Page 65 of Nanny for the Don

But it’s a ghost town. Desolate. Nothing but abandoned buildings, and not a single person in sight. The panic sets in deeper.

Behind me, I hear the guy from the car yelling for help. I glance over my shoulder and see two huge dudes barreling after me, running way faster than I thought possible for guys their size.

Shit.

I push harder, my lungs screaming, but just when I think I might have a shot at outrunning them, my foot slips.I hit a patch of ice and go down hard on my side, the impact slamming into my shoulder like a sledgehammer. The pain is instant, radiating through my entire arm. I gasp, trying to suck in air, but it feels like everything’s spinning.

Flat on my back, all I can see is the slate gray sky above, cold and unforgiving. The pounding of footsteps is getting louder, closer, and there’s nothing I can do.

I scramble to my feet, trying to shake off the pain and get another run in, but it’s too late. The guys are on me in seconds. One of them pulls out a knife, holding it inches from my face.

“You need to fucking behave,” he growls.

The other one grabs me by the arm, yanking me upright like I weigh nothing. My heart’s still racing, fear and adrenaline surging through me. They drag me back toward the corner, where the driver is waiting, a nasty smirk on his face. Without warning, he backhands me hard, the sting spreading across my cheek.

“Don’t try that shit again.”

Dazed, I barely process what’s happening as they march me toward the rundown house. The driver calls out, “Cobra,” like it’s some secret code or password.

The door swings open, and on the other side is an absolute mountain of a man, easily twice my size. He looks me over, grunting, then nods for the others to bring me inside.

To my surprise, the inside isn’t some abandoned crack house like I expected. It’s buzzing with activity. Guys huddled over tables, weighing out bags of drugs, others stacking crates full of guns. The place is crawling with criminals, all moving with purpose.

I’m led deeper into the house, and I can feel the eyes of some of these criminals crawling over me like I’m meat on display. My skin crawls. Part of me wants to snap, to tell them to keep their disgusting stares to themselves, but I keep my mouth shut. I can’t risk getting roughed up, not with the baby to think about. I’m already freaked about the fall I took a few minutes ago.

We walk through a narrow hallway and into an office. I’m still trying to make sense of everything when I freeze. Sitting there, battered and bruised, is the man I saw in Nico’s basement. His face is a mess—bruises covering every inch—and when he grinsat me, I notice he’s missing a tooth.

Nico didn’t kill him. The thought hits me, and for a second, there’s a weird sense of relief. At least until the man opens his mouth.

“Well, well, well... look what we have here.” His voice is slimy, full of dark amusement. “You’ll do nicely for bait.”

My stomach drops.Bait? They’re using me to get to Nico.

I try to keep my expression neutral, but inside, panic’s clawing at me. This guy isn’t just some low-level thug. He’s the reason Nico’s been so on edge.

And now I’m right in the middle of it.

He rises from behind the desk, his eyes locking onto mine, a disgusting sneer spreading across his bruised face. Every step he takes closer, the more I can see just how wrecked his face is.

Nico really did a number on him. If only he were here to finish the job.

“You’re all mine now,” he says, his voice dripping with twisted satisfaction..”

I try to raise my hand, instinctively wanting to slap that smug grin off his face. But my wrists are still bound.

He sees me struggle and laughs, the sound low and menacing. His breath reeks as he leans in closer, his face inches from mine. The way he looks at me, like he’s already won, makes my skin crawl. I can feel it in his eyes—he’s completely unhinged.

“Not so tough now, huh?”

One of his goons steps forward at his nod and grabs my bindings. He jerks me back so hard I nearly stumble, the force sending a sharp pain through my shoulders. I gasp, my teeth gritted, trying to hold back any sound of pain. I won’t give him the satisfaction.

But inside I’m scared as hell. This guy’s nuts, and I have no idea what he’s planning. All I know is that whatever it is, it’s bad. I can only hope Nico’s on his way.

I spit right in his face, nailing him on the cheek. For a split second, a wild rage flashes in his eyes, and I swear I’ve just sealed my fate.I barely have time to process it before he pulls out a gun, waving it in front of my face. My heart slams against my chest, but I hold my ground, trying not to let him see the fear crawling up my spine.

“You just used your one fuck-up,” he snarls, his voice dripping with venom. He wipes the spit off his cheek with a wicked grin. “The name’s Jack. And for now, you’re my property.”

Property? The word makes my skin crawl, but I keep my mouth shut this time. No need to push my luck again.

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