Nanny I Want to Mate: A Single Dad Romance

by Mia Kayla

  She pulled in front of a run-down house. It was as if we had stepped into a different world altogether—boarded-up houses, unkempt lawns, bars on windows of the surrounding residences.

  The phone ringing had me glancing up. Kate reached over and ripped the phone from Mary’s hand with such force that Mary cowered into me, her face flipping to a state of shock.

  “Helloooo,” Kate cooed. “Hi, Charles.”

  I felt disgusted with her. Her voice, her motives, her character. She knew who these men were. She knew that Charles was Mary’s father.

  My stomach dropped, and I surveyed my area again. She hadn’t blindfolded me. If only I could talk to him and tell him where we were, but a bigger part of me knew that he was already tracking my phone.

  “So, we can make this really easy. I’ll tell you the location where you can pick up Becky and Mary, but first things first. I need you to drop a pickup fee. No cops. No funny business. I’ll text you the information once we get settled.”

  I gaped at her from the backseat. She wasn’t this dumb. Of course there would be cops. Kate would be in jail, no doubt, before her hands touched the green.

  “They’re fine,” she said into the phone, like she was talking about her own children and this was just another day. “I told you, I’ll text you where to drop the money.”

  She wasn’t thinking clearly. But I knew my mother wasn’t the smartest. With her, the execution was the hardest; finishing anything was not her strong suit. Maybe she’d conjured this crazy plan in her head and researched how to get to this point, but she’d never take this to the end.

  Confidence filled my shoulders because I could do this.

  I broke up my plan in steps.

  First step. Get Mary out of this situation.

  Then, call the authorities and give them all the information to catch this woman.

  I strained my ears to hear Charles’s voice on the other line, but I could barely hear him.

  “No cops,” she repeated. “No crazy shit or else …” Her voice lowered. “You don’t want me to finish that sentence.” She extended the phone to me. “He wants to talk to the girl.”

  “Mary. Her name is Mary.” I seethed.

  The fury I felt toward this woman almost choked me. My mood veered sharply to anger. I couldn’t believe she had put Mary in this danger. I breathed through the next seconds, and that few moments only solidified my resolve to put this woman in jail.

  When Mary placed the phone on her ear, her voice quivered, her tone changing, most likely because she’d overheard the conversation. “Daddy?” Hearing her father’s voice had her smiling. “I’m okay, Daddy. Yeah, Miss Kate and I had ice cream.” Her voice lowered. “Yeah, we’re in the car.”

  I grabbed the phone before Mary could give away more information, causing my mother’s evil to come out in full force.

  I spoke desperately into the phone, “Charles, we’ll call you. I’ll get Mary back to you. I promise.”

  I hung up and then threw the phone in my purse. It was his phone, the phone he’d given me. There was no doubt he was tracking it right now. And to my advantage, I knew that wasn’t on the forefront of Kate’s mind. If she were smart, she would have confiscated our phone already.

  “Out,” Kate said, opening the back door of the car so I could slide out.

  Mary followed. As soon as her eyes met my mother’s and the surrounding area, she hugged my center. “I don’t feel safe,” Mary whimpered.

  My heart broke in that instant because my job was to ultimately make her feel safe, to make her feel loved and happy, and I was failing on every level.

  I’d brought this upon her. I’d brought this fear and heartache upon this family that had only taken me in. I swallowed hard, holding my chin higher. The guilt would cripple me if I let it, but I couldn’t let that happen right now, so I forced that guilt to amplify the anger within me.

  I lifted Mary up in my arms, and her legs wrapped around my waist. “You’ll be fine.” Then, a thought pushed through, a breadcrumb of a plan that would get Mary to safety.

  I walked behind Kate as we ascended the creaky wooden steps to what looked like an abandoned house.

  I spoke so softly against Mary’s cheek, so Kate wouldn’t hear, “I’m going to tell you a secret. Do you remember where I used to hide when I got scared?”

