Protecting Love (LarssonSiblingSeries #3)

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

The big marble bathroom comes to life when I switch on the lights, the silver fixtures shining too. It's beautiful, and by the text messages my mama sent me, she agrees. I posted pictures last night as inspiration for her decorating bug. My parents want to update the house.

George lets out a loud cry, and then Laine shouts asking if I'm ready yet. I quickly switch on the warm water tap, making sure to add cold in when the bath fills up a quarter of the way. The Burt's Bee's bubble bath coming in handy next to the taps, I put in a good sized amount, letting the bubbles take over.

"It's ready," I say back.

George's cries carry on through the penthouse, becoming louder as Laine appears by the door. I stand back as she kneels down, putting him on her lap so she can take off his messy nappy, folding it like a pro, she kicks it to the side near the bit bin. Laine then stands up, slides her elbow into the water to be sure that it's the right temperature and deposits the crying baby into the warm water.

"Shh," she says, wrestling with George when he fights to get out of the bath. "Don't be silly," George screams, clawing at her arms. "No, that's naughty. You don't hurt mama."

George tips his head back and screams to high heavens, managing to make tiny scratch marks on her arms.

Laine gives me a weak smile. "Trevor used to bath him. I don't think he's used to me doing it."

I look away and concentrate on the mirror near the sink, not enjoying the feeling that comes along with their happy family.

Laine has ignored every single one of Trevor's phone calls threatening to contact the police over her taking George away, telling him to go ahead and call the police as she is more than ready to talk to them. It's strange that the threat of the police shut him up out of nowhere.

I hesitate near the door. "Do you want me to get out? I could be disrupting his routine."

"I don't think it's you being in here, Bee. He's just not feeling well. Sorry to be a pain. Can you go grab a fresh nappy and his pyjama shorts and t-shirt from the drawers in the bedroom?"

I nod. "The Disney pyjama's?"

"Please," she gives me a helpless kind of smile before grabbing the baby sponge from the side to wash George down.

Just as I'm halfway to the bedroom, Finn comes through the penthouse door, sweaty from his workout. I smile when he glances up from his phone, but he doesn't reciprocate, storming over to his bedroom and slamming the door behind him. O-kay. One problem at a time.

I go into the bedroom, find what Laine asked me to get and take it back to her in the bathroom, hating how poorly George looks with his pale cheeks and teary eyes. Next, I head for Finn's bedroom, knocking and opening the door when I get no answer. The sound of the shower running in the ensuite grabs my attention, so I decide to chill on his bed while I wait for him to come out.

A few minutes pass and the shower switches off before the door opens and Finn treads outside, his head turned to the ground while he runs his head with a towel and heads for the wardrobe, not noticing me. I keep quiet, enjoying the view of him in only his boxer shorts, the left-hand side sliding further up his bum cheek.

"Can you shake a little for me?"

Finn jolts forward, spinning around with a dark frown, shutting me up in an instant. My easy smile drops out of nowhere, my mind confused by his sudden volatile behaviour.

"Get out," he hisses, pointing at the closed door. "You want your sister to find you in here?"

I blink, feeling nauseated. "Finn?"