Page 10

I sigh, lifting my glasses to pinch the bridge of my nose as a dull headache forms behind my eyes. I’ve got too much shit to deal with, and this is the last thing I needed.

I brush past him and make my way inside my home, stepping across the marble flooring. I push the door to my office open and find the soon-to-be former nanny sitting before my desk, looking at herself in a compact mirror. The moment she spots me in the reflection, she slaps it shut and glances over her shoulder at me, batting her long lashes.

“Miss Miller.” I adjust my jacket sleeves as I approach my chair. “Thank you for meeting with me on your day off.” I drop into my seat, stretching my neck. “But as you can probably assume, this matter needs to be dealt—”

“I’m so embarrassed.” She crosses one long leg over the other, her black skirt sliding up her thigh, revealing more skin than is professionally acceptable. “I promise it won’t happen again.” An innocent blush warms her cheeks.

I rub a hand over my temple. “Miss Miller, I’m sorry, but this is the second time this has happened. I find it difficult to believe it was done in error.”

She bites down on her bottom lip, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Guess I was thinking of you when I sent them and just…” She shrugs. “Tapped the wrong name.”

I let out a breath. “Sending nude photos to your employer is cause for termination. I gave you my number for emergencies with my daughter, not for unwarranted explicit images. I’m sorry, but I hired you as Clara’s nanny, and your behavior leaves me no choice except to let you go. I’ve already informed the agency, and they have a replacement arriving within a few days.”

I’ve gone through four nannies in the past month alone, all of whom were let go for valid reasons. I found the first one completely ignoring Clara while she was having a meltdown. The second one was caught slipping whiskey into her morning mug of coffee while on the job. The third one refused to change diapers, claiming that was above her pay grade. And now this one… The first time she sent photos to my phone, she quickly called, claiming it was an innocent mistake and that they were intended for her boyfriend. I brushed it off, deleted the images, and went about my day. But this morning, when I received photos very similar to the ones I had previously been sent in error, I no longer believed they had been sent by mistake.

Makes me wonder if she really did spill water all down the front of her white shirt last week by accident or if she did it intentionally…

Her lips part, shock clear as day written across her face. “What?”

“Your things are packed and waiting in the car. Tommaso will take you to the airport.”

“Wait… I just… I don’t understand.” She shakes her head, running her fingers through her dark strands. “Did you not like the photos?”

I’m a single man, not a fucking corpse. When a woman sends naked photos, you like them. Doesn’t matter what she looks like, what she’s wearing, or what position she’s in. You like them. But that’s beside the point, and she’s clearly not getting the hint that nothing will ever happen between us. Better fucking spell it out for her. “I’m looking for a nanny. Not a one-night stand. Not an occasional fuck buddy. And certainly not a woman who thinks it’s acceptable to send those kinds of photos to her employer, a man she barely knows, I might add.” I adjust my glasses and push back my chair, standing. “I think I’ve made my point clear, so please, if you will.” I gesture toward the door.

“Well.” She stands, flattening a hand down her skirt. “Can’t say a girl didn’t try.” She quickly pivots on her heels and exits the room, the scent of her unbearable perfume still floating in the air.

Removing my jacket, I place it on the back of my chair and approach the liquor cabinet, retrieving a bottle of Macallan and a crystal tumbler. I pour a finger of whiskey before setting the bottle down and walking to the bay window at the back of my office, staring at the lake behind my home. It’s a picturesque view, the setting sun reflecting off the calm water, casting an almost pink glow. The snow and ice have finally melted after what felt like the longest winter on record, leaving a dusting of grass and newly budded flowers waiting for sunlight and warmth.

It will be here soon enough.

From this spot, I can view my family members’ homes surrounding the lake.

To my left is my mother’s home, a two-hundred-year-old chateau that has been modernized over the years to suit her needs. It’s where each of my siblings and I spent our childhoods.

Then there’s Vin’s home. Grand in every possible way, just like him. He’s the leader of this family, ever since our father, Charles, was murdered almost eight years ago. He takes his role seriously, never leaving anything to chance. All business deals are run through him, and all killings must be approved by him first. He’d murder me if I said this aloud for fear of ruining his image, but he’s secretly the biggest softie among us all.

I look across to Mauro’s house, hidden by the mountains he specifically chose for isolation. He’s the muscles of our family, the one who ends those who wrong us with his bare hands. He’s also recently married to Alina, a woman who spent her childhood here while her father served as our father’s right-hand man.

To Mauro’s left lies Madeleine’s oasis. She’s the financier of the family, good with numbers, and unwilling to take shit from anyone. She runs our family’s casino, keeps the illegal parts of our fortune off the books, and handles payroll, including half the police force who work under the table for us. She no longer lives alone, which is a relief to my brothers and me. Her husband, Eli, our current head of security, is a man we all respect. He grew up on this property, proving his loyalty over the years, and taking a damn bullet for her only confirms why we couldn’t have chosen anyone better.

A good distance away from Madeleine rests Leo’s home. Feared by many for being a hunter who loves to play with his prey, he catches those who have sinned against us and ensures they never see the light of day again. And when he’s done with them, he heads straight home to his wife, Scarlett, a woman with whom he holds an unholy obsession.

And then there’s me. The brains of the family. I learned at a young age that I thrive on information. It keeps my mind at ease and gives me control over the darkness around us. I read every book in my parents’ library before the age of ten, and at thirteen I accidentally set off a missile in Russia when I learned how to hack into their government’s system. My father wasn’t too pleased about that one. But my love for knowledge has been my power in this family, allowing me to access almost any system in the world, spy on our enemies, and build a security system that keeps my family safe. Not to mention, I’ve become the go-to guy for removing any stain.

Together, we’ve become one of the most powerful families in the northeast thanks to a lethal combination of admiration and fear.

And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Lifting my wrist, I examine my Patek Philippe dial watch, an heirloom from my father. Family dinner at my mother’s house will start shortly, and I’ll be expected to show my face. But I can’t say I’m eager to hear my siblings’ jokes about my recent nanny-firing tendencies. Plus, I have a very important flight to catch. One I can’t miss.

I sip the rest of my drink, savoring the burn. My eyes drift across the shelves until they catch on a framed picture of my family from ten years ago, tucked between a stack of books. Instinctively, I reach for it, wrapping my fingers around the frame as I hold it before me. We’re all laughing at something Vin had just said, his grin the biggest amongst us. Madeleine and Vin look so much like our mother with their black hair and bright blue eyes. Leo and Mauro took after our father with their dark brown hair and matching brown eyes. And then there’s me. An anomaly with grey eyes and light brown hair.

But being different has never been new to me.

In fact, over the years, I’ve learned to embrace it.

My thumb brushes over the glass as my attention settles on my parents. My father’s arm is wrapped securely around my mother’s waist, holding her as though letting go were never an option, while she stares up at him with adoring eyes. They were hopelessly in love with one another, two halves of the same soul. Through the good and the bad, they were inseparable forces.