by Shayla Black
“You’re here really early,” she observed.
He blanked the humiliation scene on the monitor he’d been watching. “Yeah. Um…things to do.”
More like he had his weenie to whack.
Raine tried not to gag. Lewis gave her the creeps. He always stared, not just at her but at most of the women around Shadows.
“You want something?” His stare walked all over her.
She acted as if she had no idea he was thinking perverted things about her right now. “I just need to see a security video. I know where to find it. Don’t mind me.”
“You sure? I’ll help you.”
“I’m good.” She pulled open the drawer behind the desk, acutely aware that in order to see the labels, she had to bend over and practically put her butt in his face. Not a good idea. She twisted to the side, ass facing the door, and tuned him out.
“What are you looking for, Raine?”
Damn, he was nosy. “I’ve just about found it. As you were.”
Beside her, his chair squeaked as he rolled closer. She tried not to shudder. Was he really staring at her boobs?
The drives holding November third and fourth were gone; she knew that. Thankfully, the fifth was exactly where it should be. She was just about to pluck it up when Lewis stood.
“Found what?” he murmured, inching closer, then behind her. “That video of Liam plowing your fine ass?”
Raine stiffened. He had not just said that. She stood, turned, and saw the proposition on his face. Yeah, he had.
“That’s one of my favorites. I’m glad it’s still on the cloud.” His whisper got lower as he tried to get closer. “I watch that one a lot.”
“Don’t.” She shook her head.
He dared to lean in and give her what he supposed was a come-on grin. “What? You know, if you like anal, I’ll give it to you, sweet thing. I’d fuck you better than those dudes in their thirties. You and I are the same age, and I can go all night. Now that Hammer is going to jail, if you need someone to keep you packed tight, I’d love the chance”—he curled his palm around her hip—“to get all up in you.”
Raine blinked at him, her temper spiraling up, swirling faster, until she felt like it might blow off the top of her head. She shoved his hand away and kneed him in the balls, then stomped on his instep with her little kitten heels.
When he bent over, clutching his gonads and moaning like he couldn’t breathe, she grabbed his hair and tugged his eyes up to her. “Are you fucking kidding me? First, that’s the most disgusting come-on ever, and you’ve got to be the most annoying twit to ever proposition me. Second, I’m pregnant and in a committed relationship with two men I love—one of whom is your boss. Third…” She smiled. “You’re fired.”
“You can’t do that,” he challenged, apparently finding his guts—and his balls. “You don’t have that power.”
She plucked her disposable phone from her pocket. “You know what? Maybe you’re right and I should just call Hammer now to come down to fire you himself. He’s in a great mood after spending last weekend in jail. And he’s not at all possessive of me…”
The little shit finally got smart enough to blanch. “Wait. You came in here wearing that little skirt and stuck your ass in my face. What was I supposed to think besides that you were hot for me?”
Slimy bastard. “That I’m your boss’s girlfriend, who was simply looking for a video in a small room I didn’t even expect you to be in. That I’m a woman—not a piece of ass—and I should be treated with respect. That Shadows isn’t a porn hub or a hook-up spot.” She raised a brow at him. “That I’ll let Hammer and Liam make you learn to respect the fairer sex.”
Lewis looked ready to piss himself. “Don’t—”
“Or you can grab your shit and get out of here right now.”
He cursed but he started gathering his stuff. “Bitch.”
“Make sure you say that again on your way out. There are two guys right outside the door who would be deeply interested in your opinion. You know Seth. He used to be a cop. The big one who’s six foot five and spent ten years in combat? He’s my brother.”
The tech nerd paled even more and shoved his belongings in his pockets faster. “I’m leaving now.”
“Good decision. Don’t come back.” Raine crossed her arms over her chest as he ran out of the room. She followed, watching him give Seth and River a wide berth as he hurried down the hall. A moment later, the front door shut with a resounding slam behind him.
She smiled and grabbed the drive from the drawer. Someone else would have to man the booth tonight—maybe she could sweet-talk Seth into it—but it was a relief to have Lewis the slimebag gone. Absently, she wondered if he’d had something to do with the disappearance of two days of surveillance recordings.
“What the hell happened to him?” Seth stared.
“I fired him.”
“For watching the footage? He’s been doing that since I arrived. I think he jacks off a bunch in there.”
The image made Raine shudder. “Not anymore. I might have suggested that his anal sex proposition would not be well received by Hammer and Liam. He might have then intimated that I’m a female dog in heat. I told him to repeat that in front of you guys…but yeah, he seemed really disinclined.”
River shook his head. “He’s lucky he left. I would have ripped his head from his body and spit down his throat.”
“Which is why I didn’t tell you sooner. I don’t want to clean up blood, and we really need to focus.” She turned to Seth. “Before you ask, yes, I’ll tell Hammer and Liam as soon as we’re done here. Can you fill in for Lewis tonight? Pretty please.”
Seth just laughed. “Look at you, batting those lashes over your big blue eyes. God, I’m a sucker. All right.”
She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “Thanks. Maybe I’ll stop by the hospital and find Heavenly, tell her what a great guy you are.”
