Page 44 of The Bratva Bosses' Nanny

He doesn’t slow down or look at me, his jaw set in a hard line. We reach the patio before he finally speaks, his voice low and intense. “Tell me everything you know about the Maddens.”

The seriousness in his tone stops me in my tracks. “The Maddens?” I echo, confused. “You mean Kate and her father?”

“Yes, them,” he says, releasing my arm as we step inside. He turns to face me.

I take a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts. “I, I don’t know much. Kate’s my half-sister. She’s been good to me—paid for my tuition, helped me out when I needed it. Her dad, Michael, I barely know him. They’re just... they’re just family. I already told you everything I know.”

Aleksandr watches me closely, searching my face for something. “And Grace? How does she fit into this?”

“Grace?” I’m genuinely perplexed now. “I met her here! Kate said she knew her from college, but that’s all I know. Why? What’s this about, Aleksandr?”

He takes a step back, running a hand through his hair. There’s a tension in him I haven’t seen before. “We received amessage, Emma. It led us to Madden’s salon. We need to know if you’re involved.”

“Involved?” I feel a chill that has nothing to do with my damp swimsuit. “I’m not involved in anything, Aleksandr. I swear.”

He studies me for a moment longer, and then his expression softens slightly. “I believe you,” he says finally. “But we have to be careful. There are things at play here that are much bigger than us.”

I nod, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in my stomach. “Okay,” I say, though I’m not entirely sure what I’m agreeing to. “Okay.”

I’m feeling confused, like there are a lot of unanswered questions and half-formed theories going around in my head. A message? Could it really involve Kate? My sister, involved in... what, exactly?

“I—I need to go check on Alina,” I stammer out, desperate for the comfort of the little girl’s presence, to be grounded in my purpose here. “She’s probably awake by now.”

“Go on,” Aleksandr says with a wave of his hand.

I nod and turn to get away from his intense look and the stress of the situation. Thoughts of all the possible links between my sister and the dark world I’ve accidentally entered run through my mind as I walk toward Alina’s room.

When I open the door to Alina’s room, I see her. She looks so innocent, with her sleepy eyes blinking up at me.

“Good morning,” Alina greets me in English, clear and proud.

Her progress catches me by surprise, a wave of happiness sweeping over me at her accomplishment. This is why I’m here, this moment of pure, simple joy in teaching and caring for her.

I can’t help but scoop her up into a hug, her small arms wrapping around my neck in return. “Good morning!” I echo back, my heart swelling. “You’re speaking English so well!”

She giggles against my shoulder, and the sound is like music.

“Are you hungry?” I ask Alina, gesturing towards the kitchen with a playful wiggle of my fingers.

“Yes!” she chirps enthusiastically.

Her small hand in mine grounds me as we walk to the kitchen, where her breakfast awaits, prepared with the precision and care the staff always puts into everything they do. As Alina settles into her chair, I can’t help but glance around the silent house. It feels unusually empty, devoid of the usual tension the presence of Aleksandr, Dmitri, and Nikolai brings.

I pull out my phone, the screen too still, too quiet. No notifications. No messages. The worry in the back of my head grows louder.

On impulse, I create a group chat—me and the Bratva bosses. It’s almost laughable, the thought of having a group chat with the mafia, but the need to know they’re safe overrides any sense of the absurd.

I type out a messageAre you all okay?

The message sent, I turn back to Alina, spooning some eggs onto her plate. “Let’s eat,” I tell her.

No reply for hours. The silence is deafening, a void where the presence of my phone used to be a source of comfort. Whatare they doing? A part of me wants to reach out to Kate, but no, I’ll see her soon anyway. Damn it.

Instead, I text Zoe.Please, can you come over? We need to talk

Her response is quick.What’s going on?

Lots of things... just come over, please

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