Page 124 of Nanny for the Firefighter

My strength begins to slip away, and I hear a low thudding off in the distance. My malfunctioning brain can’t tell what it is, and I just assume it’s a part of dying.

In a whoosh, the pressure on my shoulders and head disappears. I have just enough in me to instinctively pull myself out of the pool, coughing up water that burns all the more as it comes back out.

Thwack!

I look to my right to see Mason on top of Jai. He lands several frenzied punches on the guy’s face, and Mason isn’t showing any signs of stopping.

Dragging myself toward them, I try to call out to him. “Mason!”

He doesn’t respond, and Jai is looking more and more like a bloody piñata.

“Mason, stop!”

Something clicks, and Mason jerks his head toward me. Our eyes meet, and he drops Jai to the pool deck in a heap.

“Bridget!”

Rushing to my side, Mason scoops me against his chest, and I sag into him. “I’m okay. You stopped him. I’m…”

But my words falter because I realize what just almost happened, and all I can do is sob into Mason’s arms.

THIRTY-EIGHT

Bridget

Bridget

Sirens blare in the distance, closing in on our location, and everything tastes like chlorine. Mason’s solid chest is right under my forehead, and I try to breathe in his scent around the stench of pool that lingers in my nostrils.

“I…I thought I lost you.”

Mason’s arms shake as they’re wrapped around me. I pull back just enough to look up into his eyes, still not quite believing that he’s here.

“How…how did you know to get here?”

He smiles softly. “The alarm. Security called me. I just…I knew it wasn’t a fluke, so I told them to call the police. I was already on my way home, so…”

Hugging him tight again, I close my eyes. My entire body is trembling.

“Thank you, Mason. I…oh, God.”

There’s a groan from the side as Jai stirs, but then the authorities are busting into the backyard. We freeze as instructed, and Mason hollers out that he was the one who called them.

Things move too quickly for me to comprehend at that point, and I’m scooped up by paramedics as the police haul off Jai. Towels and blankets are wrapped around me, and Mason is pulled away to speak to the officer on the scene.

When I can finally breathe without it stinging horribly, I look up to see Mason heading toward me with Mia in his arms.

“Mia!”

The sweet girl reaches out for me, and I hold out my arms for her. Mason settles her in my lap as I sit in the back of an ambulance, and I squeeze Mia to my chest.

“Oh, honey. I’m so sorry about that. It was probably so scary.”

Mason is right there with us, and he puts a hand on my shoulder. “She was okay, but she didn’t like that she couldn’t leave her room.”

“I’m so sorry.” I hug her to me, the tears flowing all over again.

Guilt swarms me as I hold Mason’s daughter. I love Mia so damn much, and the fact that I led Jai right to her will never be okay with me.

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