Page 59 of The Bratva's Nanny
“What’s so funny?”
The room fell silent as a blonde lady stepped onto the stage. Diamonds sparkled around her neck and ears, her designer gown shimmering in the light.
I picked two glasses of wine off a waiter’s tray and handed one to her.
With a graceful smile, the woman adjusted the microphone stand and took a deep breath, her voice soaring, a rich, velvety tone filling the room.
“The old man you speak of is Benjamin Quinn, and he is anything but nice.” I lifted the glass to my lips. “Back in the 1980s, he was notorious. Multiple charges of murder. First-degree, second-degree. Manslaughter….”
She gasped.
I took a sip from the glass. “Rape, embezzlement, espionage, sedition, trafficking….”
Maria squeaked in a small voice, “Trafficking?”
“Uh-huh.” Our gazes locked, and I saw the fear in her eyes. “Drugs and women.”
“Dear God!”
“He was a very big deal then. Had the big dogs in all the sectors under his thumb, controlling and manipulating. You didn’t want to mess with Benjamin Quinn. One wrong mention of his name could cost you a finger or tongue, depending on his mood.
“My father hated his guts. They were rivals at some point, and their clashes always turned out to be a fucking bloodbath.”
I gritted my teeth, remembering the times my father went absent for weeks, and when he finally got back, he’d retreat to his study and not say a word to me until days after. By then, news had already spread like rapid-fire across the city, broadcasting the aftermath of the ruins of their clash.
“To end this gruesome story, my father grew stronger and conquered more terrains, and of course, that included influence. When he was sure he had more allies on his side, he got Quinn kicked out of Chicago. And that’s how the nice old man lost his throne.”
Maria was quiet for a while before she spoke up. “Lovely story.”
It was quite the opposite. For a man that high to suddenly lose everything in a blink…. “Lovely, indeed. Turns out, he learned lessons the hard way, too. After losing most of his family, he settled for living a simpler life in the countryside, where he was incognito.”
I finished the wine in my glass and looked at her now, assessing the numerous expressions on her face. The switch was rapid: from horrified to empathetic and then perplexed.
“And you?” she started, and I braced myself.
I prepared myself for her inquisitions but never expected the bombshell she hesitantly dropped.
“Do you ever think you could lead a simpler life in the countryside?”
Chapter Sixteen – Maria
Shit. Shit. Shit!
That shouldn’t have come out.
That should never have come out.
What was I thinking, asking him that?
Oh, Maria.
If I wasn’t already struggling with anxiety and composure issues, I might have as well run a hand down my face and blurted an apology for delving into something that was none of my business.
He stared at me like I’d lost a few nuts upstairs, and I could perfectly understand why. I’d crossed the boundaries, hopped over the line, and waved a bright green flag, saying that I thought of him as something else besides being my boss.
To another’s ears, it might have sounded innocent, merely a question borne out of sheer nosiness. But we both knew it was anything but innocent.
It meant I cared. I cared enough to envision what his life would be like beyond the walls of dark suits and guns. I cared enough to know if he imagined a life like that, possibly with me in it. I’d shown him I wanted more than just a peek behind the curtains. I wanted more—to share stories, envision, and imagine together.