Page 49 of The Nanny Next Door

My phone buzzed with yet another work-related email, and I resisted the urge to chuck the thing at the dull cinderblock walls. Instead, I silenced it without even looking. Work had always been my anchor, my way of providing and protecting, but right now, it felt like an irrelevant nuisance. How could I focus on something as trivial as business, making yet more money I didn’t need, when the people I loved were in danger?

I clenched my fists, my frustration boiling over. "What the hell is taking so long?" I burst out, unable to contain my anger any longer. "They should have found them by now. Or hell, they should at least have given us another update. I’m going insane.”

Felipe looked at me, his eyes filled with a mix of concern and shared anxiety. "I know it’s frustrating, Aaron. I feel the same way."

Miles, who had been in one of his on-again phases in his on-again, off-again relationship with fruitlessly pacing back and forth, stopped and nodded in agreement. "This is unbearable. We need to know they're okay. Every second counts."

The weight of our collective fear hung heavily in the air. I felt a pang of guilt twist in my gut. For so long, I had believed that providing financially was enough to protect the people around me. To protect myself, even. It was how I had taken care of Whitney in my own distant way, how I had convinced myself that I was doing my duty as a brother, as a dutiful son to our broken parentage, as a man. But as I sat here, bombarded by the cold reality that I might lose Lila and Jamie, I realized just how flawed that belief was. They needed more than money. They needed me, my presence, my love.

The memory of the last time I saw Lila and Jamie flashed through my mind. Lila’s laugh, the way she lit up as she played with the child we’d both grown to love, relishing Jamie’s innocent giggles. Those moments were priceless. I had thought I was showing my love through my work, but now I saw how much more they needed from me. They needed me to be there, fully present.

My phone buzzed again, and I ignored it.

Suddenly, as if sensing that I’d been screening someone else’s calls, the phone at the front desk of the station rang, slicing through the oppressive silence. An officer answered, his face serious as he listened intently. My heart pounded in my chest, every nerve on edge.

After a moment, the officer looked over at us. "Aaron Pierce?" he called.

I stood up, my legs feeling like they might give out from under me. "That's me."

He gestured for me to come forward. "Sir, it’s your sister. She wants to talk to you. Only you.”

My heart leaped into my throat. I took the phone, my hands trembling. "Whitney? It's Aaron."

"Aaron." Her voice came through the line, shaky and hysterical. "I'm–I’m so, so sorry. For taking Jamie. For taking the nanny. I didn’t mean any harm, I swear.”

“I know,” I said around a lump in my throat. She was a lot of things, but evil wasn’t one of them.

“I just—Mark said he needed the money. I didn't even mean to tell him about you, or that you had Jamie.” Her voice broke with a sob. “I just don’t know what else to do. I’m so scared, Aaron. Mark... he threatened Jamie. I thought I could control it, but it all went wrong."

"Whitney, calm down," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "It's going to be okay. Just take a deep breath and tell me where you are."

"I can't. Mark will kill us if he finds out. All of us."

"Whitney, listen to me," I said, my tone firm but gentle. "I care about you, and I forgive you. You did what you thought you had to do to protect Jamie. But now, I need you to help me protect him and Lila. Tell me where you are so we can come get you."

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. I could hear her breathing, fast and panicked. "Jamie's doing well, Whitney," I continued softly. "He's a happy, healthy boy. You've done a great job with him. Let us help you both."

Finally, she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. She rattled off a description and vague location of where they were—some abandoned warehouse near Hell’s Kitchen. “Mark's gone for now, but he could be back any minute."

"Thank you, Whitney," I said, relief flooding through me. "We're coming to get you. Stay safe."

The station erupted into action, officers grabbing their gear and heading for the exits. Felipe and Miles stood up, their faces determined.

"We're going to get them," Miles said again, his voice resolute. He was a broken record, but I didn’t begrudge him. He’d dealt with the worst kind of loss before, and we all worried he’d break if he had to go through another one. Felipe and I were pretty fragile right now, too.

I nodded, my heart pounding. "We’re gonna get Lila, and Jamie, and we'll get Whitney too."

She was still my baby sister. It was my job to keep her safe, and I’d been doing a piss-poor job of it for years. Now, it was time for me to save her once and for all.

36

LILA

The silence in the warehouse was so suffocating, I almost wished Whitney and her shady criminal boyfriend would start arguing again. I wasn’t sure how long I’d been here, but I was still truly alone, chained to a pipe, starting to fear I’d be stuck here forever. The only light came from a small, grimy window high on the wall, casting eerie shadows that seemed to move with my every breath. My wrist ached from the tight handcuffs, and I could feel my skin rubbing raw beneath the metal. Each passing minute felt like an eternity, and hope was beginning to slip through my fingers.

My mind wandered to my men often enough that it hurt. Felipe's passionate kisses and his smooth, comforting voice. Aaron's steadfast strength and strong hands. Miles' gentle touch and practical, unpretentious way of showing he cared. A sad, pitiful part of me feared I’d never see them again, would never get to share the future I’d glimpsed, the future I needed to come true. I was sure they were all panicked right now, too, trying their best to stay strong.

And Jamie. Sweet baby Jamie. Even though he was with his mother, I knew he must be scared and confused. He was too young to understand what was happening, but old enough to feel the fear in the air. I hoped Whitney was taking care of him despite the chaos she had caused and her clear inability to be what he needed long-term.

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