” Beck clapped him on the shoulder. “Call if you need us.”

  “But not too early. Now that I’m back in town, I plan to track down a certain luscious blonde and ask her out. If all goes as planned, I’ll be soaring sweet little Heavenly to the heavens,” Seth drawled.

  Beck jerked around and pinned the big PI with a death glare, growling out a barely human sound somewhere between low and menacing.

  Remembering the ugly, World War III-like battles he and Liam had once waged over Raine, Hammer shook his head. “Time can be short. You two should take your own advice and put Heavenly between you. Thanks for the ride.”

  Macen exited the car and charged into the house with long, urgent strides. Raine and Liam leapt up from the couch and rushed toward him. He crushed her in his arms and gripped his best friend’s shoulder in a brotherly hold.

  “You’re home! Oh, thank god.” Raine wouldn’t let go of him.

  That suited Macen just fine. He didn’t want to let go of them, either. There would be time later to discuss the darkness. Right now, all he wanted was to lose himself in the love around him.

  “She’s been climbing the walls with worry,” Liam whispered as he threaded his fingers through her inky mane. “We both have.”

  Hammer cradled Raine’s face in his hands. “I saw you crumble from the back of the cruiser. Are you all right?”

  “Fine,” she assured. “Really.”

  Hammer kissed the top of her head, then glanced at Liam. “Thank god you were there to catch her.”

  “I’m glad, as well. As you see, she’s fine physically. Emotionally, I think we’re all a fucking mess,” Liam admitted.

  “Let’s talk about that later,” Hammer croaked, holding her tighter.

  Liam took Raine’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “Love, I think what Hammer needs now is you.”

  “No. What I need now is us.”

  Emotions lumped in his throat as he shoved down the fear that he might lose these two perfect-for-him people. He breathed Raine in, branding the solemn moment in the deepest recesses of his memory.

  Just in case.

  “Well, then…” Liam said. “Let’s give the man what he needs.”

  Raine blinked up at them. Hammer sensed she was torn between talking about his interrogation and easing his strain. But she shelved it and reached around his nape to pull him down with a welcoming kiss. He covered her lips with his as she put her worry aside to help him. To serve him. To provide him her comfort, her touch, her love.

  Liam stood beside him with a warm hand on his shoulder and his lips on her neck.

  Their presence was the perfect balm.

  They were his home.

  Moments slid by. It might have been ten or a thousand. Macen only knew when he drew away from her kiss he felt calmer, almost centered again.

  He drank in the tears welling in Raine’s eyes. They were all too attuned not to sense one another’s distress. Hammer hated like hell that his worry spilled onto them. He couldn’t promise forever, but he could do his best to ease them tonight.

  Hammer turned to Liam. “Where are Bryn and Duncan?”

  “Sleeping off jet lag. Mum should know better than to interrupt us now. I put them in the guest room on the other side of the house, just in case.”

  Too far away to hear Raine’s screams. Though with Bryn, sound wouldn’t matter.

  “So tonight is ours.”

  “I’d like that,” Raine whispered.

  Liam palmed her crown. “Let’s go.”

  With a ragged breath, Hammer lifted Raine against his chest. She curled her arms around his neck and reached out for Liam. Their fingers entwined while Hammer led them upstairs to their bedroom.

  Macen laid her on their bed, in the spill of the silvery light from the adjoining bathroom, and followed her down. Without a word, she opened herself to him, unconsciously unfurling her arms and legs. He covered her, braced his elbows on either side of her head, and brushed skeins of her glossy raven hair from her cheek. And he stared. Fuck, he could do that forever and not get tired of the view.

  But he probably didn’t have that long anymore.

  Refusing to waste another moment, Hammer lowered his head and touched his lips to hers. Everything about her was soft. He pressed forward to deepen the kiss and savored the moment as if rediscovering her for the first time.

  His heart tripped.

  How many times over the years had he thought of stripping her bare, taking her body, hearing her scream for him? Controlling her, undoing her, drinking in her power? Far, far too many to count. At times, he’d have sworn he would burn alive because he couldn’t have her. He’d kissed her hundreds—maybe thousands—of times since he’d become her lover, but he’d never paused to relish the gravity of the instant their lips first met. Now, the simple connection undid him.

  “Macen?” She blinked up at him.

  She wanted to know what was wrong with him. The answer was everything, but that wasn’t her fault. Raine had shelved all her worry to give him succor. He had to do the same.

  “Shh. I’m here right now.”

  Tears shimmered in the corners of her eyes. “I’m here always.”

  His chest buckled. Hammer swallowed, then he dipped his head to kiss her again, this time brushing his mouth over hers. Like always, her cheeks flushed. She softly exhaled. Her lips parted.

  When he bent again, he couldn’t stop his hunger. He clutched her silky hair in his fists and seized her mouth, plunging deep.

  She blistered his control, and he saturated his senses with her. His head screamed at him to slow time down and bask in this breathtaking moment. Make it last forever. But Raine whimpered, curling her hands around his shoulders and wrapping her legs around his hips. Desperation tightened her grip.