Nanny for the Don: Chapter 28

I’m sitting at home, the girls finally down for their afternoon nap, but I’m a mess of nerves.

Olivia’s out getting groceries, so I’m here by myself, no one to talk to, and this uneasy feeling just won’t go away. I can’t shake the thought that Nico isn’t telling me something. Something big.

I’m glad he’s on his way back. Hopefully, I won’t be in the dark much longer.

I hear the chime—the one that means his car just pulled in. My heart does this little flip, and I feel this crazy rush of excitement. I swear, I’m like a teenager again, all giddy at the idea of seeing him. Which is ridiculous, because falling for a mobster? Probably the worst idea I’ve ever had.

And yet… I think I’m in love. God help me.

The door to the garage opens, and there he is, stepping into the kitchen. His presence fills the room, and my heart practically melts on the spot. He’s got that look on his face that makes me weak in the knees.

I try to play it cool, but it’s useless. I’m completely wrapped up in him, whether I want to admit it or not. This might be love, as ill-advised as it is.

I can’t help it. The second I see him, I rush over and throw my arms around him. His hands immediately go to my face, pulling me in for a kiss, and I melt into it, completely lost in him. The second his lips leave mine; a wave of sadness hits me like a ton of bricks. Oh shit. I’m in deep. Way deeper than I ever expected.

He pulls back slightly and looks at me. “Sit,” he says, and I know it’s not a suggestion. I do as he says, my mind spinning. “I’ll be out of town for work overnight,” he tells me, his tone steady. “Ms. M will be here if you need anything.”

Curiosity buzzes at the back of my mind, but all that comes out is, “Will you be safe?”

He pulls me in for a tight hug, his chin resting on the top of my head. “I’ll be fine,” he murmurs, his voice calm but firm.

I wish I knew more, but he doesn’t offer details. And I don’t push. We both know how this works.

Before I can dwell on it, he kisses me again, deeper this time. My heart does this stupid little flip, and I am wrapped up in the moment. When he pulls away, we share this intense moment of eye contact. It’s like there’s so much between us that neither of us are saying out loud, but we both feel it.

Feelings. So many damn feelings.

I almost slip and tell him I’m pregnant.

The words are right there, about to fall out of my mouth, but I stop myself just in time. Now’s not the moment. He’s got too much going on, too much weighing on him, and the last thing he needs is something else to worry about.

He catches my hesitation and raises an eyebrow. “What’s on your mind?”

I panic for a second, then quickly say, “Just… thinking about what to get you for Christmas.”

His smile is instant, and he pulls me in for another kiss. I smile against his lips, my nerves easing just a bit.

“How are the girls?” he asks as he pulls away.

“They’re napping,” I tell him, my voice soft..”

“I want to see them,” he says. There’s a tenderness in him when he talks about the girls that gets me every time.

We head upstairs together, and the girls stir in their beds. Nico leans down beside them, his voice soft and full of warmth.

Lucia tugs on his arm. “Papa, will you bring us Christmas presents when you come back?”

He chuckles, shaking his head. “Christmas isn’t for a few more days, sweetheart.”

Giulia pipes up, grinning. “But we want presents now!”

Nico smiles, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Tell you what—if you’re good while I’m gone, maybe Santa will drop off an early present or two. But only if you’re on your best behavior.”

Their eyes light up, excitement bubbling over.. “Really?”

“Really,” he says, leaning in. “But you have to listen to Willow and Ms. M, okay? No sneaking around trying to peek at presents early.”

They nod eagerly, giggling at the idea of sneaking presents.

I watch from the doorway, my heart swelling with every word he says, every promise he makes. The way he talks to them, the love in his voice—it hits me hard every time.

The more I see him like this, the deeper I fall.

Nico says his goodbyes to the girls, giving them one last hug each, then as we’re heading out of the room, he surprises me by pulling me in for a quick kiss.

The girls, of course, burst into giggles, making faces like it’s the grossest thing ever. “Ewww, Papa, no kissing!”

I laugh along, but inside, my mind’s doing flips. Does this mean Nico’s ready to make whatever this is official? If so, I really need to drop the pregnancy bomb on him sooner rather than later.