He looked at her as if that possibility had never occurred to him and he liked his chances with the nurse volunteer if Raine talked him up. “Would you?”
She led them back to Hammer’s office with a laugh, then inserted the drive into the USB port of Seth’s computer, fast-forwarding to the footage in the alley. Once she found Marlie following her out, cursing her existence, and slapping her, she stopped the video.
“What a cunt,” Seth spit out.
“Pretty but…a fucking bitch.” River sighed. “I see what you mean about hating you.”
Seth nodded. “Absolutely. And not having the firmest grasp on reality.”
“She’s pretty damn entitled,” her brother added.
“Because she’s the sort of woman who’s had every man she’s ever wanted her whole life. Why should Hammer be different?” She gasped and pressed her hand to her chest, imitating Marlie. “How could a perfect Barbie lose him to mere white trash?”
River cracked up.
Raine joined in the laughter. “Unfortunately, this footage only proves that she hit me once. Liam blessed her out. Ugly. I’ve hardly ever seen him so angry. Hammer took her aside. I’m sure he had choice words before he had her permanently removed. And everyone clapped.”
“I like her as a suspect, Raine,” Seth said. “I just don’t know how we figure out whether she’s guilty or not. We can’t go to the police with a hunch.”
Yeah, because everyone investigating this case had already made up their minds.
An idea rolled around in her head. Raine glanced between Seth and River. They’d object, but she was right, damn it. “Let me talk to her.”
“What?” They both turned to her in unison.
“No.” Seth shook his head.
“Hell no,” River put in. “She could be dangerous. If she’s got a gun—”
“She doesn’t,” Raine assured. “I’ll see her in public, surrounded by people. If I lead her into a conversation, provoke her a little…”
“No matter how you incite her, I doubt she’ll confess anything to you.�
�� Seth sounded like the voice of reason.
“You’re right, and that’s okay. See, you only understand how to get women into bed. You don’t understand how they really operate.”
“Do tell,” he drawled.
“Yeah, I want to hear this.” River leaned forward like he was hanging on every word.
“Women like her aren’t that different from the playground bullies you grew up with. They’re all tough and full of themselves—until you call their bluff. I won’t challenge her. If I actually got her to confess, she might do something drastic—try to hurt me or go into hiding or…I don’t know. But if I poke her temper and dance around the subject, I’ll bet she’s so proud of what she’s done. Something will show on her face. I’ll see it.”
They were both quiet for a long moment. Their expressions said they weren’t thrilled.
Raine went in for the kill. “You got a better idea?”
Seth looked at River with a grimace. Her brother sighed.
The answer neither of them wanted to admit was no.
“We’ll have to talk to Liam and Hammer first. I won’t put you in her path—”
“We can’t tell them.” Raine grabbed his shoulder and willed him to understand.
“I’m not your Dom, and risking you without their knowledge or consent is damn irresponsible.”
Okay. Good point. “It’s all right. I’ll go alone.”
“Over my dead body.” Seth didn’t even blink at her.
“I’m with him on that,” River said. “No.”
“This is my family and my future. I’ll do whatever I have to.” Raine wanted to stamp her foot. “I just can’t ask their permission. I don’t want to get their hopes up unless I know I’m on to something. Macen is… Something is really wrong. He came home on Monday and—” Raine wasn’t even sure how to explain without saying too much. “He opened up to me in a way he never has. It was amazing but…he hasn’t been himself since. He’s frustrated, angry, withdrawn. I’m not supposed to see that but I can’t help it. I’m scared. And Liam has had to shoulder so much since this nightmare began. He’s constantly worried about me and the baby while trying to figure out how to keep Hammer out of prison, juggle his parents… I can’t lay more on him.”
“They would want you to,” Seth pushed back.
“And I love them for it…but I won’t do it.”
“If you’re not comfortable with this idea, man, it’s cool.” River shrugged. “I’ll go with your hunch, storm cloud. It’s our only lead and our best shot right now. I’ll take you to find Marlie. What the hell? Liam and Hammer aren’t fond of me anyway.”
Raine turned to her brother. “Really? I mean, I could go alone, but I would feel better if I didn’t have to face the crazy cunt without backup.”
River pulled her into his lap and hugged her. “I wouldn’t want you to.”
“Thanks, big brother.”
“Oh, all right.” Seth sighed and shot her an irritated glance. “I’ll go.”
She smiled his way. “If this doesn’t work, then the secret is safe with me.”
He glared. “What’s your plan?”
Raine gave it some thought. “Can you track her down, find out what skank bar she’s likely to be in tonight? I’m going to go put myself together.”
“You look fine.” River frowned.
“But do I look pregnant?”
Neither said anything for a moment as they scanned her figure. Finally, Seth answered, “A little. You’ve got a tiny bump that didn’t use to be there.”
“A little isn’t going to cut it. I’ll be back.”
Raine helped herself to the bathroom in her old room. Thankfully, Hammer had left the place intact, despite remodeling so many of the others. She was also grateful that she had left behind a few cosmetics and hair implements to freshen up after working…or playing. Bryn taking her shopping and insisting on buying her a maternity dress earlier today had been serendipitous—or her own brand of thinking ahead.
