by Sky Winters
Josh opened his mouth to speak but closed it before he said anything. Nick knew Josh well enough to understand he could be unforgiving with employees if they screwed up. But Nick also understood Cassie had otherwise been an amazing employee, exactly what they’d been looking for.
Nick leaned forward in his seat, waiting to hear what Josh had to say.
Josh sighed and sat back in his chair.
“No, I’m not going to fire you,” he said. “You’ve been great with the girls so far, and I’d be a fool to throw you away.”
Nick noticed Cassie’s body relax, the tension leaving her.
“And I suppose it’s not reasonable to assume you’d know all the ins and outs of how this household runs. I know it’s not like we have the most normal living situation in the world.”
Nick nodded slowly, agreeing with Josh’s call so far.
“But, on the other hand, it was foolish of me to just set you loose like this. I should’ve known you’d need a little guidance.”
Now Nick was confused. What did Josh mean by “guidance?”
“So,” said Josh. “Here’s what I’m going to do: I’m going to be taking Nick off of normal duties for a while. He’ll be shadowing you for the next week, making sure the rest of your…let’s call it an ‘orientation,’ goes well.”
“What?” asked Nick, leaning forward. “You want to take me off business duties now right in the middle of our expansion?”
“I’ll still keep you in the loop,” said Josh. “And we’re not going to be making any major decisions without you. But right now, I need someone to keep an eye on Cassie while she gets settled.”
Cassie turned back to Nick, her big eyes focused on him. Nick and her locked stares for several longs seconds before Nick forced himself to break away. And when he did, her gorgeous face remained burned in his memory.
“Fine, fine,” said Nick. “But only if you make sure I know every detail about what’s going on with the expansion. Your name may be the one on the letterhead, Josh, but we’re all partners here.”
“Naturally,” said Josh.
“Thank you,” said Cassie, the words blurting out. “I know I screwed up, and I’m sorry. But I love it here – you guys are great, and I’ve only known the girls for a little while, but I already feel like we’re forming something special. I’ll do whatever it takes to be the nanny you want.”
“I don’t doubt you will, Cassie,” said Josh. “And your words aren’t going unappreciated. Nick will be here to make sure you do exactly what you’ve just said.”
Josh’s posture stiffened as he slipped back into his professional mode.
“So, that’s all, Cassie. If you wouldn’t mind making some lunch for the girls, Caleb and Nick and I need to talk about other matters.”
“Thanks-again-so-much,” said Cassie, throwing the words over her shoulder as she hurried out of the room.
And Nick couldn’t help but notice how Caleb’s eyes lingered on Cassie as she left. He wondered what, if anything, was going on there.
I took the last bite of my tiramisu and set the plate and fork on the coffee table in front of me. The heavy doors to the study closed shut, and I sat back waiting for what Josh had to say. Caleb slipped into the seat Cassie had been in and crossed his legs.
“This is some seriously disturbing shit,” said Josh.
Nick knew he was right.
“Did you take a look at the porch camera footage?” asked Caleb.
“Of course, I did,” said Josh. “And it was exactly who I thought it would be.”
“Elijah Redfang,” said Nick.
Josh nodded.
“’Cutter Barnes’,” he said, shaking his head. “Terrible fake name.”
Nick chuckled, despite knowing this was no laughing matter.
“That fucker came right onto our property,” said Caleb. “Right onto our fucking front porch. He probably had the girls in his sights.”
Nick could tell Caleb’s anger was getting the best of him and chalked it up to his artistic temperament. Still, Nick couldn’t help but feel pissed off about the same thing.
And even more strangely, Nick felt not just his normal protectiveness for the girls, but protectiveness for Cassie. He’d only known her for a short time, yet she managed to bring these feelings out of him.
It struck him as very, very odd.
“And I took a look at the camera footage from the backyard, too,” said Josh. “Fucker brought his whole pack to the edge of the property. If he wanted to…do God-knows-what to Cassie and the girls, he could’ve done it easily.”
“Why risk it?” said Nick. “Why would he bring his whole pack here, knowing that we’d see?”
“Because that was the whole point,” said Caleb. “He wanted us to know he could come at any time.”
“But why now?” asked Nick.
“Probably because of the expansion,” said Josh. “If we can manage to pull this off, to expand the company into Boston, then New York, we’ll be the biggest holdings company in the state. And in a few years, maybe even in the entire northeast.”
This made sense to Nick.
“And he’s thinking that if we grow too big, then we’ll be the top bear shifter clan in the area.”
“Fucker’s thinking of pulling a move before we get a chance to pass his ass up,” said Caleb, clenching his fists.
“It’s no secret that the Redfang clan has been gunning for our position for a while,” said Josh. “And if he’s gotten word that we’re on the verge of having unquestioned power over the region, then Elijah is likely thinking that this might be his only chance to take us out.”
“Not to mention that he knows the power the girls have,” said Nick.
Josh nodded.
Then, like a flash of lightning, Nick realized why Josh was making him watch Cassie.
“That explains the ‘orientation’,” said Nick.
