“Thank you, Jackson. I will take that as a compliment,” she said smiling over at him. “Now enough about me. I want to know why none of you are married or have girlfriends. You are all too good looking to be single.”
Nadia laughed as she watched three grown men blush. Her comment did exactly what she thought it would do. She hated to embarrass them, but she wanted to turn the conversation away from her. She had never been comfortable with that much attention on her. She was actually surprised for telling them as much as she had about herself. They knew more about her now than anyone else did, including her parents, and that was just sad.
After hours of talking and one last check on Addison who was still asleep, Nadia went to bed more lighthearted than she had ever been before. So far, it had been a good decision to take the nanny job, ranking right up there with her decision to move out on her own. Who knows? Maybe I will even take a chance and try to become friends with these guys, she thought as she drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 5
Robert had tried to sleep the night before, but the pain in his ribs kept him from resting comfortably. Instead, he sat up all night trying to come up with a plan to use Sarah’s baby to get the money he needed to pay Mr. Porello. He always figured there was a way out of every situation. He just had to figure it out and not get caught or killed in the process. This situation, though, was going to be hard if not damn near impossible for him to get out of.
He blamed everything on Sarah. This was all that bitch’s fault. Just because she was dead didn’t mean that she wasn’t going to help him get out of trouble. That’s where her baby came in. The way Robert saw it he had two options. One, he could threaten to take the baby from Sarah’s brother if he didn’t pay. That option had a few flaws, the main one being that he was going to have to prove he was the father. That meant DNA tests and time he didn’t have. Most importantly, it meant involving the authorities. That was not happening.
The only other option was taking the baby and then finding someone that wanted to buy it from him. There was a black market out there for everything, and, hopefully, that included babies. Robert liked this choice a whole lot better. There had to be some rich couple out there that wanted a baby so badly they were willing to pay. He just had to talk to the right people to get the word out he had one for sale. Robert was used to dealing with the shady side of society, so this option was right up his alley. He’d get his money, some rich couple got a brat they could spoil, and Sarah’s brother got out of an obligation to take care of his dead sister’s child. It was a win-win all around.
When sunlight finally came, Robert got dressed and left the house. His first stop was to get the word out he had merchandise he was looking to get rid of. In order to do that, he needed someone that was in touch with the darker elements of society.
He found it funny that the one person that popped in his mind was Officer Stanley. For a person sworn to protect and serve, the man had his hand in every corrupt pocket in town. If you wanted to get out of a charge or needed heads to turn the other way, Officer Stanley was the man. Just as long as you paid him for his troubles. If anyone knew how to get into contact with someone that wanted to buy this baby, it was this man. Robert would have to sell the baby for a higher price than he anticipated so he could cover his debt and have enough left over to pay Officer Stanley, but that was okay. After all, this was a human being he was trying to sell. There would be no negotiating on the price.
Robert pulled his cell phone out as he walked. While he was dialing, the hair on the back of his neck began to stand on end. He turned but didn’t see anyone following him. Come on, man. You are just being paranoid. Just stick to the plan and you will be free and clear in a few days. The mental pep talk did nothing to stop the chill that went up Robert’s spine, and he sped up. The sooner I can get this over with the sooner I can get off the streets. He knew that nowhere was truly safe for him if Mr. Porello suddenly decided Robert’s time was up, but Robert wanted to be back home locked inside his house where he could see the attack coming if it came down to that.
Officer Stanley finally picked up after a few rings, and Robert spoke the code words. “Today is a great day for ice cream. I think I might stop for some.” He hung up without waiting on a response. He headed for the ice cream shop a couple of streets over to wait. Officer Stanley would decide if he was going to meet with Robert or not. It was a waiting game now.
He was relieved when he entered the shop and took a seat in the far corner. From his position, Robert could see the door and everyone that entered. The feeling of someone following him had finally gone away when he entered. He had looked over his shoulder a few times as he walked but never saw anything out of the ordinary. That scared him. He had no doubt he was being followed, and he absolutely knew who it was following. He only hoped that Mr. Porello’s goons were trailing to just keep an eye on him. Hopefully, they were reporting back he was attempting to come up with the money and not sitting around on his ass all day.
Robert shifted in the chair. He was still sore from his beating, and the hard chair was uncomfortable to say the least. He snagged a newspaper from a nearby table and opened it so he didn’t look suspicious just sitting there. He watched the people that came and went with their children in tow. After a particular pudgy kid who looked about three years old threw a tantrum because he couldn’t have another ice cream cone, Robert shuddered. Why would anyone want to put up with that? Is this what I had in store for me if Sarah had stayed and told me she was pregnant? He had never been more grateful in his whole life that the bitch had given his kid away. There was no way he was putting up with another mouth to feed. In the end everything had worked out for the best.
Too bad Sarah had to die. He really could have used her cash, but this way was better. He knew her. He knew Sarah would have never gotten rid of the baby, and he’d have definitely told her to if he’d known she was pregnant. Hell, her disappearing act proved that. Robert would have never realized there was money to be made off the brat if he had forced Sarah to get rid of it. Now, with Sarah gone, there was no one stopping him from getting the money he deserved.
