by Sam Crescent
EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ®
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2021 Sam Crescent
ISBN: 978-0-3695-0318-3
Cover Artist: Jay Aheer
Editor: Audrey Bobak
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
THE BEAST’S NANNY
The Nannies, 7
Sam Crescent
Copyright © 2021
Chapter One
To most, being a nanny for the notorious Caleb Raine would be the dream job. You got to live in a beautiful house, food, no money worries, and when your charge was fast asleep, you had time to yourself. It sounded so amazing.
Grace Page continued to think about how lucky she was compared to most, but the truth was, no matter how amazing this job might be, she’d been kidnapped. She put a hand on her stomach in an attempt to control the sudden need to throw up.
At the sound of James stirring, she glanced behind her at the sofa in the library where he’d decided to finally fall asleep. He looked so incredibly sweet, and compared to his monster of an uncle, he really was.
Caleb Raine.
Until two weeks ago, she’d never heard of the man.
She’d seen him once as he’d walked into the coffee shop where she’d worked. He’d seemed exhausted, and she’d served him coffee and a sweet cinnamon bun. Then, of course, she’d been nice to him and made sure he got a nice, full breakfast because it looked like he hadn’t eaten. He didn’t pay. She’d paid for his food out of her salary, not that she could afford it. She’d been doing a good deed, and seeing as she couldn’t walk away from those in need, she hadn’t given the money a thought. Most of the time, it ended with her short on money and having to work extra shifts or find a second job. Still, helping people made her happy.
When he’d tried to pay, she’d refused, telling him she hoped he had a good day and to take care of himself. The rest of the day had gone by without a single incident. Her life had changed that night, though.
She didn’t have a car, and on the walk home, she’d been attacked from behind, shoved into the back of a van. The fear still clung to her. The horrible smell in the back of the van, it had been urine, she just knew it. From there, she’d been thrown into a cell along with ten other women. They had all been in different states of undress. Bruises adorned their flesh and with the stories they’d told her about what happened to them, Grace couldn’t recall ever being so scared.
She didn’t like to be scared. It was why she always tried to avoid watching horror movies or anything that would make her afraid.
For three days, she’d watch as girls were taken, kicking, screaming, being beaten, knowing she couldn’t do anything to save them. On the third day, she’d recognized Caleb. He’d come into the room, glanced over the women, and without speaking any words, he’d grabbed her arm, pulled out a gun, shot the three men, and told the women to get the fuck out and to keep what happened to them to themselves.
He hadn’t let her go.
She’d been shoved into his car, driven to his home, and told if she tried to leave, he’d kill her. If she thought of calling the cops, he’d hurt her. There had been a lot of threats, which she blurred out. He’d then dumped her with James and told her to take care of him. The little boy was three years old and so talkative. Everything she’d learned about her captor had come from him and the few conversations she’d heard from Caleb’s men when they didn’t realize she was there.
Working her fingers, she pinched herself, hoping to wake up in her apartment. She’d give anything to be back there now and not here. This place, with all of its beauty, held so much sin and fear.
James let out a moan and she turned toward him, bending down and smiling. He opened his eyes and he let out a chuckle. He was such a good boy. Lifting him up in her arms as he wrapped his arms around her neck, she picked him up, hiking him onto her hip as they left the library.
“I’m hungry,” he said, still sleepy.
“I know. You’re always hungry.” It seemed every couple of hours she was feeding him. Caleb had a very extravagant cook, but he refused to do anything for a young boy’s palate. James didn’t want to eat garlic-drenched scallops, or lamb, or whatever the hell kind of fancy stuff he thought was suitable.
When she’d tried to make James something, the chef had gone mad, throwing knives and threatening to gut her. He’d been so loud, Caleb had come, and then she’d been even more scared as Caleb had taken one of the knives and slammed it right through the chef’s hand.
With the chef screaming in agony, he’d turned to her and asked what the hell was going on. She’d stumbled over her words, but the following day, one of the guards had told her she could cook whenever she liked.
Now, when she entered the kitchen, whoever was in there left.
She hadn’t meant to cause such a scene, but at least James actually ate now. Until then, he’d been nibbling on what he could stomach.
After dropping him into a chair, she moved toward the fridge. “What would you like, sweetie?” she asked.
“Grace, are you my mommy?”
She paused as she reached in to grab some cheese. James loved anything with cheese. She’d make him some pasta.
Spinning around, she offered him a smile. “No, sweetheart. I’m not. I’m your … nanny.” That was what you called a person who took care of kids. That or a babysitter. A nanny made this feel less like a kidnapping. Now she was just going plain crazy. Nothing could ever make her feel better about being taken against her will.
At night, she lived in fear of those men coming back, which was so stupid because Caleb had killed them all. He was a monster and what was more, even monsters feared him.
