The Brink (Unbroken Raine Falling 3)

Finally, she rolled her suitcase with the playpen folded on top into the only bedroom. Grabbing an apple and a few crackers, Liam snacked, happy to not be in the same room with his ex-wife, even if it was only for two minutes.

He’d barely finished the last bite when she called for him. “Oh, Liam…”

“What?” he bit out.

“Can you set up Kyle’s playpen in the bedroom with us?”

The apple that had tasted so good on the way down suddenly turned sour. “I’ll set it up, Gwyneth. But I’ve told you I’m not staying here.”

She just sent him a smile that said she found his delusion adorable. “Thank you.”

As he bent to set up Kyle’s temporary bed, the babe began to fuss. A whimper at first, then a loud little pant or two. A sniffle, a huff, then the boy began to wail.

Liam sent Gwyneth an expectant expression. She sidled closer to him, ignoring the baby’s cries and drawing a fingernail down his shoulder. “I appreciate it.”

“I’d appreciate it if you’d see to Kyle. My head is hurting.”

“I’ll rub your neck the way I used to,” she offered, brushing her body against him.

He tried not to shudder. “No. Find out what ails the boy.” When she still hesitated, he rose and pinned her with a glower. “Now, Gwyneth.”

She didn’t look at all contrite or compliant, reminding him that his ex-wife didn’t have a submissive bone in her body. Instead, she huffed out a breath as she exited the bedroom and called over her shoulder, “We must talk about us soon, darling.”

He’d told her repeatedly that he wasn’t her darling or remotely interested, but playing blonde was all part of her game, no doubt.

As Kyle continued to fuss, Liam glanced around the corner of the bedroom, into the kitchen. Gwyneth had taken to rocking the boy in his car seat and trying to shush him. Besides lacking submissive bones, she also seemed to lack maternal ones.

“Is the boy hungry?” he asked.

“I don’t know.”

“Aren’t you his mother?”

She sent him an annoyed sigh. “Are you finished with the playpen yet? Perhaps he wants to nap again. Or maybe it’s all this drooling. So messy.”

“Is he teething?”

“It seems so.”

But you don’t know? Liam scowled. Definitely time to dig deeper and find out what game Gwyneth played.

With the playpen complete, Liam lined the bottom with a blanket from the bed, then left to find Gwyneth on the couch. Kyle still sat fretting in his car seat at her feet while she filed a fingernail. The tyke gnawed on his fingers, slurping and grunting, seemingly starved. Gwyneth seemed more concerned by her cuticles.

“I’ve set Kyle’s playpen up in the bedroom.”

“Good.” Gwyneth glanced up, a little smile curling her lips. “Come, sit next to me. We have our whole future to discuss.”

When she patted the couch beside her, he scowled. “As soon as I take Kyle’s DNA sample, we’ll talk.”

“Now?” Gwyneth blanched. “Surely we need a doctor for that.”

“No.” Liam patted his pocket. “I’ve got the test kit right here.”

She opened her mouth to argue again, but Kyle interrupted with a lusty howl that demanded their attention.

“I think the lad is hungry,” Liam pointed out.

With a perturbed sigh, Gwyneth rose. “He always is.”

She walked right past the boy and into the kitchen. Sifting through the cupboards, she found what she sought and pulled out a new baby bottle and a can of formula. Kyle’s protests went up another decibel.

She turned to Liam with a beseeching expression. “Can you rock him or something while I make his bottle? I’m beginning to wonder if he’s coming down with a fever. He’s so fussy. This absurd test can wait a few days until our child recovers.”

Liam wanted to ask why she kept objecting to the test, but he had a suspicion. He refused to be played again. Time to turn the table.

“A fever?” Liam frowned. “Why didn’t you say so? We can wait a day or two. Finish fixing the lad his bottle. I’ll change his nappy on the sofa.”

Surprise, then relief, darted across her face before one corner of her lip curled up. She couldn’t quite repress her triumph. “Perfect, darling.”

Gwyneth turned back to the stove, heating the bottle. Liam freed Kyle from the car seat and laid him across the couch. As he changed the baby, one little chubby fist snagged his finger, gripping with surprising strength. Liam smiled. Are you mine, little man? No time like the present to find out…

Glancing up to make sure Gwyneth was out of sight, Liam withdrew the kit from the pocket of his jacket. Tearing open the cellophane wrap, he withdrew the swab stick and slid his little finger across Kyle’s face. As the boy opened his mouth, Liam ran the cotton tip gently against the inside of the baby’s cheek. He only whined a bit.