Page 45 of The Bratva's Nanny
I gripped the steel knob and pressed down. “And you don’t have to be scared of that idiot, Finn, again. He won’t touch one strand of hair on your head.”
Without waiting for a response, I opened the door, only wide enough for the view behind it to be covered by my frame.
“Daddy,” Polly ambushed me with a whine. Her eyes were teary, and her lips formed a shaking pout. “I can’t find Maria anywhere.”
I threw one last glance at Maria, lying comfy on my bed with parted lips, and was pleased to find her frozen in an awestruck daze.
I shut the door, all the while thinking that no other woman looked so good, seated half-naked on that bed. Like they belonged right there and nowhere else.
Beaming, I crouched to my daughter’s level, picked her up, and lightly squeezed the bridge of her nose. “Maria’s fine, baby. What do you say about having scrambled eggs for breakfast?”
Her small arms went around my shoulder, and she buried her face in my neck. “I appreciate all you do for me, Daddy.”
Kissing her forehead, I said, “I’ll give it to you: That’s the nicest way to say you’d rather have one of Maria’s pancakes,” and we laughed.
Chapter Twelve – Maria
The ‘bubble pop’ message notification pricked the silence in the air, and the man in the driver’s seat raised suspicious eyes to the rearview mirror.
His name was Vasili.
He had hard eyes, a chiseled jawline, and tattooed fingers, and I wouldn’t have been surprised if it was later revealed that this man was an ex-convict from a high maximum-security prison who had been a terror to the wardens.
Probably wrong for me to judge a book by its cover but I couldn’t help it; one glance at the man could send anyone running to the hills.
Sadly, I wasn’t the only one judging a book by its cover. Like all the others in Roman’s household, Vasili didn’t like me very much. Their trust in me was below nothing, probably a solid minus-zero.
If their boss hadn’t given explicit instructions to protect me, they might have as well been the enemies I prayed against.
Often, they watched closely and monitored my every move, as he did even now when I picked up my phone and tapped on the screen.
It was a message from Polly’s actual school. Phoenix Martial Arts Academy had only been a productive extracurricular for the young girl, and after her father had her pulled out of the Academy, she focused full-time on school and music lessons at home.
I read through the message and felt uncomfortably irritated after a glance through every line.
Dear Parents/Guardians,
We are excited to inform u that our students have been working hard to prepare for a Book Exhibition, which is now live! To allow ample time for our students 2 showcase their work n explore their peers’ projects, we will be delaying dismissal by a couple of hours today.
New dismissal time: [5:00 pm]
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause n appreciate ur understanding in supporting our students’ learning experiences.
Thank you for your continued support.
Best regards,
[Mgt.]
I stared at the time on the top left of the screen and dropped the phone with a groan. Two in the fucking afternoon. What stopped them from sending the memo seven hours ago?
Combing my fingers through my hair, I leaned against the headrest and watched through the window as the buildings went by in a blur.
It wasn’t their fault I was irritated and sleep-deprived. If anything, I had the big boss himself to blame. One week after having unbelievable sex, he’d left an imprint that was beginning to seem a little more permanent than I’d ever admit to.
The constant aching between my legs. The craving to feel his enormous hands on the curve of my back. The feverish need for his kisses.
One time this past week, I’d dared touch myself. I stroked and rubbed, imagining his thick finger inside me instead. But it didn’t work. I’d left the shower more dissatisfied and was grumpy throughout breakfast.