Page 21 of The Bratva Bosses' Nanny

“I’m going for a walk,” I say curtly, grabbing my coat and heading towards the door.

“By yourself?” Aleksandr asks.

I roll my eyes. I know no matter what I say, he will follow me. So, I just step out.

The cold, crisp air hits me as I step outside, and I can feel it clearing my head. I stuff my hands in my pockets and begin to walk aimlessly.

It’s not long before I hear the door open and close again, the unmistakable sound of Aleksandr’s steps falling in sync with mine.

“Remember when we used to think this cold was nothing back home?” Aleksandr asks.

I glance at him, the memories stirring. “Yeah, Russia’s winters weren’t for the faint of heart. We were made of sterner stuff.”

He nods, a rare smile touching his lips. “Old Ivan used to say it put iron in our souls.”

“More like ice,” I correct, but the name Ivan brings a wave of nostalgia. The man wasn’t our father, not by blood anyway, but he might as well have been. Taught us everything we know, stood by us when we had nothing.

Aleksandr’s smile fades a little, “He’d be proud, you know. Of what we’ve built.”

I look away, the sting of loss still sharp, even after all these years. “Or he’d kick our asses for the messes we’ve gotten into.”

“Probably both,” I can hear the smile returning to his voice.

The silence is shattered with the sharppingof notifications. We halt, exchanging a glance.

Pulling out our phones, we see it—Nikolai’s terse message:We’ve got a problem

Chapter 9: Let’s Eat

Emma

The café buzzes with the midday rush, but at our corner table, it might as well be just Zoe and me. Her fierce red hair is like a beacon, impossible to miss, much like her personality.

She leans in, her elbow on the table, “So, the trio is babysitting today?”

I nod, stirring my coffee, “Yeah, they’re with Alina. They’re not as bad with her as you might think. It’s kind of endearing, actually.”

“Endearing? I’d pay to see that.” Zoe’s eyes are wide with curiosity, her latte halfway to her lips. “So, spill the beans. How’s the job?”

I hesitate, the words ‘complicated’ and ‘crazy’ vying for release. “It’s... intense,” I start, but under Zoe’s expectant gaze, the whole absurd story spills out.

“Okay, so it started off normal—or as normal as it gets in a mansion with a child who’s been through too much. But then...”

I take a deep breath before continuing, “They orchestrated this whole scenario, Zoe. One minute, I’m in the car with Alina, and the next...” I trail off.

Zoe’s eyes are saucers, her coffee forgotten. “What? What happened?”

“Men with guns stopped us. They dragged Dmitri out of the car and... and I heard a gunshot.”

“You’re fucking with me, right?”

My hands are trembling around my cup. “I... I wish. I thought he was dead. They made it all look so real, and I was there, trying to keep Alina calm, but inside, I was freaking out.”

“Holy shit, Em. That’s intense.”

“It was beyond intense. At one point, one of the masked men—they had these rough, distorted voices, you know, like out of a horror flick—he leans in and tells me I’m free to go. Just like that. But only if I leave Alina behind.”

“You’re kidding me. What did you do?”

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