Page 17 of The Mobster's Nanny

Paolo sighs. "I don't know. I hope I'm wrong, but I think we have to keep an eye on our own. Something's…"

I don't hear the rest of his sentence because my ears catch a noise behind the door, and a moment later it's being pushed open. Is it Dolce again? I immediately sit up, too tense to keep my mind cool, and without even thinking I say in a strict voice, "No. Get out of here."

But what I see a moment later is Liss, who immediately freezes on the doorstep, and I blink. What? Isn't she at school with Romeo? My mind glitches, and I just stare at her unmoving.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I—I didn't mean to…" Liss stumbles over her words, quickly backing into the hallway, and before I know it the door is already closed again.

What was that?

"Is it Dolce?" Paolo's voice snaps me out of it, and I breathe out, releasing the tension.

"No, it's just…the new nanny."

He chuckles. "What, is she trying to get your attention?"

"No, I don't think so," I mutter, perhaps too seriously for such a silly question, but my mind still hasn't caught up with what just happened.

Shit. I’ve lost track of time. Of course Liss has already returned from school. How could I bark at her like that? But she also knows better than to bother me without a good reason. Wait, what if something happened? Is Romeo okay?

"Hey, man, I have to go."

"Are you gonna ask her out?" Paolo continues in the same teasing tone, but I only huff, getting up from the chair.

"Yeah, sure, next time I'm thirty again."

I hang up a few seconds later as I walk out into the hallway and go straight to the stairs. What exactly am I doing, by the way? I'm not sure, but it feels like I have to talk to Liss before anything else.

The house is oddly quiet when I get down to the first floor, and for a moment I think that she’s already left. Damn. Have I offended her? It’s happened to me in the past with other women, but Liss didn't strike me as a fragile one. I mean, she should know the difference between being strict and aggressive.

Still, I feel something in me tighten unpleasantly at the thought that I was too rude to her. I look around—and a wave of relief washes over me when I see Liss in the living room. She's sitting on the floor, hidden behind the sofa, and only when I step closer do I see that she's petting Dolce who is lying on his side next to her.

"Liss?"

She immediately looks up with a slightly startled look, and maybe I'm seeing things but her cheeks are redder than usual. Oh, is it because of me? She's not upset, is she?

I frown and scratch the back of my head, looking for words. "Listen, I didn't mean to—"

"Oh no, no, it's me, I'm sorry!" It looks like something clicks in her, and Liss jumps up on her feet, waving her hands and rushing to explain herself. "I shouldn't have entered, really, you warned me right at the beginning."

Well, it's not like I've forbidden her to come in.

"It's okay, you—"

"But I wasn't sure what to do," she continues in a worried tone, not listening to me. "Dolce didn't look well, and I was scared for him, so I—I didn't know what to do."

"What?"

I blink out of my confusion and quickly walk toward them, switching my attention to Dolce. He's already rolled on his belly, and when I crouch next to him, he raises his head toward me and sways his tail.

"Hey, buddy," I say with a smile, patting his side. "How are you?"

Dolce wags his tail with more enthusiasm, presenting his belly. But it's not his usual excited and vigorous self, and when Dolce puts his head back on his paws, I understand why Liss got so wired up.

"Do you see?" She looks up at me with worry in her eyes as soon as I stand up. "Has this happened before?"

I frown deeper and turn to Dolce again. Actually, something like this did happen in the past, but it doesn’t make the risk lower now. It could be anything, and I don't even want to imagine Romeo’s reaction if something happens to Dolce. They've pretty much grown up together. They're literally best friends!

Shit. I rub my neck, watching Dolce yawn and sleepily slump on his side. Whatever this is, I can't let anything bad happen to him. Do I have time now? Still not saying anything, I check my phone. Okay, good. Everything seems clear.

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