Page 25 of Nanny's Baby for the Italian Mafia Boss

Sophie

It’s been a week since arriving at the Milazzo home, and I’m still not sure what to think. Matias has gone out of his way to prove he isn’t a horrible man, but flashes of the house fire that killed my parents when I was a child flip through my mind. At the end, when someone is carrying me out, it’s his face I see.

Which is impossible.

Why would he save me and why would he come into the house?

Unless he was the one who started it.

I shake the thought out of my head, because there is no way he’d do that to me or anyone. He seems too kind.

Then again, he is a mafia boss, and no man gets to that position by being kind. I just find it hard to believe that he’d start the fire, save me, and then all these years later, hire me as a nanny.

Unless, he wants to finish the job. I am the only one who survived the blaze.

But then why would he take me shopping and spend thousands of dollars on me?

I groan in frustration as I make lunch. I have too many conflicting thoughts going on. If they don’t make sense, then there is no reason why I should be thinking of them at all.

I flip the grilled cheese sandwich in the pan and scoop a ladle of tomato soup into a bowl. It’s homemade and I hope Matias likes it. I made enough for everyone.

“Ella? Lunch is ready,” I shout, and hear her little feet pounding down the hallway. She slides to a stop and almost runs into me while my hands are full. “Woah. Be careful,” I chuckle, not wanting to say it too harshly.

“Do you think we can go to the park today?” she asks, climbing onto the high barstool.

I set the soup and grilled cheese sandwich in front of her, and she digs in, the cheese stretching as she pulls it away from her mouth. Ella giggles the further away the creamy, yellow melted cheese gets.

“I’ll ask your dad when I take him lunch, okay? I don’t see why we can’t.” I bring down a tray from the cabinet, then a bowl, a small plate, and load it up with food. Then, I pair it with some sparkling water that I noticed he likes. “I’ll be right back.”

I head to his office, hearing his voice rising as he speaks to someone.

“I don’t give a fuck what it takes. You’ll find him. He will not steal from me. When you have him, bring him to me.” I hear him smack the phone on the receiver.

Swallowing, I choose to knock.

“What?” The word sharp as a knife with frustration.

I enter the room with his lunch, not meeting his eyes. “I’m sorry to bother you. I’ll just leave this here.”

Right as I set the tray down, his fingers encompass my wrist.

“Wait— I’m sorry, Sophie. I didn’t mean to yell at you.” His thumb rubs over my inner wrist and I can’t remember how to breathe because of his touch. “It’s been a rough morning. I found out one of my runners stole from me. I’m not happy, but it’s not a reason to take it out on you.”

“You didn’t know it was me. It’s okay.”

I can tell by his stare that he doesn’t believe me, then sees his lunch. “Tomato soup and grilled cheese? I haven’t had this since I was a child.” He sits in his chair, contemplating the meal in front of him. I should have asked if he even liked it. Great. “This looks delicious… Thank you.” He dips the sandwich into the soup, taking a huge bite, then groans.

That sound does something to my entire body. His eyes close and his tongue flicks out to lick the tomato soup from his lip. “God, that’s good.”

“I’m glad. I was wondering if I could take Ella back to the park? She’s asking and I’d love to get her around kids again.”

He nods and swallows. “I don’t see why not. I can’t go with you, but Gianni will.”

“Oh, it’s okay. You don’t have to do that. I’ll be fine.”

“There’s no way I’m letting my daughter or you out of this house without protection. Never trust anyone outside this house. Now that you’ve been seen with me, it won’t be long before it might cause you issues.”

“Issues, as in, another mafia boss could kidnap me?”

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