After waiting for three hours, Robert gave up and left the ice cream shop. Officer Stanley wasn’t coming, and he had started getting dirty looks from the employees. He had no idea what he was going to do now and needed a new plan. He tried to come up with something as he walked and was so lost in thought he didn’t hear the car pull alongside of him. The sound of a horn so close caused him to jump, and he winced in pain when he pulled his ribs. Looking over, he realized the car was a police cruiser and Officer Stanley was driving. Without a second thought, he climbed in the back seat.
“I thought we were going to meet at the ice cream shop,” he said as the car pulled away from the curb.
“I wanted to make sure it wasn’t a set-up. I saw you when you went in. I just wanted to make sure no one else was watching,” Stanley said.
Robert grunted but didn’t voice his frustrations. He was upset Stanley had made him wait three hours, but he definitely wasn’t going to say anything out loud. He needed the man.
“I gotta tell you,” Stanley continued, “I didn’t like what I saw.” He held up his hand to stop Robert’s protest and watched him in the rearview mirror. “You are in some deep shit, my friend. I saw not one, but three, of Mr. Porello’s men watching you. Even I don’t mess with the guy, so I’m not really sure what you did to put yourself in his sights. Whatever it was, it was stupid. I can already tell you that.”
Don’t I know it? “I owe him a lot of money.”
“Shit, man! You are so dead.” Stanley chuckled.
“Not if you help me,” he said, irritated that Stanley found his situation amusing. “I have something I can sell that can get me enough money to pay off my debt to Mr. Porello with enough left over to pay you. I just need you to find me a buyer.” Robert looked with pleading eyes into the mirror. If Stanley didn’t help him, he was screwed.
After a few mi
nutes of silence, Stanley finally asked, “What is it you are trying to sell?”
Robert’s shoulders sagged in relief. Stanley would have never asked him that question if he wasn’t willing to help. The man went on a strictly need-to-know basis. He only needed to know if he was willing to get involved. If he wasn’t, he didn’t want to know any details. That was so he could deny all knowledge and involvement if the shit hit the fan. He explained the situation with Sarah and about how she’d given up his kid. He told Stanley how he was going to snatch the kid back and he wanted Stanley to have a buyer waiting so he could sell it and get the money he needed to pay Mr. Porello. The whole time he explained the plan, Stanley’s expression never changed, and Robert had to wonder if this was something the man did often. Most people would be shocked if they found out someone wanted to do something as taboo as sell a baby.
“I’m only doing this because I know how dangerous Mr. Porello is. For your sake, I hope you are able to snatch the kid and not get caught because there is nothing I can do to help you if you are. Don’t think you will be safe if you get arrested either. That will be the least of your worries because you would never make it to trial. The man has people locked up that are still loyal to him. He can reach you even there.” Stanley pulled the car to the curb.
Robert waited for Officer Stanley to get out and open his door. “Thank you for helping me. Just get the buyer lined up, and I will contact you as soon as I have the kid.”
Stanley grunted and got back in his car. Before he pulled off, he rolled the window down. “I will help you this one time but, if you ever do something this stupid again, don’t bother calling me for help.” With that, Officer Stanley pulled away from the curb and drove off.
Robert looked around and frowned. The bastard had dropped him off in the middle of nowhere. The one good thing was that he didn’t have the feeling he was being watched. He had lost his trackers for now. With Stanley working on finding a buyer, that left Robert with the task of finding a way to kidnap his own kid. He laughed at the thought as he pulled the piece of paper with Sarah’s brother’s address from his pocket. He would pay a visit to the area and stake it out. If he were lucky, he would see Sarah’s brother and the baby. At least that way he would know what baby to steal. It wouldn’t do for me to steal the wrong kid, he thought as he made his way down the street.
* * * *
Nadia had just about figured out how to buckle the straps on Addison’s car seat when Steve walked in the room. It had taken her nearly an hour to get the baby dressed and ready and her diaper bag packed with everything she might need for their trip to the park. She felt stupid when she tried to zip the diaper bag and couldn’t. She realized then she had packed ten outfits, thirty diapers, and a gallon-size bottle of baby wash. She had no idea why she felt she needed the wash, but at least Addison would have been the cleanest baby in town. All this prep for an hour trip to the park. Nadia didn’t know how parents did it.
After downsizing to only the essentials, the bag zipped shut easily, and Nadia moved on to the stroller. At first she tried to lay Addison in the seat, but then she realized the baby was too small and she could easily slip through one of the leg holes. She tried stuffing blankets around the baby like a protective cocoon, but that didn’t work either because the baby couldn’t sit up on her own. She kept ending up slumped over to the side. Nadia was about to give up and stay home when she remembered the day she’d met the guys for the first time at the park and Steve had Addison in the stroller. She closed her eyes and pictured that day and realized that Steve had Addison in her car seat sitting on top of the stroller. That was how she’d ended up twenty minutes later sitting on the living room floor in front of the car seat trying to force the thing to buckle.
