Slave Girl

by Sam Crescent

  EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ®

  www.evernightpublishing.com

  BONUS SAMPLE CHAPTER

  THE BULLY’S NANNY

  The Nannies, 5

  Sam Crescent

  Copyright © 2020

  Sample Chapter

  “I’m not going to hire just anyone to look after my kid,” Drew Gold said, glaring at his older brother who simply sat on the sofa, looking bored. Of course, Callum Gold would be bored. The guy wouldn’t know or understand complications if they hit him in the ass. Then again, Callum had also married his childhood sweetheart and they had five kids, and his brother was only five years older than him.

  “I’m not telling you to just hire any woman. There’s a service. It’s the best in the country.” Callum produced a card from inside his jacket pocket. “I’m not offering you a substandard service here. I’m offering you the best of the best. They’re amazing. I’ve even been in touch with a couple of their clients who they recommend and have offered to give advice. Try it out. There’s a nanny in most areas, and they’re all vetted.”

  Drew took the card and stared at the business name. “This is a bad idea. I’ve seen all those horror shows of what it means to have a woman you don’t know in the house.”

  “Don’t be so sexist. In this day and age, you could be getting a guy and maybe he could whip this place into shape.”

  He didn’t need to look around to know what his brother was talking about. Clothes were everywhere. The dishes had also started to pile up. Being alone with a four-year-old child was hard. The temptation was there but he’d never been one to admit defeat. When his chances of being in professional football were lost to him after a busted kneecap, he’d gotten his head down and studied hard at law. He’d gone from college football to an academic scholarship.

  No matter what he put his mind to, he got. It was the way he was. He didn’t give up. “I can do this.”

  “No, Drew, you really can’t. Look, I get it. All of your life you’ve always achieved everything you’ve set out to do. You’re a great guy. You think you can conquer the world, but you can’t. Not with this. You have to face the facts. Tilly’s not coming back, man.”

  At the mention of his ex-wife’s name, Drew wanted to hit something. He didn’t.

  Meghan, his little girl, slept soundly in her bedroom.

  “Don’t bring her up.”

  “I know she’s a sore subject.”

  “Drop it, Callum. I mean it. I don’t want to listen to any of that…” He wanted to curse but seeing as his little girl was at the age of copying everything he said, he’d had to stop.

  It wasn’t good when your four-year-old started saying things like, fuck, shit, crap, and asshole on a regular basis.

  “If it makes you feel any better, I’m doing this for my own personal reasons. You’re one of our best lawyers, Drew. All those years of studying and you shouldn’t be here, rotting away.”

  “Taking care of a kid is not rotting away.”

  “You’re pissed. Embarrassed. Ashamed. Whatever the fuck you want to call it, Drew. It has to stop. Call the number, interview whomever they refer, find someone, and get back to work. Don’t make this where you end up. Not because of … her.”

  Callum got to his feet, buttoned up his jacket, and made his way to the door. The moment he opened it, Drew nearly had a panic attack. “Don’t slam the damn thing. She hasn’t been down long.”

  “The fact you haven’t slept in days, maybe even months, and you’re afraid of a little noise, tells you how much you need this.” Callum closed the door silently.

  He wasn’t about to tell his brother he slept when Meghan slept.

  After pulling the baby monitor out of his back pocket, he placed the signal to open up the camera within the room.

  He smiled.

  She slept soundly.

  Kicking off his shoes, he collapsed to the bed, putting an arm over his face. He didn’t need to think about a nanny or anyone else right now. All he needed right now was to sleep, to not think.

  What the fuck did you do, Tilly?

  He hated the woman who’d been his wife. She’d been the head cheerleader in high school. The one most of the boys in the team had screwed. Tilly had found it fun to pit player against player, but he hadn’t played the game.

  Then one drunken night four years ago, he’d made a mistake and paid the price for it. Not that Meghan was too high of a price. She was everything to him. He’d never wanted to have children and much to his shame, he’d asked Tilly to get rid of it when he first found out.

  After talking with his brother, he’d ended up marrying Tilly. It had been a rush wedding. He hadn’t wanted to marry her, and he’d wanted to wait until after the baby was born. The moment Meghan was born, he did get a paternity test done, and it had confirmed she was in fact his.