  Mary lifted her eyes to mine and nodded. “Under the bed,” she whispered.

  I nodded. “When we go inside and when I give you a signal, I want you to go there. Can you do that for me? And if there isn’t a bed, I want you to play the best game of hide-and-go-seek there is. I want you to imagine that at the end of the game, there is a trip to the toy store, and you can get whatever you want to get.”

  She shivered against me. “But why?”

  “Just do it, Mary,” I whispered. “And I know Daddy will find you. I’ll wink at you, okay? That’s our signal for you to hide.”

  When we walked up the stairs and into the house, her face crumpled. “But I’m scared.”

  My mother’s back was toward us. I could have made a run for it with Mary, but I couldn’t risk it. I wouldn’t be able to outrun a bullet, and I wouldn’t put Mary in danger if I couldn’t guarantee her safety.

  My voice stayed at a whisper. “Don’t be. You’re brave. When you’re scared, you hide. Somewhere the monsters can’t get you.”

  She didn’t seem convinced, so I held her gaze and prayed to the heavens that she would listen and go with the plan.

  “Just do it, okay, Mary? For me. For Daddy.” For yourself.

  When she finally nodded, I kissed her cheek.

  Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

  “You’re so brave, my sweet Mary.”

  The house was small, dusty, and smelled like mildew. From the front door, I could see the living room and outdated, disgusting kitchen. The lights in the house were dim, and the one light in the kitchen flickered, giving the ambience of a horror movie.

  The only furniture in the house was a floral old couch, and the color had faded over the years. A kitchen table was at the far end of the room with a few folding chairs.

  I surveyed the room, noting where all the exits were.

  I’d risk myself to ensure Mary’s safety. I didn’t know what was going to go down today, but I knew that much.

  “Sit down, but don’t get too comfortable.” She pulled out the gun and waved it in our direction.

  I pushed Mary’s head into my shoulder, trying to shield her from what was happening.

  “I’m thinking of the closest location that he can drop off the cash.”

  I almost balked. You’d think she’d planned and plotted all this out, but she hadn’t, which only meant that she was reckless.

  When I stood there, unmoving, she jerked the gun straight at me. “I said, sit down.”

  I sat on the couch, securing Mary in my lap as I discreetly took in my surroundings. I didn’t want to ask questions on how she’d ended up in here or if she’d lived here all her life. I’d grown up in Tennessee and moved to Florida, and now, we were here, in Illinois. I doubted her existence here in this state was a coincidence.

  The whole area, kitchen and living room, was one big square. You could see everything by standing in the middle of the room. I found the closest exits to be the back door by the kitchen and the front, where we’d just walked in.

  “I’m renting this place. It’s an Airbnb.” Her voice was light, almost friendly.

  I could almost pretend that we were having a cordial conversation if she didn’t have a gun in her hand.

  I nodded vaguely. It was as though she could read my thoughts through the dimly lit room.

  She went to the fridge and grabbed a water. She opened it up and chugged it down without offering us any. “So, what have you been up to lately? You’re a nanny now. How long have you been with this family?”

  Small talk? Is she serious?

  I stared at her, pulling Mary closer into my chest, and stayed silent, m
y shock turning to fury. I bit my tongue hard because if I lost my temper, this would not end well.

  We weren’t going to pretend that everything was normal when it was far from it. I wasn’t going to play catch-up when I knew she didn’t care about me and she was using useless words to occupy time.

  My eyes flew to the window, to the door, and back to meet her face. It was only a matter of time before Charles showed up.

  “Don’t try it, Becky,” she snapped. A sudden chill hung on the edge of her words. “I need this money, and I’ll do everything I can to get it.”

  The danger she was in was evident from her tone. These loan sharks, whoever she owed money to, owned her life. There was no doubt there was a bounty on her head.

  “There is only one way everyone is going to get out of this safely. That’s if everybody does what I say and follows directions.” Cold eyes narrowed at me.

