Page 3 of The Bratva's Nanny

“For what?”

Did she truly not remember her demands?

I raised a brow. “Extra Oreos and a Lightsaber?”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

Her face screwed up in intense concentration, her tiny brows furrowing in deep thought. “Why do I only get three wishes a day, Daddy?”

“It’ll teach you how to prioritize and make only smart decisions. Besides, genies only grant three wishes.”

She mimicked the look I had on my face with a raised brow. “But you’re not a genie.”

“No, but I could be.” I smirked and pressed a finger down on her nose again. “Time’s running out, baby. What’s your last wish going to be?”

“Not fair.” She pouted and huffed, her arms crossed over her chest. “I want so many things.”

“Prioritize, Polly.”

“Fine.”

Just when I thought she was mad, she turned to me with one of her mischievous smiles. “My last wish for the day is this: You’ll say yes to everything I want for the rest of the day.”

This time, I didn’t bother suppressing the grin. She knew she’d gotten me right where she wanted me.

“Smart,” I commended her. And I had to give it to her, that was impressive. Like a low punch I didn’t see coming. I patted her hair down and placed a kiss on her forehead. “Consider it a yes, then.”

She threw a fist in the air and squealed loudly, “Whoopee!”

It even got Lev laughing and making jokes with her about a hundred things she could wish for in an hour.

I sat back and watched them both.

The smile I’d brought to her face was the greatest reward I could’ve ever asked for.

Chapter Two – Maria

What was the thing about having a great day again?

I’d once come across a quote made by an anonymous writer in a book somewhere. Was it at Old Man Steve’s bookstore downtown or in a fortune cookie?

There was a ninety percent chance it was the cookie, but it didn’t matter; the quote made sense: “Make today so awesome that yesterday becomes jealous.” Talk about motivation. That was a solid one that stared me in the face.

So earlier today, I woke up pumped, fully determined and ready to have the best day at PMAA. And then, my optimism had delivered the opposite. A long day with the kids, no time to catch a breath, and the constant nagging of the manager to fix the freaking bathroom hand dryers (which, by the way, weren’t even things on my list to worry about). I always enjoyed the classes with the kids, which was good. Watching them learn and improve was my highlight for the day.

But today, it was all going to shit really quick. A few of my star students started acting clumsy during training while the others didn’t even bother feigning the eagerness to learn, and early signs of exhaustion reared its ugly head.

That was until my favorite student showed up with her nanny and two bodyguards. Polina R. Varkov always made an entrance with a retinue of buffy bodyguards and nannies in tow. I’d never seen a parent, but then, I didn’t need to. The extra security and twenty-four-seven surveillance on the six-year-old was enough to disclose her family’s status. Whoever they were, they probably possessed power and wealth for generations to come.

But Polly wasn’t the snobby, entitled kid I’d expected her to be. She just didn’t act the part.

Humble? Yes.

Chatty? Yes.

Chirpy? Yes.

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