  He was never going to forget the relief he felt but then the shock. Tilly slept around a lot. They didn’t have a good marriage. For the most part, it had been toxic. Even with her as his wife, he’d wanted nothing to do with her. Their arguing would rage for hours. There were even times when Tilly would lash out at him. She’d try to beat him with frying pans or bats. It was during those nights he’d grab Meghan and take her to his brother’s.

  He took the card out of his back pocket. The past year since Tilly had left had been crazy but peaceful. He didn’t have to drop his kid off at his brother’s or worry about his wife beating him to death.

  Not once had he hit Tilly. He probably could have, but he hadn’t.

  Instead, he’d taken whatever she had to dish out, kept a roof over her head, worked his ass off, and come home. He’d made his own dinner, took care of Meghan, and lived a life as separate from her as he could.

  Work had taken a back seat, at least while he came to terms with being a single dad. The paperwork had already been sent to Tilly for their divorce but the bitch refused to sign it. She lived in the city and was trying to make it as an actress or something. He didn’t really know, nor did he care. All he wanted her to do was sign the paperwork and be done with this farce of a life.

  Running fingers through his hair, he tried to think of anything else, but it was no good. His brother was right. The house was a mess. Meghan needed someone and if he didn’t return to work soon, he was going to be fucked. His savings were nearly all gone and he didn’t want to continuously put his job on the line because he was so damn stubborn.

  He had to get a grip one way or another.

  Picking up the phone, he decided to make the call. If it didn’t work out, he’d fire the nanny and figure something out, but for now, he was going to be hopeful.

  ****

  Returning home after twelve years away, Callie Steward, a qualified nanny, didn’t expect to get a call so soon with a new job. She wasn’t given the man’s name, just the address of where she needed to meet him.

  Constance, the woman on the phone at the company who helped to find work for nannies across the country, had told her he was a really sweet guy and had even fallen asleep while on the phone with her.

  She pulled up outside the house and smiled. It was a beautiful home with a white picket fence. The lawn wasn’t mowed, though, and there were a lot of weeds growing in the garden area.

  Pulling down her visor, she checked the small mirror to make sure her makeup, which she put on modestly, wasn’t smeared or looked like too much. Once she grabbed her bag, she checked the address again.

  This was a new start for her. She’d been a nanny for ten years after quitting college. One of her professors had made it abundantly clear that if she didn’t give him what he wanted, he was going to destroy her. She knew students and professors screwed all the time, had no doubt it went on, but she’d had no interest in sleeping with her teachers. What she didn’t expect was for one of those teachers to want to use her, and when she didn’t comply, he’d blackmailed her.

  Seeing no other alternative, she’d quit college, taken a job as a nanny, and studied onli
ne to become qualified to take care of children of all ages. She loved her job and helping people, especially when they were trying to get their life back on track.

  In most situations, she was called a lifesaver, or the worst, a home-wrecker. She’d never damaged anyone’s relationship. Never chased after a husband. Her only role was to help the children and their lives, nothing more, nothing less.

  With that in mind, she walked up the steps, knowing whomever she was going to see needed her. It was clear as she approached the door that this guy needed her. She didn’t have the whole story, but there would come a time and place when she would. For now, she just needed to get this job.

  She lifted her hand and knocked on the door. Feeling a smile brush across her lips, she waited. This was going to be a good day.

  The door opened. She turned toward the person on the threshold and froze.

  This couldn’t be happening.

  Coming back to town, she knew there was a risk of running into him, but working for him? No, it couldn’t be.

  Drew Gold, the guy who’d bullied her relentlessly. In his arms was a young girl. Her hair looked like it hadn’t been brushed yet. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, but one was draped over his shoulder as if he’d been wearing one and was changing as she knocked on the door.

  You’re a professional.

  Stop gawking.

  “Hi, I’m Callie Steward. You’re in need of a nanny?” she said.

  “I know who you are, Callie. Wait, what? You’re the nanny?”

  Keeping the smile plastered across her lips, she didn’t blink, complain, or show any fear. This guy had made her life a misery in high school. Him and all his buddies, as well as the cheerleading squad.

  Don’t think about it.

  Fat Callie.

  Callie the whale.

