Page 110 of Nanny for the Firefighter

I can’t believe how horrible the guy is and that Bridget stood up to all that shit for two years. She’s a stronger survivor than she gives herself credit for.

When I get to my office, I barely wave at Cassie as I head to the back and sit down at my desk. I’m too distracted, and answering the emails I got last night proves to be wildly unsuccessful.

Still, I know exactly what will make me feel better, so I unload my laptop from my briefcase and set it down on my desk before pulling out my phone.

I’m going to call Easton, and hopefully, he’ll be able to get over to the house in the next hour.

As my finger sits poised over the green button, Cassie walks up to my open door, knocking on the wood politely.

“Hey, sorry to interrupt. I know that you just got here, but someone is asking to see you in the reception area.”

My stomach clenches, and I don’t know why, but I’m immediately on edge. Something is too off about how quickly that happened, and I just…don’t like it.

“Who?” I furrow my brow at her, setting my phone down.

“Umm, a gentleman around your age. He introduced himself as Mr. Smith. Blonde, tallish.”

It’s been a while since I’ve seen Jai, but that description is a little too close for my liking.

“Okay, I’ll be right there. Thank you, Cassie. Could you please check the backroom for that signage delivery I’m expecting?”

She regards me for a moment because it’s a silly fucking task, and we both know it. But then Cassie just nods and heads that way.

I don’t want her near the foyer. That’s the real reason I’m sending her to the back.

Walking down the short hallway to the front of the building, my spine tenses, and I clench my hands into fists.

I’m prepared to see that asshole standing there all smug, and I have zero problems clocking him right in the face and then calling the cops.

I’ll keep him from laying a finger on Bridget again if it’s the last thing I do.

“All right, you bastard. I?—”

But as I step into the reception area in front of Cassie’s desk, no one is there. The room is empty, and the door ahead of me is closed.

My heart is hammering as I look around the room for any sign of Jai, and then I see it.

On her desk is a single red rose like the one Bridget found yesterday. And there’s a note wrapped around the stem with a black ribbon just like before, too.

I snatch it off the counter, careful to avoid the thorns and turn the note over in my hand. Scribbled across the torn piece of paper in terrible handwriting are just two simple words.

She’s mine.

The world tilts on its axis, and I’m in real danger of puking up my cup of coffee. He was in my office, and he’s playing these fucking games.

Without thinking, I rush out of the office, looking left and right for any sign of Jai around my building.

This street is just off Main, and there are buildings on either side of mine, directly attached to the sides. He couldn’t have gone between them or snuck off down an alley quick enough for me to not see him.

But there’s nothing.

A few people pass me coming from the coffee shop a few shops down, and I catch the confused looks on their faces.

I’m not crazy, though, and Jai’s head game bullshit won’t work on me. I know he was here, and there’s only so many places he could have gone.

I look across the street, but it’s early, and no one is over on that side doing business because the stores are still closed.

As I step forward, I notice something shiny on the ground. Stopping to check it out, because I’m going to inspect anything I see at this point, I find a glistening puddle of coolant on the road just off the curb.

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