Page 205 of Nanny and the Beast

Something is wrong.

Urgency builds inside me, but I’m also paralyzed by fear.

I flip through the camera feeds, my heart breaking a little more when I see he has more cameras in my bedroom. They’re from different angles, including one focused on my bed.

It’s not just about the invasion of privacy; it’s about the principle of it. I really deluded myself into thinking that the man I loved was a good man. I really let myself believe that there was a soft side to him. I fell for every word he said.

I’m so angry right now I could scream.

“Do it,” says a voice in my head.

I’m seething as I switch to another camera feed. It’s of the foyer.

I pause on this one. Every thought is wiped out of my head. I’m transfixed as I look at the swinging chandelier. It’s on fire.

I quickly flip through more cameras. The banisters are on fire, too.

The fire is spreading fast, licking everything in its path.

The kids.

I’m terrified, but I need to get the kids out of here.

Without thinking about the girl in the wedding dress, I run to the door and throw it open. The smell of smoke instantly fills mylungs, making me cough. It squeezes down on my lungs, stealing the air from inside me so the fire can burn brighter.

I don’t see anyone in sight. I head straight toward the kid’s room and wake them up.

“Miss Turner?” James asks. “What’s wrong?”

“Guys, I need you to stay calm and come with me,” I say. “There’s a fire. We need to evacuate the house.”

“The house is on fire?” Rosalie asks, looking at me with wide eyes.

“Yes, but we’re going to be okay,” I say. “Come on.”

“Wait, I need to get my things,” Rosalie says, getting out of bed and collecting her favorite toys and books. “I don’t want to lose them.”

She runs to the closet next and starts grabbing her clothes. Jameswatches her with wide eyes.

“Rosalie, we have to go, sweetheart,” I say. “It’s not safe to stay inside any longer.”

“I don’t want to lose my favorite things,” she says, pulling things off the hangers. She gathers her Halloween costume and her favorite ballerina tutu.

“Rosalie, I know it’s frustrating,” I say. “You’re scared you’re going to lose your things.”

“You don’t understand,” she screams, her voice shrill. “You don’t understand anything.”

I kneel in front of herand grab her shoulders.

“I do understand,” I say. “You lost your parents. You lost your childhood. You lost way more than you should have. And you’re scared that your life is going to change again. I know it’s scary, and I know it hurts, but we need to let go of things sometimes. That’s just the way it is.”

Her chin wobbles, and she wipes away her tears with furious motions of her little hand.

“I need you to be brave,” I say. “Okay?”

She nods. “Okay.”

I glance at James, who’s still standing in front of his bed. He’s staring at the door with wide eyes.

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