Page 13 of The Bratva Bosses' Nanny

“Kate’s my sister.”

“Is that right? What does your sister have to do with this?”

“Nothing,” Emma fires back defensively. “She’s just my sister. Look, I don’t know what you’re trying to do here, but I don’t appreciate being interrogated like this.”

“I’m just trying to get to the bottom of these cryptic messages we’ve been receiving,” I say, my voice low and serious. “And you seem like the only outsider in this organization who could be connected to it.”

Emma hesitates for a moment, clearly calculating her next move. “Look, I don’t know anything about those messages. I barely know anyone here. All I’m trying to do is take care of the kid and get paid.”

I step closer to Emma, close enough I can feel her breath quicken. “Taking care of the kid and doing your job also means obeying me,” I say, my voice dropping an octave.

“What happens if I don’t?” She challenges. I love the fierce ones.

“Do you know, Emma,” I start, brushing her hair away from her face so I can see her clearly, “what happened to Alina’s father?”

She stammers, “N-no.”

“You wouldn’t want to know.” I smirk, letting the implications hang in the air. Just as I’m about to continue, my phone vibrates in my pocket.

I don’t break eye contact as I pull it out. Holding her gaze, I swipe to answer. “What is it?” My voice is curt, not wanting to break the tension between Emma and me for any longer than necessary.

It’s Alex.

“Something’s gone sideways,” Alex says, his voice tinged with urgency. “We might have a problem with Operation Frostbite.”

I grind my teeth, feeling my pulse quicken. “What kind of problem?”

“A security breach. We’ve been compromised. Might be an inside job. Go see Travis.”

The words hit me like a ton of bricks, and for a moment I glance away from Emma, my mind racing. Could she be involved? No, it doesn’t add up. She’s been with me this whole time.

And her body language tells me she is not lying.

“I’ll deal with it,” I say, hanging up the phone.

Turning my full attention back to Emma, I pocket the device. “Look, Emma. You deserve to know what you’re getting into. You should’ve already understood you’re not working with normal people.”

Her brows furrow. “What do you mean?”

“You’re at risk, Emma.” I watch her eyes dart between mine, searching for the truth in my words.

“Risk from what?” Her voice trembles, but she’s holding her ground. Brave.

I pause, letting the tension build, before I continue: “From danger. From us. From our enemies. But don’t worry. We’ll protect you, and the kid. No one can hurt you here. As long as you don’t betray us.”

My eyes travel down to her lips, then back to her eyes. In that instant, I imagine what those lips would feel like pressedagainst mine. How her body would react to my touch. The thought makes my heart pound, but I keep my face stoic.

“Is that clear, Emma?”

She nods, her eyes never leaving mine. “Crystal clear,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper. I can see fear in the depths of her eyes now, but also a steely resolve. She’s not afraid to take risks, to put herself on the line for the sake of what’s right.

“Good,” I say, and I step back from her, giving her space to breathe. “Now, about that security breach. I need you to help me figure out who’s behind it.”

Emma looks at me skeptically. “Me? How?”

“You’re our best chance of figuring out where the leak is coming from,” I explain. “You have access to information the rest of us don’t have. If you notice anything out of the ordinary, anything that doesn’t add up, I need you to report it immediately. Can you do that?”

She hesitates but nods. “I’ll do my best.”

---