“Nadia, what are you doing?” Steve asked.
Nadia could hear the amusement in his voice and wondered how long he had been standing there. “I thought I would take Addison for a walk to the park for some fresh air. I didn’t know I was going to have to become a rocket scientist over night to figure this stuff out.”
Steve laughed and reached for the car seat. “Don’t worry. It took us a while to figure it out the first time, too. After you do it once, it becomes a piece of cake.”
Nadia watched as Steve buckled the straps in a few quick moves then lifted the seat and snapped it to the top of the stroller. “Damn. You mean to tell me that was all it took? Do you know how long I have been in here trying to make that thing work? Why would anyone want to make something so complicated?”
“I always said it was good to learn one new thing a day. Look on the bright side. You just learned yours for today,” Steve said, and he began packing all of Addison’s stuff under the stroller.
He frowned at a few of the items Nadia had set aside to take, but he didn’t say a word, and she was grateful. She liked that about Steve. From what she could tell, he was a very optimistic person. He saw the silver lining in everything and was there with a kind word whenever he felt someone needed it.
“Would you like to go with us?” She didn’t want to admit she was scared to go out alone with the baby. At least this way she would have someone with her if something happened.
“Sure, I can go. Just let me go save my work and shut down the computer. The only reason I came in here was because I heard you grunting and thought something was wrong.”
Nadia felt her cheeks warm as she blushed and was glad that Steve had already walked out of the room. She had no idea she had been making any noises. She met Steve at the front door and pushed the stroller outside. She got worried when she saw the two steps leading down the front porch, but Steve easily lifted the stroller and sat it at the bottom. Nadia couldn’t help but notice the way the muscles flexed in his arms, and she bit back a groan. The man was sexy, and the fact that he didn’t even know it made him even sexier. No drooling over the boss! Nadia seemed to have to keep telling herself that over and over, but it wasn’t working. Being surrounded by three gorgeous men she couldn’t touch was hard.
The walk to the park was quiet but not awkward. She felt comfortable around Steve and enjoyed that he didn’t try to fill the silence with unnecessary small talk. This gave her time to think about her life and the direction in which she was headed. The only thing that she had liked about working for her mother was the charity work. Of course her mother had only been in it for the publicity, but Nadia enjoyed the feeling she got from helping those less fortunate that her. Now, she was the charity case. Nadia laughed at the thought of her mother hosting a thousand dollar a plate benefit dinner in her honor. She could see the look of horror on her mother’s face now.
“Care to tell me what’s so funny?” Steve asked.
“I was just thinking about my mother. For a woman that is so devoted to helping those less fortunate than her, she would be horrified to know I have taken a job she would consider beneath me. She is all about ‘saving the children,’ but only when it benefits her and she gets to show off how much money my family has.” Nadia followed Steve over to an empty bench and sat. It was a warm sunny day, and many people were out with their kids playing and having picnics. She looked over to see that Addison was still asleep.
“Did you not approve of your mother’s charity events?”
“The sad thing is that was the only thing I approved of. I know she did it for the wrong reasons, but in the end, she was still helping people. I would rather have actually gone out and physically helped feed the starving instead of sitting in some fancy ballroom in a designer gown stuffing my face with gourmet food I overpaid for. Unfortunately, the Cassidys didn’t get their hands dirty with physical labor. That would certainly cause a scandal in my mother’s eyes.”
Steve nodded but didn’t say anything. Nadia wasn’t expecting him to. It just felt good to vent, and Steve was a really good listener. They sat there quietly, and Nadia people watched for a while. She loved watching people of all walks of life and how they interacted. She felt she could learn a lot about a person when
they didn’t know she was watching them. She scanned the crowds until her gaze stopped on a man with shocking red hair sitting alone on the other side of the park. Nadia didn’t know what made her stop and look at him. There was just something creepy about him. The man had on dark sunglasses so she couldn’t see his eyes, but Nadia knew he was watching her. She shivered a little and turned her head. She tried to force herself not to look at him, but she couldn’t stop herself from turning back. The man was gone, and Nadia didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. There was something about the man that had rubbed her the wrong way. She scanned the park looking for his red hair but didn’t see him anywhere. She would have liked to see what direction he’d gone in, but she couldn’t find him.
She made small talk with Steve, but the creepy feeling had effectively ruined the peacefulness of the park, and Nadia was ready to leave.
“I think Addison has had enough fresh air for today. It’s about time for her to wake up, and she will be hungry, so why don’t we head back to the house?”
Steve watched her for a second before answering. “Are you okay, Nadia? You seem really tense all of a sudden. Did I say something to upset you?”
“No, you didn’t do anything wrong.” The last thing she wanted was for Steve to think she was upset with him. The guy was a sweetheart. “It’s just me. I’ve had a lot on my mind these last few days. That’s all.”
Nadia hoped that Steve would let it go and breathed a sigh of relief when he stood and held out his hand to help her up. She smiled and thanked him when she stood and began walking.
“You do know that I make a really good listener if you ever want to talk, right?” he said casually.
Midnight Call (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 6