Before he heads out, he turns back to the girls. “Be good for Willow, alright? I’ll be back soon.”

“Okay, Papa!” they chorus, waving at him with big smiles.

Nico gives me one last look that says a whole lot more than he’s saying out loud before he leaves. My heart’s still racing as I turn back to the girls.

“Alright, you two, I’ve got a surprise for you.”

They sit up, instantly curious. “What is it?” Lucia asks, eyes wide.

“I was thinking after your nap, we could go to the park. And guess who’s coming with us? My best friend in the whole world—my cousin Kendall.”

Their faces light up, practically bouncing in their beds as they let out enthusiastic yays.

“Good, but first, nap time,” I say, flicking off the light. They shut their eyes, clearly determined to get to the park as soon as possible.

I close the door quietly, but my thoughts are already somewhere else.

We’re at the park with Kendall, and the girls are on a mission.

Their eyes are glued to the pond, scanning for ducks like their lives depend on it. Meanwhile, Kendall’s next to me, raising an eyebrow. “You know all the ducks fly south for winter, right? They’re probably halfway to Florida by now.”

Lucia turns around, hands on her hips, all serious. “Some ducks stay. Our teacher says so.”

“Yeah!” Giulia chimes in, nodding like she’s backing up a science fact.

Kendall shrugs, clearly amused. “Alright, guess I’ve been schooled.”

The girls proudly hold up their little baggies of rice, ready to feed the ducks. Kendall looks at them, then at me. “Wait, isn’t rice bad for ducks? Doesn’t it, like, make them, uh, explode or something?”

Lucia shakes her head, like she’s heard this a million times. “Nope! That’s not true. Ms. Julia at preschool said so.”

I shrug, laughing a little. “Honestly, I thought the same thing, but apparently, it’s an urban legend. Ducks are totally fine with rice. It’s the bread you have to watch out for.”

Kendall rubs the back of her neck, still not convinced. “Huh. Learn something new every day.”

Just then, the girls start squealing. “Look! Ducks!” Sure enough, a couple of ducks waddle out from the pond, and the girls rush off with their bags of rice, beyond excited.

I watch them go, shaking my head.

“Told ya some ducks stay,” Lucia says over her shoulder as the girls hurry off.

Kendall chuckles. “Yeah, yeah. Guess I need to learn preschool science.”

The girls call out after Kendall, giggling as they trudge through the snow. “Kendall, you wanna help us feed the ducks?”

Kendall waves them off with a grin. “I’ll help in a bit. I’ve got some stuff to talk about with Will.”

The girls, totally unbothered, plod to the edge of the pond, happily tossing their rice to the ducks like it’s the best day ever. Once they’re out of earshot, Kendall turns to me, her eyes wide, practically buzzing with curiosity.

“Alright, spill the tea,” she says, leaning in. “What’s going on with Nico? Does he know about the b-a-b-y?

I let out a long sigh. “No, he doesn’t know. And honestly? I don’t even know how to bring it up.”

Kendall raises an eyebrow. “Girl, you’re gonna have to tell him sooner or later. You can’t just keep that kind of secret.”

I rub my temples, feeling the stress building. “I know, I know. I almost told him today, but… I don’t know. He’s got a lot going on right now, and I don’t want to make things worse.”

Kendall gives me a look that says I love you but get it together. “Look, I get he’s busy, but this isn’t something you can just put off forever. You’ve got to tell him before it’s too late.”

I nod, knowing she’s right, but I still feel like I’m in way over my head.

I glance at Kendall, biting my lip. “He’s away on business or something right now. And it seemed serious.”

Kendall’s eyebrow shoots up. “Business as in Mob stuff?”

I tense, the memory of that day in the basement flashing back. “Yeah. I walked in on something I never should’ve seen. It scared the hell out of me.”

Kendall leans in, her eyes widening. “What did you see?”

I take a deep breath. “Nico was… torturing someone. Right there in the basement. And the crazy thing is, even though it freaked me out, I still wanted him. Like, more than ever. The sex that night was on another level.”

