Page 8 of The Mobster's Nanny

I look around and notice Sasha’s car on the other side of the parking lot. She’s probably waiting until Misha goes into the school before driving away to carry out her family’s tasks.

Even though she’s Louis’s wife, Sasha is still an active member of the Russian Bratva—and it’s not surprising, considering Sasha spent her whole life training to be a spy. I have to admit, I was wary of her at first, but we’ve gotten closer through our kids and now I often exchange a few words with her when dropping off or picking Romeo up after school.

While I’m looking at her a familiar figure catches my attention from the corner of my eye, and I turn to look only to see Max dashing through the parking lot with Hector in tow. Elena used to drive him to school, but ever since she gave birth to Mia two months ago, Hector has been the one looking after Maxim. I see Hector’s gaze catch my car as he walks by, and he raises a hand in a greeting before following Max all the way to the school entrance.

As members of the biggest Mafia family in Chicago, we all know that our children are the most vulnerable to being kidnapped and used for trading. It’s happened many times in the past, and it doesn’t always end well. Our enemies always look for ways to bring us down, so we have to be extra careful with the ones we care for.

As soon as Max bumps into Romeo and Misha at full speed, animatedly talking about something, the three of them join the flow of students and disappear inside. Hector lingers next to the entrance for a few seconds before walking back to his car. He’s gonna stay nearby for the rest of the school day to keep an eye on the boys.

From the corner of my eye, I see Sasha taking off and driving out of the parking lot, but I linger to check my messages and make sure that Romeo doesn’t need anything from me before I leave. For some reason, I still don’t know how to send him to school without at least a small pinch of worry.

For the last couple of years, I’ve been taking care of him on my own. Or, well, I’ve used no small amount of help from the nannies I’ve hired, but it’s not the same as when Sienna was still alive. After losing her, I dread anything happening to Romeo, and not having even a nanny to look after him makes it worse.

Finally, I hear the school bell ring marking the beginning of the first lesson, and it’s a cue for me to leave. My car is one of the few still in the parking lot, but the parents hurrying to get to work still manage to create a line at the exit, honking at each other in impatience. I wait for the road to clear out while my mind drifts back to the thoughts about a nanny.

After I sent my request to a couple of agencies, I’ve seen four candidates so far, and I’d like to say it’s enough to finally make a choice…but I still find myself hesitating. The position is too important for me, you know? The future nanny is supposed to keep Romeo safe and happy, take care of Dolce, and at the very least, get along with me. I can’t pick just anyone for a pretty smile and lively demeanor, and yes, I’m talking about Liss.

I hum under my nose, driving away from the school, as the memories of her appearance resurface in my mind. My body immediately responds with a wave of pleasant warmth, but I ignore it, trying to keep my mind cool. I don’t know what it is about her that made my mind spin the very first moment I saw her, but I can’t let it affect my decision, okay? This is about Romeo’s contentment, not mine.

Although, even if I think about Romeo’s feelings only, Liss seemed to be the only one he has actually taken to. He kept asking about her after she left, and I can’t blame him. Liss was very nice, open, and talkative with him, and god, did you see how she handled Romeo’s tantrum? I was impressed, even if she scolded me as a part of it. And that fleeting touch that she gave me…

I shake my head and grip the steering wheel tighter. No, I have to stop thinking about her in that way. Liss held herself with professionalism and an open heart, and here I am, thinking about her tiny hands like a teenager with a stupid crush. Goddamnit!

Besides, it’ll make it too difficult to be around her if I choose her as Romeo’s nanny, so I have to pull myself together and think about her objectively. What other positive traits did Liss show that day?

Ah, well, it’s not a nanny thing, but I liked that Dolce accepted her right away. It’s not a big deal—he likes all strangers—but I was glad to see that she knew how to handle him. You’d be surprised to know how many nannies get scared of a damngolden retriever.

Another thing is that, whether she heard me talking on the phone or not, she showed no surprise or caution, and that was a good sign. Sooner or later, every nanny finds out the specifics of my job, and I don’t want to hire someone who’d run away at the first sight of a gun. I’ve had enough of those kinds of ladies.

So, actually, when I think about it, Liss proved herself to be the best candidate in every possible way…but can I actually hire her? Can I trust myself to remain indifferent in her presence? As a part of the interview, Liss has already agreed to live with us during the week and leave only for the weekends. If she left such an impression on me after just one meeting, what will happen if I keep seeing her every day?

I sigh and shake my head. No, I can’t choose Liss just because Romeo and I like her. There are other candidates, who are not as charming but who are older and more experienced, and I have to focus on them instead. What about Linda, that strict and lovely old lady who brought Romeo fruit gummies and used to work as a caregiver for six years?

I keep musing on the same thoughts over and over again until I finally arrive at the warehouse, an old farm machinery facility and the main base of the Messina Clan. As soon as I get out of the car, I hear the voices of workers and the low buzz of air vents coming through the open garage doors.

The weather is pleasant today, warm and windy, and I catch sun rays glimmering on the surface of Little Calumet River before diving into the dim lights of the warehouse. I salute the guards leaning on the wall by the entrance, and they immediately straighten up to greet me with stiff nods. Oh, is Riccardo in a bad mood today? It looks like someone has disciplined them today.

Riccardo’s office is on the second floor, connected to the stairs with a narrow platform that allows an open view of the first floor, and I linger there for a moment before knocking on the door. Judging by the unsynchronized choir of voices telling me to come in, everyone else is already inside.

“Took you a while to get here, huh?” Riccardo greets me with a rather sour look on his face, and yes, it looks like someone has spoiled his mood already. I say nothing and only shrug, walking inside, while Louis chuckles and swirls in his armchair toward me.

“Don Riccardo isn’t happy today.”

“You just don’t know what it’s like to have a two-month-old baby at home,” Paolo comments from his place by the desk, barely glancing at Louis. “When Luna was born, I barely slept for a whole month, and even then—”

“Yes, yes, yes, we all know the story.” Louis waves a hand and pushes himself up in his chair, leaning on the desk. “You are a great father, Paolo, but are you better than Uncle Louis?”

Louis tilts his head with a teasing smirk, and Paolo looks up at him with a cold glare and pursed lips. I lean back on the sofa and let out a deep breath, ready to listen to more bickering between these two, when Riccardo snaps, “Can’t you talk about it later? I didn’t gather you here to pretend like we’re back in high school.”

It’s rare for Riccardo to sound so irritated, and when I turn to him in surprise, I realize that he does indeed have mussed hair and dark circles under his eyes. I guess Paolo is right, raising Mia is more difficult for him than ruling over a powerful Mafia family. The sight of him reminds me of Romeo’s first months, and I can’t help but feel sympathetic toward my little cousin.

“Let’s focus and get it over with,” I say while Paolo and Louis look for words, and I lean forward on my knees, pointedly looking at Riccardo. “What is it that you wanted to talk about?”

If I was anyone else, he might’ve gotten even more agitated—Riccardo is the head of our family, after all, and I’m not in a high enough position to tell him what to do. But I think he never goes against me because of my age and experience. I’m almost ten years older than all three of them, and I was the one to look after them and train them like my own brothers when they were younger.

I guess I can say that I’ve never betrayed their trust because they still see me as an older brother, and when I act as such, they don’t put me back in my place but rather listen to what I have to say. This time too—Paolo focuses back on his tablet, Louis clears his throat and turns to Riccardo, and Riccardo himself breathes out and pushes some papers on the desk.

“It shouldn’t be a surprise, but I wanted to talk about the Escarras,” he says while Louis and I move closer to take a look at the papers.

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