Page 102 of Nanny for the Firefighter

Knock, knock.

“Oh,” I look over at the door, “umm, someone is at the door, so I should go. I need to tidy up before Mia wakes up from her nap anyway.”

“Okay, no worries,” Meredith says. “Just text me, k?”

“Can do. We’ll talk soon.”

We say goodbye, and I hang up, setting my phone down on the island. I’m not sure who it could be; probably someone looking for Mason, though.

I head over to the door, half expecting them to knock again since it’s been a few moments, and I still haven’t answered the door.

But whoever’s there doesn’t.

My stomach clenches, and I can hear my heart in my ears. When I reach for the doorknob, my hand trembles, and I wipe it along my shorts before gripping it.

No one on the other side has said anything, and then I just suck in a breath and open the thing.

There’s no one there.

Either they got bored with waiting, or I totally misheard the knock. Confusion and stress war for dominance, but when I look around the front yard, I don’t see any sign that someone knocked.

I’m about to go inside when something on the doorstep catches my attention, and I nearly pass out.

“No.”

On the ground, laid there gently, is a single red rose. It’s still partially closed, and wrapped around the stem is a black ribbon with a slim piece of white paper threaded around it.

The page is torn, and I can see some of the black permanent marker bleeding through the paper.

My stomach drops, landing someplace unknown, and I know exactly what that note will read.

I frantically look around me again, searching for any sign of Jai in the bushes and trees surrounding Mason’s property.

Oh, my God. Mia is sleeping upstairs. If he…

I can’t bring myself to finish the thought, but my heart is already speeding faster than light, and I feel like I’m going to be sick.

“No, no, no. This can’t be happening.”

I’m not sure why, but I still go for the rose, picking it up carefully to avoid being pricked by one of the thorns. The tag on it hangs down, and as it slowly turns in the air, I see the words hastily scribbled across it.

You can’t run from me.

Everything is spinning, and I scramble to get myself back inside, shutting the door as quickly as I can and turning over the lock.

I can’t deny that Jai has found me now. I’ve wanted to. I’ve wanted that feeling of being watched to just be me being paranoid.

But I’m not. I’m right.

He’s here.

With the door closed behind me, I slide down the wood, my ass hitting the floor hard. I want to scream, but Mia is sleeping.

Mia is upstairs. Mia is upstairs sleeping, and Jai…

The panicky tears flow hard, and I’m shaking as I sit there clutching the rose. Part of me wants to be shocked, to think, “This is impossible. How did he find me?”

But I always knew it was just a matter of time. Jai has connections, and he’s smart. It was probably easy for him.

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