  Mary’s eyes teetered between Kate and mine, and then tiny tears fell down her cheeks. “I want to go home. I want to go home right now. Call my daddy.” Her cries heightened, and I pulled her against me.

  Kate’s voice was cold when she asked, “Can’t you get the brat to shut up?”

  Mary’s cries were uncontrollable then, and my voice was equally as harsh back. “If you would be quiet, then I might be able to.”

  She narrowed evil eyes on me. “I’m going out for a smoke. Give me your phone. The back door is bolted shut. There’s only one way to escape, and it’s through that front door.” She waved the gun in the air. “Don’t try it. I won’t refrain from doing what I need to do.” She tipped her chin. “Your phone.”

  I didn’t hesitate. I knew my phone was one of my lifelines, but in this moment, I had to calm Mary down first. I plucked it out of my purse and slid it on the hardwood toward her.

  After she was out the door, I took Mary’s heart-shaped face in my hands. “Don’t cry. You know I can’t stand to see you cry.”

  She pushed out her lip. “That’s what Uncle Brad says. But this time, it’s real tears.”

  I tried to smile. “Why are they not real sometimes? Can my little actress force out fake tears?”

  She nodded and then laughed. “Yeah, sometimes in front of Uncle Brad.”

  Man, oh man, she really knew how to work her uncles. My heart ached again, and I hoped we could both get out of this together and in one piece.

  “Why is she doing this?” Mary asked.

  I swallowed hard. There was so much I could tell her, but she wouldn’t understand. More than that, I wanted to keep her safe and sane and not have her worry about this crazy world around us.

  This was temporary.

  It was only a matter of time until Charles arrived; I could feel it. He’d have the police here, and Kate would freak. I couldn’t predict her reaction, what she’d do. But I had a plan. I just needed to execute it.

  “I want to go home,” Mary repeated, her eyes filling with tears again.

  The guilt was overwhelming—so much so that tears lined my own eyes. Looking at the innocence of her features, I knew what I had to do. I had to get Mary to safety and go with this woman and get her the money she needed. And make sure that my mother was put away, so she could not hurt anyone else in the future.

  “You will get home. I promise.” My thumb brushed against an escaping tear. “Just remember what I told you, Mary. You can do this. Because you’re the bravest little girl I know.”

  But even though I was telling Mary this … it was my turn to be brave.

  Chapter 41

  Charles

  “Maybe we should wait for their call,” Mason said from the backseat of the car. “Not make any rash decisions.”

  “Screw that. This psycho has Mary,” Brad shot out, doing ninety on the highway.

  My security was tailing us to our destination, and the cops would be right behind them. I couldn’t wait for them, and since I was tracking Becky’s phone, I knew exactly where they were.

  Part of me, the rational part of me, wanted to give this crazy woman the money she needed. It was the most certain way to ensure their safety—both Mary’s and Becky’s. But who knew when it would stop? If I paid her fee now, what was to say she wouldn’t come back and take Sarah next time and ask for more money then?

  My phone pinged with a text, and I immediately swiped up to read it. I’d been holding on to my phone like it held my life. Which it did. My family was my life.

  The cops had been trying to call the phone, but no one was picking up. Becky was smart though; she hadn’t turned off the phone, merely silenced it. Her mother wasn’t too smart. That was the first thing that she should have confiscated.

  We were five minutes away, and my heart pounded hard in the chambers of my chest.

  “She says to put ten grand in an envelope inside a bag and drop the money at Monroe and Lexington.” My voice shook as I spoke, my normal confidence not there.

  “Let’s go there. Going to where Becky is will cause trouble. How do we even know Mary is with her and this crazy woman hasn’t taken her to a different location?” Mason said, his voice full of stress.

  “Shut up. The only way to get this done is to go there and get Mary ourselves,” Brad snapped, eyes solely focused on the road while his hands were wrapped tightly around the steering wheel at ten and two.

  I closed my eyes. Fear and adrenaline were a dangerous mix. For once, I didn’t know what to do. Did we just give this woman the money? Would that ensure the safe return of Mary and Becky? Would there forever be a bounty on my kids’ heads if she wasn’t caught?