Josh allowed the slightest hint of a smile on his face as he nodded.
“You got it,” he said. “I do want to make sure Cassie is settling in, but you being around her is more about making sure she and the girls are safe.”
Nick nodded.
“Fucking crazy,” he said. “We’ve managed to stay out of wars with the other clans for years, and now we might be on the brink of one.”
“We could just beat the Redfangs at their own game,” said Caleb, a deadly smirk appearing on his face. “Maybe take them out before they have a chance to make a move of their own.”
“I don’t want it to come to war unless it absolutely has to,” said Josh. “If we can manage to pull of this expansion, the rest of the tribes in the region will be begging to ally with us. We’d be able to force a peace in the area just through sheer power and influence. And the Redfangs would just have to deal with it.”
Then he turned to Nick.
“Now,” he said. “Nick, I believe you have a job to do.”
Nick smiled. He was ready.
CHAPTER 14
CASSIE
Cassie hurried from the office, her stomach tied up in knots. As she made her way down the long hallway that led to the living room, she scolded herself over and over again for not letting the dads know about what had happened the night before.
But as much as she wanted to make things right, she still couldn’t shake the notion that it was very odd how upset Josh had become over her not telling him about the bears.
The strange man who’d come to the house, sure, she understood this was something she should’ve mentioned, and she felt silly for not doing so. But why the bears?
Why did Josh feel it so important he know about the wildlife that had been almost on his property? Didn’t he know that being around nature like that came with the territory, so to speak?
She pushed the thoughts out of her head as best she could, knowing she had more important mattes to worry about.
Like her new babysitter.
Cassie couldn’t help but let a wry smile break out across her fa
ce at the idea of her, the nanny, having a nanny of her own. And not just any nanny – one that was six-and-a-half feet tall and built like a semi-truck.
“Cassie!” called out Sam as Cassie entered the living room. “What are we going to do today?”
Cassie plopped down on the couch, Sam hopping onto the spot next to her. Amy was at the dining room table, her face in an expression of adorable concentration as she was busy sketching what looked to be another dress.
“Hmm,” said Cassie. “Well, it’s a really nice day out. What do you girls say about going into town and going to the park?”
“Yeah!” said Sam.
“Okay,” said Cassie. “I think that’s one vote of approval. What about you, Am?”
“I don’t know,” said Amy. “I think I just want to stay here and work on my drawing.”
Cassie was more than pleased at how she’d managed to so quickly kindle Amy’s love of drawing. But she also knew she couldn’t let the girl stay cooped-up in the house all day.
“How about this,” said Cassie. “We can go to the park, and while Sam and I are having fun on the playground, you can work on your drawings.”
Amy looked up, thinking the matter over.
“Okay,” she said. “Can we get ice cream afterward?”
Cassie smiled.
“I think we might be able to work something out.”
Cassie nodded, happy they’d settled on a plan. She stood up to get her things, but before she took a step she remembered she wasn’t going to be taking out the girls alone.
Right at that moment, the huge form of Nick emerged from the hallway. Cassie’s eyes locked onto him, her gaze moving up and down his features.
He was a good-looking man, all right, Cassie considered. Nick was tall and built, his muscles, unlike Caleb’s, were big and bulky. His torso seemed to be poured into the tight, white t-shirt that he wore, his biceps straining the fabric of the sleeves. A pair of dark blue jeans and black boots completed the look. He struck Cassie as the masculine ideal of rugged good looks.
Still, there was sensitivity to him. Not a soft, weak sort, but the kind that suggested to Callie that he was all smiles and warmth until those he cared about were threatened. Then, she imaged he’d be very capable of proving those sculpted muscles of his weren’t just for show. And despite his enormous size, there was a grace to how he walked, like the sort of control a fighter or dancer would have.
“What’re you girls up to?” he asked, strolling into the room and taking position over them, like a combination of a statue and a bouncer.
“Not much,” said Cassie, glancing up at Nick as he stood, doing her best to ignore the tightness in her pussy. “Just…trying to figure out what to do with the rest of our day.”
“And what’re you all thinking?” he asked.
“The park!” exclaimed Sam, her voice and face bright as she spoke.
“Hmm,” he said. “Why not just play in the back?”
Cassie could tell he was a little hesitant to take the girls into the city after what had happened last night.
“We go into the back every day,” said Amy. “It’s boring.”
Nick laughed.
“You have the entire Vermont wilderness at your disposal and you’re bored of it?”
“I was just thinking it’d be fun to go into town, maybe the kids could hang out with other kids their age.
“Yeah,” said Sam. “And we’re getting ice cream afterward.”
“Ice cream, huh?” he said. “I can’t really argue with that.”
He thought the matter over for a few moments.
“Okay,” he said. “Here’s the deal: We can go to the park, but only if you guys agree to stay where I can see you the entire time. No wandering off and making me and Cassie come look for you. And the other thing is none of you make fun of me for how much butter pecan ice cream I eat afterwards.”
“Deal!” said Sam.
“Sure,” said Amy, her attention still focused on her drawing. “Sure.”
