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“I’m a nanny,” Yasmine said primly. “And there’s trained security here.”
“A nanny, eh?” Slaite echoed. “And how much experience do you have as a nanny?”
Yasmine opened her mouth and shut it again.
“Do you think I hired you for your pretty face?” Slaite demanded. “I read your service record. Your commendation said you were cool under pressure with a steady hand on a blaster, and perfectly willing to sacrifice your own life, if necessary, to protect your troop.”
“I retired from service,” Yasmine protested softly, feeling as if the walls were closing in.
“You were willing to die for that troop of knuckleheads,” Slaite retorted. “How could you not be willing to do the same for these innocent children?”
“It’s not about being willing to die,” Yasmine murmured.
“Seems to me that’s exactly what it’s about,” Slaite said.
“It’s about being willing to kill,” Yasmine said sharply, her anger getting the best of her at last. “The kid I killed was so young… I can barely sleep at night. I still see his eyes…”
She trailed off, unable to go on.
“Everything in life has its price,” Slaite said firmly. “How many lives did you save that day? The boy would have been dead ninety seconds later anyway. Are you forgetting he had a bomb strapped to his chest?”
“You’re right,” Yasmine said, standing. “Everything in life does have a price. Right or wrong, I will be paying for that kill for the rest of my life. I can’t afford another.”
She stormed out of the room without a look back.
“Damn it, soldier, get back here,” Slaite spat furiously.
But Yasmine was already running down the corridor, her mind racing.
She’d wondered from the first contact why anyone would be interested in her for this job. The generous pay and fancy rooms suddenly made sense. Why else would a world leader ever tolerate a nanny with no experience?
Obviously, she would have to resign. She had been hired under false pretenses. The soldier the Ruler thought he was getting was long gone, buried under guilt and pain.
She had been a fool.
Be practical. You can blame yourself later.
She would have to come up with funds to get back to Terra-17. And hopefully, she could get her old job back. She hadn’t really unpacked, so that wouldn’t be an issue…
Pia’s voice floated down from the second-floor landing, followed by Jax’s. It sounded like they were laughing, or maybe crying.
She stopped running so fast that she almost stumbled.
Whatever her plans, she was going to have to figure them out after the kids went to bed. For now, they needed her.
Qualified or not, she was still their nanny, if only for tonight.