Kendall regards me with big, wide eyes. “Girl, are you telling me this whole lifestyle is turning you on?”

I shrug, feeling ridiculous but being completely honest. “I guess? I mean, I don’t get it either. It’s like, yeah, I should be running for the hills, but instead I’m falling harder.”

Kendall shakes her head. “Look, I’m not here to judge. But I am here to tell you I want you, your baby, and those adorable little girls to be safe. Whatever happens with Nico, you need to make sure you’re okay.”

I nod, grateful for her looking out for me. “Thanks, Ken. I’m gonna tell him about the baby when he gets back. It’s time.”

Kendall squeezes my hand. “Good. He needs to know. Look, girl, follow your heart. It might take you to some wild places, like, you know, having a Mafia don’s baby,” she says with a wink, “but you’ve gotta listen to it, no matter how crazy it gets.”

I chuckle, feeling a little lighter. Somehow, her words calm me down, like maybe I’m not completely losing my mind. “You’re right. As usual.”

Before we can talk any further, I hear a man’s voice call out. “Willow?”

I turn, my heart skipping a beat. A sharply dressed man is standing a few dozen feet away, and the look on his face tells me something is very wrong. Instantly, my guard is up. He’s closing the distance fast, worry written all over his features. My stomach twists.

“I’m sorry,” he says, slightly out of breath when he reaches us. “Didn’t mean to startle you, but… it’s serious. Mr. Conti’s been in an accident.”

My blood runs cold, and the world seems to stop for a second. “What?”

He glances around, clearly nervous. “I can’t explain here. You need to come with me.”

I freeze, panic gripping my chest. Kendall steps closer, her face just as tense as mine. “What kind of accident?”

The man looks down, avoiding eye contact, and my heart feels like it’s about to shatter. Everything in me is screaming that something’s terribly wrong.

The guy brings his eyes back up to me. “I’ll explain everything in the car.”

I cross my arms, not budging. “Who are you? How do you know about Nico and who I am?”

He straightens, clearly not thrilled about having to give me answers. “Name’s Enzo. I’m one of Sal’s guys. He sent me to find you.”

Sal. I know him. That name puts me a little at ease, but not much. I glance at Kendall, then back at Enzo. “I’ll get the girls, and we’ll go.”

Enzo shakes his head. “It’d be better if your friend took the girls home. This isn’t a place for them.”

Tension shoots through me, my mind racing. Kendall steps up beside me, her hand on my arm. “We’re only ten minutes away, and Olivia said she’d be home by the time we got back, right?”

I hesitate but nod. “Yeah.”

Kendall gives me a reassuring look. “We’ll be fine. Go handle this.”

I swallow hard and call out to the girls. They run over, bright-eyed and curious. I kneel, trying to keep my voice steady. “Kendall’s going to take you home, okay? I have to go with Mr. Enzo.”

They both look worried, but Giulia grabs Lucia’s hand. “Okay.”

They turn to go with Kendall, and I feel a pang of guilt.

I watch as Kendall and the girls cross Central Park West, keeping my eyes on them until they disappear from view. Kendall’s got them, I remind myself, trying to calm the storm brewing inside me. But my nerves are on edge, and Enzo’s in a hurry, practically pulling me through the park.

“What kind of accident?” I press, my voice shaky.

“We need to get to the car,” he says, not slowing down..” He doesn’t slow down as he speaks. “I’ll explain everything on the way to the hospital.”

Hospital. The word alone sends my mind spinning. My heart’s pounding, and all I can think is, Did Nico’s lifestyle finally catch up to him? Is this what happens when you fall for someone like him?

We reach his car, a sleek black SUV parked at the curb. Enzo opens the passenger door, gesturing for me to get in. I hesitate for a split second, but he’s alone, which gives me a small sense of comfort.

I slide in, and my thoughts are so consumed by worry for Nico that I barely register anything else. Enzo climbs into the driver’s seat, and the second he starts the engine, I hear the click of the doors locking.

The anxiety is clawing at me from the inside, and I feel like I’m barely holding it together.