Chapter 4
Burns hung Mr Creed's Armani suit up in his dressing room. It had taken a full week to clean properly. Blood was an incredibly tough stain to remove. It always baffled him why anyone would want to stain, and sometimes even ruin almost $600 worth of clothing in one go. Then again, Sabretooth wasn't lacking in cash and he liked to burn it. In recent years however, most of the cash had gone on Layla, whether she appreciated it or not. Burns wasn't afraid to admit it. Layla was spoiled.
Layla had grown, not just in the normal ways, but mentally, she was familiar with things kids of her age weren't, or weren't meant to be. The idea of Creed killing potential boyfriends may have angered her, but she wasn't horrified or repulsed by it. It was the norm in her world by then. Victor destroyed or killed whoever or whatever he didn't like, and Layla dealt with it, usually just shrugging it off. She was a lot more adult in her thoughts than most. And that worried Burns.
Creed had taken to sleeping in Layla's bed at late. It was none of Burns' business really and Victor maintained that it was just because he couldn't sleep alone. It used to be Birdy who not only maintained his mental state, but if the glow didn't knock him out; she usually ended up sleeping in his bed. As Burns understood, it wasn't always sexual, but Creed was a restless sleeper at the best of times and sex managed to keep his mind off things. He wondered whether Creed was trying to push that responsibility onto Layla.
Closing the wardrobe doors, Burns head out of the room and out onto the main landing, his mind still wondering as he went. When he'd gone to wake Layla that morning, once again, he found Creed curled up in her bed, his thick arms coiled round her in a protective loop. As much as Layla enjoyed that kind of contact with sabretooth, it made Burns' skin crawl. Having not raised, or even been round many children before Layla, Victor had treated her as an adult. He didn't watch his language around her like many parents do. He didn't bother to try and shield her from things she was too young to see. He treated her like an adult, something she simply was not yet.
Maybe, years from then, if Burns saw Creed and Layla in the same position, sleeping next to each other, curled up close, like lovers, maybe he wouldn't have been so appalled. But Layla was fifteen, and Burns was appalled.
He continued his musings and everyday activities, totally unaware of what had occurred in Layla's room, which was until Creed stormed down the hall towards him.
"Mr Creed?" Burns shifted the bundle of washing for one arm to the other nervously. Victor's eyes burned with anger, fading from their normal sky blue, to a hellish orange.
"Did you tell Layla ta wake me up?" he snarled, bearing down on Burns. The smaller man backed up in shock and confusion. He wasn't usually one to be intimidated by Victor, but there were times he rather have avoided him than deal with his moods. This was one of those moments, but he couldn't avoid it. Obviously something had gone horribly wrong.
"Yes." He only just managed to breathe out.
"Why? WHY DIDN'T YOU WAKE ME?" Victor barked, leaning further into his face.
"L-Layla wanted to wake you. You've never minded before?" Burns voice sounded unusually desperate.
Victor snorted and reeled back, his glare finally averting to the stairs, but the scowl still every much directed towards Burns.
"What's happened?" Burns asked quietly as he regained his calm tone of voice.
"Ya don't wanna know." The larger feral growled, turning on his heel and stalking off. Burns watch after him, still dazed and confused.