Page 11 of The Bratva Bosses' Nanny

I rise and walk to the bathroom, splashing cold water on my face as if that could wash away my confused feelings. Staring at my reflection, it hits me. I’ve been an ass—a major one. What the hell was I thinking, bursting into her room like that? She’s new here, already stuck in a complicated situation, and what do I do? Make it worse.Way to go, Aleksandr.

Shaking my head, I dry my face with a towel and make up my mind. Time to do the right thing for once.

I stride out of the bathroom. There’s only one way to resolve this: confront it head-on. No half-measures.

I gently knock on her door, hoping she’ll answer. When there’s no response, I try the handle, surprised to find that it’s unlocked. Without thinking, I push the door open and step inside.

Emma is sitting at her desk, poring over some papers. She looks up when she sees me and quickly stands up, her hands clenched at her sides.

“What do you want?” Her voice trembles.

“I’m sorry,” I say softly.

She looks at me incredulously. “What are you apologizing for?”

“For everything that happened earlier. It was completely inappropriate of me.”

She doesn’t say anything for a moment, just stares at me with those beautiful green eyes of hers.

“I accept your apology,” she finally says, her voice still shaking.

I take a step closer to her, my heart beating faster than ever before. “Is there anything I can do to make it up to you, Emma?” My voice is low and husky, my gaze fixed on her face.

Her eyes widen in surprise, but then she seems to steel herself. “I’ll let you know,” she holds my gaze. There’s a note of caution there, but also something else. Curiosity, maybe?

I step even closer, close enough to catch a hint of her perfume, something light and floral that makes me think ofspring. My eyes drop to her lips for a fraction of a second before meeting her gaze again.

“Take your time deciding, Emma. But don’t take too long,” I murmur, my voice dropping lower. The tension vibrates between us like a plucked string.

Her eyes flicker to my lips and back up to my eyes. She bites her lip, as if holding back words—or actions. “I won’t,” she replies softly.

I nod and turn to leave, each step weighed down by the effort it takes to walk away. “Goodnight, Emma.”

“Goodnight, Aleksandr.”

The door clicks shut behind me, but the tension, woven with promise and unanswered questions, lingers. And I know neither of us will sleep easy tonight.

Chapter 5: Undercurrents

Nikolai

Navigating through multiple screens on my computer, I review the blueprints for Operation Frostbite one last time. Weapons, routes, contacts—all have to align perfectly. There’s no room for error; not when the Feds and rival gangs are breathing down our necks. This deal will solidify our power, give us the edge we so desperately need.

I light a cigar, savoring the first drag. Someone has to have brains in this damn organization, and that falls on me. Dmitri’s good with muscle; Aleksandr with money. But strategy—that’s my game.

But then I get a stupid cryptic message again.

Ice melts

Same cryptic bullshit, different day. I’ve changed my number twice now, but these texts keep coming through. Dmitri keeps dismissing it as scammers, but this doesn’t feel like any scam I’ve encountered.

I put down my cigar and pick up the phone, contemplating whether to show this to Aleksandr and Dmitri. The timing is terrible, right when Operation Frostbite is on the line. But then again, could this message be related to that? Could someone on the inside be trying to tip us off or threaten us?

Tossing the phone on my desk, I lean back, raking my hands through my hair. I’ve got a potential snitch, an operation teetering on a knife’s edge, and a nanny all tangled up in this mess. My gut tells me they’re all connected.

Fuck it, time to face this myself. Starting with this new nanny.

I grab my coat and head for the door. If there’s a weak link in this operation, I need to find it and eliminate it. This new nanny, Emma, is as good a place to start as any. She’s the outsider, the unknown variable in an equation that’s already too complicated.

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