Page 16 of The Mobster's Nanny

“Yes, but I don’t want them now.”

Liss puts her hands on her hips and gives him a flat look, ready to say something, but I beat her to it.

“Romeo, you can’t talk like that,” I say with a strict note, giving him a long look until he purses his lips and casts his gaze. “Miss Liss got up early just to make you a special breakfast. You could at least try it before refusing to eat.”

Romeo says nothing, only puffing his red-stained cheeks, but Liss turns to me with a small smile and shakes her head. “It’s alright, Matteo. I don’t want him to force it. If you’ll only eat hash browns, it’s fine, just remember that you won’t have anything until school lunch. Do you want apple juice?”

He immediately perks up with an excited smile and nods a few times. “Yes! Thank you, Miss Liss.”

“Yes, yes, but don’t forget about the backpack.” Liss gives him a pointed look, and Romeo quickly runs to the hallway while she turns to the stove with a hum. “Sorry for going against you. I didn’t want him to feel pressured to eat.”

“It’s alright. Don’t worry about it.” I smile and take a sip of my coffee, absentmindedly watching her pour apple juice into Romeo’s glass. She has small and quick hands, and for some reason, I just enjoy watching her do something.

“Actually, it’s something that I wanted to ask you.” Liss glances at me from the corner of her eye. “Do you think I’m being too soft with him?”

I hum. Well, maybe sometimes, but…

“I think you know how to handle him better than anyone.” I shrug with a smile when she looks at me with surprise. “Romeo is much happier when you’re around, Miss Liss.”

And I mean it. Ever since Liss appeared in our life, days have been so much brighter and everything has been so much easier. I can see the change for the better in Romeo’s habits, grades, and everyday mood, and it’s the biggest sign that I made the right choice when I chose Liss over other candidates.

At first, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to live with her at all. No matter how charming she is, I’d never allowed a person into my life so quickly. I’d always been wary of hiring live-in nannies just because, well, isn’t it the same as allowing a stranger into your own house? Nobody knows what they have on their minds.

But with Liss, it’s different. Since the very first day, it’s been so natural to have her around. I feel so comfortable around her, and I can see how much Romeo enjoys her presence and how much better his behavior has been lately. Liss has become almost a part of the family, and sometimes I can’t help but think what it would be like if we were actually—

Wait.

Damn it, Matteo.

I huff under my breath, staring into the depths of my coffee. I should stop thinking about her as anything but Romeo’s nanny. I mean, isn’t it weird? She’s twenty years younger than me,andshe’s technically my employee! No matter how I look at it, having feelings for her is a bad idea—but a few moments later, my gaze inevitably darts to Liss.

She’s leaning on the counter, giggling about something with Romeo, with her hazelnut hair tucked behind her ear and her t-shirt emphasizing her slender figure, and…I’m not blind, okay? I can’t look at her and not admit that she’s pretty. Liss has this vibrant energy of youth, and that’s exactly why I shouldn’t even think about her.

Why would a girl like her be attracted to a forty-year-old widower with a child in tow? But when Liss catches my gaze and gives me a little smile, I can’t help the feeling that there’s something in the air between us. That I’m not the only one feeling that warmth whenever I look at her.

But Liss looks away after a moment, taking away the intensity of her gaze, and I finish my coffee in two gulps and stand up from my stool. I have no idea what to make of it. My thoughts are all messy, so it’s better to go back to my office and focus on work.

“Have fun at school, buddy.” I ruffle Romeo’s hair as I walk past him, earning an undignified grunt, and glance at Liss. “Thanks for the breakfast. I’ll see you later.”

And only when I reach the stairs do I realize that I’m smiling.

Thankfully, I don’t have to wait long until the workload grows to the point that I forget all about my own weird thoughts. I’m in the middle of checking on a new waiter in one of our bars and sending directions for Louis to meet a Russian dealer in Bridgeview when I receive a message from the morning patrol.

Thomas reports that ten minutes ago they saw a car driving away from our borders, and after dispersing and checking the streets around, they found a demolished truck at the property of one of the local delivery services. It’s just a truck, right? It’s not supposed to be a big deal. But when Thomas sends me the photo of the truck and its location, I go still for a moment before dialing Paolo’s number.

“It can’t be a coincidence,” Paolo repeats for the third time, and I can hear Luna crying in the background as he paces around his house. “They knew which truck it was, and they knew how to get there. Goddamnit, we received this batch like two days ago!”

“I know,” I say and lean back in my seat, keeping my calm in the face of Paolo’s hot temper. “And I don’t understand how they found out about it. They couldn’t have just guessed.”

“No, of course not! Gerardo, that goddamn piece of shit—”

“Paolo!” I hear Jacinta’s strict voice in the background, and Paolo cuts himself off. Oh, I wonder what exactly she didn’t like: that Paolo cursed, or that it was directed at her father.

“Alright, that goddamn freak—is that better? He's planning something again. I've heard from our spies that he's spreading his network through Chicago, and who knows how far it reaches."

Shit. I don't like where this is going.

"Do you think his people are among us?" I frown and lean forward on the desk, mindlessly skimming through the conversations on my screen. Could it be one of them?

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