She ran her fingers over James’s head and grabbed a pan. Once she’d filled it with water, she placed it on the stove and found the pasta she knew he’d love. He liked to slurp up anything.
Finding the salt, she seasoned the water and got the pasta in to cook as she poured some milk into another pan.
James was more than happy to play with the spoon she’d given him. He wasn’t such a bad child, not really. He was content in his own world, and she was happy with him. Her life hadn’t been filled with pain.
The one time she tried to leave, the guard had escorted her back to her bedroom, which was a beautiful room. Her life was perfect. Only, she’d been stolen, and this wasn’t her life.
After grating up the cheese, she added it to the milk, with a little black pepper. She had a taste, finding something missing. She returned to the fridge and took out some cream cheese. Once she’d added in a couple of tablespoons, she gave it a stir and another taste, and drained the pasta. Stirring the cheese sauce into the pasta, she served them both up and sat next to James at the counter. They started to eat.
Every now and then, James would make a noise. The sound of contentment made her smile. It meant she’d done good.
Twirling her fork in the spaghetti, she slurped it up. She was so focused on eating, she didn’t hear him enter until James alerted her with a squeal.
She tensed up. Couldn’t help it. In a matter of hours, this man had turned her perfectly organized world into chaos. She’d seen him kill and that alone scared the crap out of her.
Caleb nodded at James. He moved
forward, rustled his head, and then snapped an instruction. One of his guards came into the room.
“I want you to take James for bath time while I speak with Miss Page,” he said.
She looked toward the guard then at Caleb. “I don’t mind taking him for a bath.” The very last thing she wanted was to be alone with this … horrible person.
He was a monster.
“You’re not going anywhere,” he said. He nodded at the man, and then just like that, the small semblance of peace she’d been able to find shattered. Her hunger vanished. She put her fork down and looked toward the exits.
Being alone with this man was never good.
Gritting her teeth, she clasped her hands together, hoping she had the strength for whatever was going to come.
Fear traveled up her spine, threatening to make her vomit.
Caleb put his hand down on the counter and started to drum his fingers as he stared at her. She licked her lips, keeping her gaze averted.
For two weeks, this man had changed her life and she had yet to decide if it was for the better.
He kidnapped you. None of this is ever going to be okay.
Whatever happened, she needed to keep her wits about herself.
****
Caleb stared at the woman who’d turned his life upside down.
She was scared. It didn’t take a genius to figure that one out. He didn’t blame her either.
From the moment she’d paid for him to be fed that awful breakfast and refused his money, he’d needed to have her. In his world, he was used to having women at his beck and call.
Grace Page didn’t come from his world. From the moment he left her until he picked her up, he’d learned everything there was to know about her life. Twenty-one years old, parents died in a car crash when she was eighteen. A good student and a kind soul. She volunteered at the animal shelter on her days off. Took extra work to help pay for her kind heart.
There wasn’t a bad bone in this woman’s body. She was kind through and through.
He didn’t think it was possible to find someone like her, but yet, here she sat. Now, he didn’t know what the fuck to do with her. He’d tainted her sweet little heart with enough darkness, but he couldn’t bring himself to let her go. The past two weeks, he’d tried to do just that. To pass her off to someone else, but each time he picked up his cell phone, the thought of anyone else touching her filled him with a violent rage. No one deserved her, least of all him.
Now he had a woman he wanted, simple as that.
The only woman who’d taken the time to care about him, not herself.
What the fuck did he do with that?
Running a hand down his face, he stared at her. She shook from fear, and it pissed him off. He hadn’t raised a hand to her, but she’d seen so much.
“You don’t have to be afraid.”
She looked up, a frown on her face.
He took a seat. “Eat.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“I’m not going to hurt you.”
She snorted and then covered her mouth. “I watched you kill people.”
He sighed. “They had it coming.”
“What about the police?”
This time, he snorted. “Believe me, they’re useless in situations like this.”
She shook her head. “Let me go.” Her voice was so soft. He could listen to her all day.
“No.”
Her shoulders slumped.
“Do you not like looking after James?” he asked.
“He’s a great kid, but I’ve got a job and a life. What … what you’re doing is wrong and it’s not fair.”
Fair.
“Life’s not fair, sweetheart,” he said.
She pressed her hands flat on the kitchen counter and shook her head. “I don’t get this. I’ve done nothing to you. Why are you being so mean?”
He raised a brow. “You think this is me being mean?” He burst out laughing, slamming his hand to the counter. “You don’t want to see me get mean. I saved your ass.”
“Why? How?”
“Why and how what?” He kind of expected gratitude. Sure, he’d been the one to hire her, but once they discovered her virginity, they’d tried to blackmail him for more money, and that pissed him off.