  What if she had a gun or other people working with her?

  I knew nothing.

  “Text her back, Charles,” Mason ordered.

  I tried to focus on the task at hand, but my brain was mush.

  “Charles!”

  My eyes blinked open, and I texted four words back.

  We’ll get your money.

  “Did you text her?” Mason asked.

  “I did.”

  “So, where are we headed now?” he asked, frantic.

  “What do you mean, where, Mason?” Brad griped. “We’re going to get Mary.”

  “That’s stupid,” Mason ground out. “She gave us an alternate location. We still have to get the money. Right now, the banks are closed. The max that we can withdraw is three thousand.”

  “Well, there’s three of us, so …” Brad tipped his chin. “We’ll get the money just in case, but we’re not going by her terms.”

  “What do you mean? She has our kid,” Mason said.

  I couldn’t think. I inhaled deeply, held my breath, and then counted to five.

  “Charles …” Mason demanded.

  Exhale.

  “We get the money and head to where this phone is tracking their location.”

  When he piped up, I shot him a look. I wasn’t in the mood to argue. And I was done trying to figure this all out.

  I was fucking getting my girls back.

  This ended today. I wouldn’t live in fear, and neither would Becky. This was the one thing I could do for her.

  Becky

  Kate slammed the door shut, making Mary and me jump when she returned from her smoke.

  “I texted them a location. Let’s go.”

  I stood and couldn’t breathe for a second as anxiety spiked within me. “Mary, go to the bathroom.”

  She widened her eyes, about to speak, until I winked at her.

  “Come on. You can go. Or else you’ll go in the car.”

  Her eyes wavered until I tipped her chin.

  “You wouldn’t want to go in the car, would you?”

  “Go, then! If you are going to take a piss, go now,” Kate shot out, making Mary still.

  I gave Mary’s hand a squeeze, and reluctantly, she released my hand. I prayed with all my might that she would go through with this, that she would hide like I’d told her to.

  The best thing I could do in this situation was get Mary as far away from the threat as pos
sible.

  Kate was watching Mary leave with narrowed eyes, and I took this as an opportunity to play fake catch-up.

  “Where are you living now?” I couldn’t have cared less, but I needed Kate distracted.

  My mother laughed, both a deadly and uncivilized sound. “Wouldn’t you like to know? Not here—that’s for sure. Or anywhere in your surrounding area.” She ran a hand through her oily, mid-length, dyed hair. “So, you don’t have to worry about me coming back.” Her eyes teetered to somewhere behind me, her look going blank. “I’m desperate this time, Becky.”

  I’d seen her desperate. If this topped those times, I knew she was in trouble—most likely the six-feet-under kind.

  You’d think I’d feel some sort of pity for this woman, but no. All I felt was this utter resentment that had been caused from years of neglect and mental abuse from my childhood. There was no empathy in my emotional jar left for this woman.

  “Where are we going now? Where are you going to go after this?” I asked, not really caring but making conversation to stall for time, to get Mary to safety.

  “I’m going to have to stay low for a while. A long while.” A flicker of apprehension passed through her features.

  I studied her for a moment, her shoulders lax, her mouth downturned, and the lines permanently etched on her face. Did she owe more people? Was her debt more than the ten grand she was asking for? It didn’t matter though. I didn’t believe anything she said. She’d always been full of lies. Watching her pace the room, I knew she’d come back. And each and every time, I’d be her only way out.

  The thought only solidified my decision to leave.

  A flash of light caused us to peer at the front window behind me. Her face registered shock, and we both rushed toward the front.

  We were surrounded.

  She turned to face me, and I felt the whoosh of air before I felt the impact of her hand against my cheek.

  “You bitch,” she growled. Such betrayal in her tone, as though it were my fault. As though I had called the cops myself.

  I held my cheek and greeted her gaze with narrowed eyes. She’d lost. And she knew it.