  Nope, she wasn’t going to allow herself to think about all the names they’d called her. Drew had been particularly brutal. Throwing food at her, tipping her drink in her bag, shredding her homework. They’d even stuffed her locker with condoms as well.

  What fun.

  “Yes, I’m the nanny. I got a call that you’re in need of my services.” She quickly pulled out her file. “Here is a copy of my résumé, as well as several references.” Her hand shook.

  He made no comment as he took the file.

  The young girl in his arms smiled at her. “You’re pretty.”

  “Aw, thank you, sweetie. I’m Callie.” She held her hand out. The girl wriggled from her father’s arms. She noticed the girl wasn’t wearing a diaper, so she wouldn’t need to add toilet training if Drew even said yes. He could very well say no.

  “Meghan. I like your name.”

  “I like your name.”

  “What’s a nanny?” Meghan asked.

  “It’s someone who takes care of people.” She crouched down to be at Meghan’s size so she could look the girl in the eye.

  “Daddy takes care of me.”

  “You need to come in while I give these people a call,” Drew said. He took his daughter’s hand, leading her away.

  Stepping over the threshold, she immediately saw why Drew was in need. Housework had clearly gotten on top of him. She didn’t know what the situation was with him, but she knew she wanted to help.

  “Play with me,” the girl said, and Callie didn’t even hesitate. She sat beside the young girl, picked up one of her dolls, and began to play while waiting for Drew to make the call.

  She couldn’t believe he had a child. Drew Gold was the father.

  Glancing around the room while Meghan was distracted with putting a dress on the doll, she didn’t see any sign of a wife, or any picture to say there was even a wife coming home. Drew was all on his own, which was completely different from when they were kids.

  Rubbing her temple, she forced her anxiety back. There was no need to make Meghan nervous, and she didn’t want to cause any kind of distress.

  Minutes passed. Maybe even hours.

  Drew returned and he didn’t look happy about it.

  “I’ve got to go and speak to your father.” She offered the girl a calming smile before getting to her feet.

  She walked toward him and he shook his head. “Did you find someone else?” She was in no doubt as to what he’d been trying to do. There was no way she was going to cry. He didn’t want her looking after his daughter and she couldn’t for the life of her understand why. She’d never done anything to hurt him or a child in her life, and yet she was being treated as if she’d been the bully, when in fact it had been the other way around.

  “No, they don’t have anyone else. You’re the closest person who can tick all the boxes I need.” He ran his fingers through his hair. He looked over at Meghan and without extending an invitation, he walked away.

  Callie had to follow. Gritting her teeth, she followed him into the kitchen where he grabbed a kettle and filled it with water.

  “Look, I know you hate me, but I need you. The situation, as you can see, is dire. I need a live-in nanny. The agency said you’re the only one closest who can live with me, take care of Meghan, and clean up this dump.”

  “Those are the services I offer.”

  “I was also given a couple of references which I checked out. You’re the best.”

  She didn’t say anything. There was no reason to tell him what it was she could provide when her previous employers were more than capable. She wasn’t about to puff her chest out and claim some kind of victory when it wasn’t required.

  He tapped his fingers on the counter. The heat of the stove was already warming the water. “Will you hurt her?”

  “Hurt who?”

  “My daughter.”

  “No.” She recoiled at the very thought. “Why would you even think that?”

  “Look, I know I was a complete bastard to you during high school.”

  “Stop right there. I don’t care. I wouldn’t dream of ever taking anything out on a young girl and certainly not a child. I’m not that kind of person.”

  “Tilly’s her mother.”

  “Wow,” she said. “It still doesn’t change the fact that the head cheerleader and the jock who made my life miserable will never cause me to bring any harm to a child. I’m not a bully, nor will I ever be one. I can take care of your daughter and have this place looking immaculate in no time. It’s up to you if you trust me. I have no reason to cause your daughter any kind of pain.”

  She tucked her hair behind her ear before reaching into her jeans pocket to pull out her contact information. “If you make up your mind, you know where to find me. Meghan is wonderful. Just so you know.”

  Without waiting to be let out, she said goodbye to Meghan before she went to the door, got in her car, drove back to her apartment, sat on the sofa, and panicked.

  What the fuck just happened?

  End of sample chapter

  www.evernightpublishing.com/the-bullys-nanny-by-sam-crescent