Page 9 of The Mobster's Nanny

“Are they bothering us again?” Louis quirks an eyebrow, glancing at Riccardo, and I share his confusion. The Mexicans have always been a nuisance creating trouble on our borders, but for the last couple of weeks I haven’t heard anything about them.

“Not yet.” Riccardo looks at Paolo while I pick up the papers.

It looks like a stack of reports from the patrols and spies that work, I assume, in the Mexican territories. Paolo is the one in charge of keeping communication with the spies and interrogating the ones we catch in our territories, so it’s no surprise I haven’t heard anything. All information he receives is kept secret until Riccardo decides who to share it with.

“Lately, Paolo has received three warnings from our men,” Riccardo continues in the meantime, leaning forward on the desk and inconspicuously rubbing his temple. “Gerardo is planning something big against us, but we don’t know yet what it is and who his ally is.”

Louis hums, skimming through the papers. “Are you sure he has an ally? Who’d want to cooperate with a madman like him?”

“Wehave cooperated with him in the past,” Riccardo reminds him rather dryly, and Paolo, as Gerardo’s son-in-law, clears his throat with a sour look, earning a chuckle from Louis. “So it could be anyone.”

“Do you think Olga would do it?” I look at Riccardo, and he meets my gaze with a thoughtful frown.

“I don’t think so. She despises him even more than we do.” He casts his gaze to the papers and hums, drumming his fingers against the desk. “I think it’s someone else. Perhaps someone we don’t know yet.”

“If it’s not the Russians, why do we care?” Louis huffs and leans back in his chair, stretching his arms. “No one else can stand against us.”

Nobody says anything, but when I exchange a look with Riccardo and Paolo, I know we have the same thoughts. Before the Mexicans showed up, Cassio Messina had thought no one except for the Bratva was worthy of our attention, and where did it bring him? Where did it bring my wife?

I shake my head, staring blankly at the desk, and say in a low voice, “It doesn’t mean we are safe.”

We spend the next twenty minutes discussing potential causes behind the Mexicans’ activity and what their plans might be. Paolo gives us more information about the reports, but none of them gives us enough details to figure out what they’re planning. In the end, we decide on additional areas to send our patrols, and Louis volunteers to go check them first in case he can find something interesting.

With that, Riccardo says he has to check on Elena and sends Louis and me away. Paolo remains behind to finish the paperwork which sounds almost insulting for such a high-ranked member of a Mafia clan, but you have to keep things organized even in crime. Trust me, I know that better than anyone else.

“So,” Louis says as soon as we reach the first floor. He pats my shoulder, distracting me from checking my messages and grinning when I look up at him. “I’ve heard you’re looking for a nanny, huh? How’s it going?”

I huff under my breath and shake my head, hiding my phone away. “How did you find out?”

“Sasha told me. She heard it from Natasha, and Natasha—”

“Okay, okay, I get it.” I can’t help but sigh, thinking about the whole thing with a nanny for Romeo. I stop between our cars and turn to Louis. “Yeah, I’m looking for a nanny, but it’s been such a headache so far.”

Louis hums, losing his teasing demeanor, and tilts his head with a frown. “What do you mean?”

I’m not one to complain about my problems, but this time I feel like I need a helping hand, so I shrug and explain, “Well, I've contacted these agencies, and they sent me some great candidates, but I don’t know. None of them feels right.”

Well, one of them feelstooright, but Louis doesn’t have to know about that.

“What about Romeo? Does he like them? I know he can be very picky.”

I chuckle. He’s right, Romeo is hard to win over, yet Liss managed to do it without much effort. Shit. Am I thinking about her again?

I clear my throat and glance at Louis. “He likes some of them.”

“Doesn’t that make them good enough to try?” He grins and squeezes my shoulder in encouragement. “Just focus on the positive sides. I’m sure there’s someone you like more than the others. Why not give her a chance?”

My mind immediately darts to Liss, but I quickly catch myself. No, no, I can’t hire someone just because Ilikethem. What about the skills? What about the experience? I’m not looking for a girlfriend—I’m looking for a person who will be taking care of my son. It requires something more than being likable!

But I don’t reject Louis’ idea right away and only shrug, giving him a small smile. “Maybe you’re right. I’ll think about it. Thanks.”

“I’m always here for you, man.” Louis grins wider, as always pleased to be helpful, and gives my back a mighty pat before walking away. “See you later!”

With how much I work from home, I doubt it’ll happen anytime soon. Perhaps next time Riccardo finds something important enough for us to share.

I keep thinking about Louis’ words all the way home, and by the time I arrive, I have a decision in mind. No matter how lovely Liss is, I have to be cool-headed in choosing the right person for Romeo. I can’t let myself be charmed into choosing her, and the further I stay away from her, the better.

So, after taking another look at the candidates, I see clearly that Linda is the best. I go through her background again to make sure that there’s nothing suspicious and pull out her phone number.

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