“Why did they take me?”
He stayed silent.
“It’s because of you, isn’t it? They took me because of you.”
Again, he didn’t say a word.
“I don’t know you.” She got to her feet, pushing the chair back.
He’d been so pissed off when his chef, Bernaldo, had threatened her. Walking in and seeing her cowering had filled him with rage. Bernaldo was lucky to leave with his life and just a stab wound in the hand. He’d been tempted to cause a lot more damage. Hearing people scream in pain didn’t affect him. It was why Grace was so fascinating.
She was the first woman to ever get under his skin.
“I suggest you sit down!”
“No. I want to go back to my life. You can’t kidnap me.”
He stood up, towering over her. She shrank back. He refused to repeat himself. She was truly safe with him, but if she kept on testing him, he’d have to at least spank her ass. Sure, he’d fucked up big time, but in his world, all he had to do was snap his fingers to get what he wanted, and Grace was at the top of the list.
“I suggest you sit down before I lose my temper.”
“You’re … horrible! You can’t do this. I want my life back. What do I have to do to get my life back?”
Ah, there it was.
He didn’t smile on his face, but inside, he couldn’t help it.
Everyone had a price. Grace had given him the key to how to get her.
He grabbed her arm, none too gently, and began to walk her toward his office. When she started to fight him, he turned, lifted her up over his shoulder, and slapped her ass for good measure, walking her all the way to his office. Guards stepped out of his way, and as he dumped her on the edge of his desk, he didn’t give her any space, invading hers.
With the way he’d put her, her legs were spread with him pressed against her core. He wanted to do a whole lot more to her, but for now, playing with her sounded like a lot of fun.
“What the hell are you doing?” she asked. She wriggled, and he saw the moment she became aware of his obvious erection pressing against her pussy. She paused, eyes wide, and he smiled at her.
“I’m a businessman, Grace. I’m not a complete monster, I can negotiate.” A total lie. Everyone feared him. It was how he’d built up his reputation around fear.
“What?”
“You want your freedom, and there’s something I want from you,” he said.
She frowned. “I have no idea what you could want from me.”
He pressed his cock against her. “I know you’re a virgin, sweet Grace.”
“How? What? No!” She tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let her. He didn’t like the tension within her body, so he stepped back. The door to his office had already been shut, and there would be no escape.
“I … I’ve done nothing wrong. I’m a good person. Just let me go. I promise I won’t tell anyone. I just want to go home.”
She wanted to go home and he couldn’t allow that to happen.
“You know, it’s good to be kind, but when you show that kindness to someone who is only used to pain and misery, well, it makes people aware of you, Grace.”
“You did all of this, didn’t you?” she asked.
Rather than answer, he went to his drinks table, pouring them both a shot of whiskey. Picking up her glass, he moved toward her. “Have a drink?”
“I don’t drink.”
He raised a brow.
“I don’t.”
“Then humor me. This is going to help you to relax.”
She took the shot glass from him, downed the shot, and then coughed, pressing a hand to her chest.
“There, that wasn’t so bad, was it?”
he asked.
“I want to leave.”
“Not happening. You see, Grace, I want to fuck you, and that is going to be your price.”
“You’re crazy. I would never do something like that.”
“Not even for your freedom?”
She opened her mouth, closed it, and he saw her trying to decide. Her face an open book, so easy to read.
“I just have to … sleep with you?” she asked.
“No. You have to fuck me, Grace, and before you start wondering, this wouldn’t be a one-time deal.”
“But you just said—”
He lifted a finger and shook it left to right. “No, I didn’t say fucking me once would be enough. For one year, you’ll belong to me, no questions asked.”
“A year? You’ve got to be crazy. I’ve got my job. My apartment.”
“All of them are gone.”
“What!” She shook her head. “No, that’s not possible. No. I … no.”
“Yes, yes, and yes. I can do and have whatever I want, Grace. No price is too high.”
“Why would I even agree to this? You’ve taken everything.”
“Not yet, but how about this? Give me everything I ask for, and in return, I’ll give you your life back. You can go right back to work, your apartment, and a small fortune. All you have to do is keep everything you’ve seen to yourself. The moment you think of telling a single soul, I’ll kill everyone and everything you love, making you watch before I take your life.”
He put his glass down. “And to help you decide, think of this.” To finish his pitch, he sank his fingers into her hair, tilted her head back, and claimed her lips in a kiss he’d been craving since the moment he’d seen her.
He’d been fucking exhausted after spending over twenty-four hours awake, handling some delicate business, mainly his sister’s death. James hadn’t been with him for long, but one look at Grace, and he’d fucking wanted her, craved her, and now, he wasn’t going to let her go until he had his fill.