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“What do you think she needs in order to be ready, then? Maybe you ought to help her along”

Almost immediately, Hammer had shaken his head “Time, space, security,you Any other sub under ame, but not Raine”

While Hammer had made his rationale sound so noble, Liaht as well have wrapped her in barbed wire and posted a no trespassing sign around her

It was then that Liam had realized Hammer was in love with her Which explained why the irl in the last six years

As Haed hi her father’s house Liam felt a fresh wave of fury that his old friend had kept so s for Raine, and the extent of her dae at her father’s hands

Such a bloody fucking debacle How much ti to come clean?

Beside hih “I’d hoped she would volunteer the fact that her father had abused her I’m sorry she didn’t”

Pot meet kettle

“Raine mentioned it, but…” Lia like this Did she tell you straightaway that her father had beaten her?”

“No It took uessed Why else would she run away froritted his teeth “The private investigator I hired located the violent prick in two days When I went to visit him, he had fresh stitches on his cheek”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“She adht Bill off with a kitchen knife She slept with it under her pillow”

Liae and frustration congealed “Why didn’t you kill the miserable wretch?”

“As much as I would have liked to, I had to make a deal with the devil”

“What?” Liam stared at Hammer as if he’d lost all his wits

“I visited him and introduced myself, explained that I owned Shadows I told hihter was now under my care and that, under no circuain”