Cassie smiled. Nick was just the perfect blend of warmth and strength. And she couldn’t believe how attracted to him she felt so soon after what had happened with Caleb.
“Something tells me we’re not going to have to work very hard to keep her in one place.”
“No kidding,” said Nick, stepping over to Amy and squatting down to see her drawings.
“Damn, these are really good,” he said. “You teach her to do that?”
Cassie shook her head.
“Nope,” she said. “You can’t teach talent like that. I just gave her a little push in the right direction.”
“That’s awesome,” he said, standing up. “We were hoping the nanny we hired would have some artistic ability. Thought it might rub off on the girls. Looks like that’s what’s happening.”
“Should we get going?” asked Nick. “I could go for some fresh air.”
The group gathered up their things and headed to the garage. Nick made a beeline for the Humvee, a big, almost boyish grin spreading on his face that Cassie couldn’t help but be attracted to as he did.
“We’re taking the big car, huh?” she asked, feeling half her size standing in front of the massive car.
“Yep,” said Nick, pressing the electronic keychain and unlocking it. “Josh always wants to take the luxury cars. Not often I get to take this bad boy out. Oh, and I’m driving.”
Cassie laughed.
“You couldn’t pay me to drive this thing. I’d probably accidently put a hole through your house before I got it onto the road.”
They climbed into the car and buckled up.
“Handling something this big isn’t all that hard. Trick is not to get intimidated,” he said.
The inadvertent double entendre of what he’d said was very obvious to Cassie, even though she doubted that’s how he meant it.
They were soon on the road and headed into town, the massive car traveling with ease through the woods.
“I hope Josh didn’t give you too much of a scare,” said Nick, the girls busy with their tablets. “We’ve just…got a lot going on right now, and he’s always extremely concerned about keeping the girls safe.”
“No, I get it,” said Cassie. “The three of you have a company and twins to manage. The last think you all probably want is to have to babysit your live-in babysitter.”
Nick smiled.
“He’s not mad at you or anything, if you’re worried about that. We’re all pretty damn sure you’re the right girl for the job. We just want to make sure you know all the ins and outs of working with us.”
Cassie’s curiosity got the better of her.
“Was there something about that man?” she asked. “I knew there was something off about him, but I didn’t want to be rude and tell you guys that your business partner was a weirdo.”
A focused expression appeared on Nick’s face, one that suggested he was searching very hard for the right words to use.
“He’s not a business partner,” he said finally. “He’s a competitor. And not the kind of guy you want snooping around on your property. If it were up to me, we’d be calling the cops.”
“Why aren’t you?” asked Cassie, the Burlington downtown appearing in the distance.
She regretted the question right away, thinking she was prying into business that didn’t involve her.
“Sorry,” she said. “I guess I’m just getting kind of protective over the kids, too.”
“It’s okay,” said Nick with a smile. “They can have that effect on you. We all like to keep things private if we can. Police have a habit of sometimes doing more harm than good.”
Cassie agreed with the sentiment, but it was still odd to her how secretive this family was. The isolated house, the odd living situation, the desire to keep their business away from the authorities - it was all adding up to something. But what, exactly, Cassie wasn’t sure.
Once downtown, Nick found and open spot and pulled in. The group clambered out of
the car and made their way to the park, the girls running so quickly in excitement that the adults had to hurry to keep up with them.
They were soon in the middle of the vast green expanse of the park. Amy found and open picnic table where she could set down her things and continue with her drawing, and Sam quickly took advantage of the open space, running around with her arms stuck out.
“Come on, guys!” she said, looking back over her shoulder at Cassie and Nick. “Tag!”
Nick glanced over at Cassie and shrugged, a smile on his face.
“You ready to do this?” he asked.
“Oh God,” she said. “I haven’t played tag in so long. Or even run, for that matter.”
“No time like the present to get that cardio back up,” he said.
He didn’t wait for Cassie to respond. Nick took off in a run, moving so quickly for a man his size and strength that Cassie couldn’t believe it. He rushed after Sam, the two of them rushing over the low, sloping hills of the park.
Cassie glanced back over her shoulder, making sure Amy was in sight, before running off. She pumped her arms and legs, sprinting as fast as she could to keep up with Sam and Nick. To her shock, even coming close to them was impossible. She’d expected not to be able to keep up with Nick, but even little Sam easily outran her.
After ten minutes of running as hard as she could, Cassie was done. She bent over, her hands on her knees as she took in breath after breath. She looked up through her panting to see Nick and Sam approaching her, big smiles on their faces and not the slightest sign they were tired at all.
“How…,” started Cassie, still catching her breath. “How…did you guys run like that?”
“Run like what?” said Sam, looking as fresh-faced as ever.
“Like..”
Cassie moved her hand around in the air, imitating how the two has zipped across the park.
“We were just born that way,” said Sam. “It’s…”
Nick’s hand shot out, settling gently on Sam’s shoulder.
“It’s because we make sure to stay in shape,” said Nick. “When’s the last time you’ve been to the gym?”
Embarrassment ran through Cassie at the question.