Thirty minutes later, she stepped back into Hammer’s office. River and Seth both dropped their jaws.
“Do I look pregnant now?” she asked, gazing down at the high-waisted red dress as she smoothed a hand over her belly.
“Yeah,” they both answered.
She tossed her freshly curled hair and lifted her red-painted lips. “Did you find her?”
Seth hesitated, like he’d decided this was a bad idea after all. “What if I said no?”
“I’d look for her myself.”
He groaned. “Why can’t you be less persistent?”
“Because that’s not going to get the job done.” She grabbed his arm. “Let’s go.”
It only took fifteen minutes to reach the happy hour of Marlie’s choice.
Just outside the door, Seth and River planted themselves, looking inside through picture windows. The place didn’t look crowded yet; it was early. People were just getting off work. But she spotted the leggy blonde in a green hooker dress she would probably say matched her eyes, sipping a glass of wine.
“You can keep an eye on things from here, right?” Raine asked.
Seth hedged. “We should go in with you.”
“No. You two would distract her. She’d flirt with you and ignore me. Stay here.”
“I don’t love this.” Seth looked pissed. “But I get your point.”
“If you need an exit strategy, there’s a back door through that employee entrance to the kitchen at the far end of the room,” River pointed out.
Marlie was a skank, not a terrorist. But Raine found the guys amusing. “Got it. I’ll be in and out in five minutes.”
Raine headed for the door, but River pulled her back. “Do you know what you’re going to say?”
“Not exactly, but I have a plan.”
“That’s scary,” Seth muttered.
“I heard that.” She laughed as she walked inside.
“Be careful,” they both murmured.
She nodded. But the minute the door closed behind her, shit got real. Raine dragged in a breath. She had to play this smart and cool. She wasn’t nervous about seeing Marlie. But the stakes were high. This one conversation might determine whether or not her new and growing family stayed together.
Stop psyching yourself out.
Marlie might have more experience with men and life, but under it all, she was motivated by vanity. She was a terrible liar and she was even worse at controlling her emotions. And she’d never see this blindside coming. Raine had no problem exploiting any of that.
Lifting her chin, she headed to the bar with a toss of her hair and a sway of her hips. When she reached the long marble surface, a bartender leaned over as Raine stood on her tiptoes to sit on the stool. Being five feet tall sucked.
“Can I get you something?”
She felt Marlie’s eyes on her and pretended she’d taken no notice of the woman. “Just a club soda with a twist.” She dropped her hand to her belly. “I can’t drink for two, right?”
“Sure thing.” The bartender scurried away.
Then Raine turned and acknowledged Marlie with a roll of her eyes. “Oh, of all people…”
“Why are you here?” The Barbie looked at her as if she were a lower life form, then stared in horror at her belly.
“I’m waiting on some people.”
Marlie tried to frown around her Botox. “You don’t have any friends.”
“Where are yours?” Raine looked around the dim, industrial-chic environment in question.
No one stood near Marlie.
The woman bristled. “I just stopped in for a drink.”
“Alone. Still haven’t found a man who can stand you, huh?”
The bartender set down her soda, and Raine paid the guy, smiling. She tried to ignore her shaking hands.
“I date plenty,” Marlie defended.
Raine cocked her head. “Funny how nobody wants to stay.”
Marlie scowled. “Why am I even talking to you? Go away.”
“I got here first.”
Raine took a drink and tried not to laugh. “That’s the best you’ve got? Are you five?”
Marlie’s eyes narrowed meanly. “Did that Irishman knock you up and leave you?”
“Liam…” Raine shrugged. “Or Hammer. We don’t know. We don’t care. I’m with them both. We live together now.” She leaned in. “We’re really happy. In fact, Hammer hasn’t touched anyone else since our first time together. He’s very committed and he loves me.”
The Barbie looked as if Raine had slapped her across the face. “That’s impossible.”
“It’s not.” She stroked her belly again. “He proposed to me. I can already tell he’ll be a great husband.” She stared into the distance with a dreamy expression. “Protective, passionate, indulgent, kind, passionate… Oh, I said that. Oops.”
Marlie hopped off her stool. “You’re lying. Your life isn’t perfect, and I know it.”
And there it was, the malicious glee on the crazy whore’s face. She knew exactly what was happening in Macen’s life, and she seethed with righteous anger because she couldn’t stand the idea that he’d thrown her over for someone she saw as inferior. She was calling Raine’s bluff.
Raine couldn’t afford to put her cards on the table…yet. But oh, really soon.
“No, not perfect,” she admitted. “So I’m leaving to work on that. Enjoy your night alone.”
Standing again, Raine smiled. She strolled out of the bar and right into Seth’s and River’s waiting stares.
“Well?” her brother asked.
“She’s guilty as fuck. Let’s take this bitch down.”
Chapter 16
Thursday, February 21
* * *
“So you’ve set up the audio and video feeds, right?” River asked Seth.
The big blond PI simply stared off into space, wearing a crooked smile. River snapped his fingers. “Earth to Seth. Are you in there, man?”
Seth blinked. “Huh? Yeah, I’m good.”
“I didn’t ask if you were good. I asked if everything was set up.”
