Page 45 of Nanny for the Don

“Of course,” she replies, and without another word, she hurries off to do as I’ve asked.

I lead Willow and the girls into the kitchen, but I can see how tense Willow is around me, like she’s bracing herself for something bad. It guts me that she feels this way, but I can’t blame her after what she saw.

“Tell me what happened,” I ask, looking at Willow for confirmation.

“Lucia was climbing a rock at the park and lost her balance.”

“Willow told me to get down, but I didn’t want to,” Lucia confesses.

“We’ll talk about that later,” I say. to her.

As I step outside, Ms. M is pulling up in the Lexus SUV, the engine purring quietly. I carry Lucia close to my chest. Her little arms are wrapped around my neck, and I can feel how light and fragile she is at this moment. It tears at something deep inside me, but I push it down, focusing on getting her taken care of.

Willow helps Giulia into the car while I carefully strap Lucia into her seat. The sight of her with that wound on her head, looking so small and vulnerable, twists a knife in my gut. But I have to stay composed, for her sake.

“You’re going to be fine, baby,” I tell her, brushing a hand gently over her hair.

Lucia looks up at me, her voice small. “Are you coming, Papa?”

I frown. I have to get to Sal, tell him to take that son of bitch somewhere else. But I need to go with Lucia.

Ms. M sees my struggle and says, “Don’t worry. I can handle it until you get there.”

I force a reassuring smile when I look at Lucia. “Alright there, sweetheart. I just need to check in with Uncle Sal first.”

Willow says nothing, but I catch the look in her eyes—she knows exactly what I mean by “check in with Sal.” She knows I need to wrap up whatever unfinished business I have in the basement. She climbs into the front seat without speaking.

I close the car door gently, then turn to Ms. M. “Text me when you get there,” I instruct her..”

She nods, and without another word, she pulls away from the curb and into the street, heading toward the clinic. I watch them go for a moment, a heavy weight settling in my chest, before turning back toward the house.

I look up at the sky, noticing the dark clouds rolling in, turning a mean shade of gray. A hell of a storm is coming, and fast. I need my family home and safe before it hits.

As the thought crosses my mind, I pause, realizing something that hits me harder than expected—when I thought of my family, I was including Willow. The weight of that realization sinks in, making me sigh. By the end of the day, who knows if she’ll still be in my life?She could be drafting her resignation letter right now, and after what she saw, I wouldn’t blame her.

I push the thought aside for now and head back inside, making my way to the basement. I step into the garage and immediately notice Sal’s car is gone.

What the hell happened?

My eyes scan the area, trying to piece it together. Sal wouldn’t just leave without a word, not without checking in with me first. Something’s not right, and my gut twists with the possibilities. I move further into the garage, the cold creeping into my bones as I assess the situation.

I hurry down the stairs into the basement, my pulse quickening as I approach the hallway. The door to the interrogation room is open, and immediately, I know something’s gone wrong. I can feel it in the air, a sickening sense that something’s spiraled out of control.

“Boss!” Sal l’s voice calls out., strained but urgent.

I rush into the room and see him slumped against the wall; a nasty wound slashed across his face. Blood drips down his cheek, but there’s no sign of Jack. My gut twists with anger and frustration as I rush to Sal’s side.

“What the hell happened?” I demand, my voice sharp as I check the wound. It’s deep but not life-threatening.

Sal waves me off, grimacing. “I’m fine, boss. Jack must’ve taken advantage of the confusion with Willow to loosen his bindings. He caught me off guard—hit me hard, cut me with the bone saw, and then took my keys in the chaos.”

I let out a loud, furious “Shit!” that echoes through the room. The situation has gone from bad to worse, and now we’ve got a loose end on the run.

“You need to get that cut looked at,” I tell Sal.

Sal shakes his head. , stubborn as ever. “I’m fine, boss. I owe it to you to find Jack ASAP.”

I nod, knowing he’s right, but still uneasy. “I need to go check on Lucia. We’ll regroup after. Take one of my cars and go.”

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