With my earbuds in my ears, I danced and sang my heart out as I finished up the dishes and put them away. It was eleven thirty at night. I’d showered and gotten ready for bed, drank two sses of wine, and tried my hand at actually getting some sleep for a change. That onlysted about an hour before I was on my feet again and headed to the kitchen.

    My socked feet slid across the floor as the bridge of the song came on. I was always torn between listening to music or finishing up listening to a book while I cooked or cleaned up. Tonight, I was ying mix and match.

    When the song ended, I opened my audiobook app and started the next book on my never-ending reading list. I loved a good adult fairy tale with a happily ever after. They hit even harder now that I felt like my life was actually bing one.

    Once my book started, I removed my socks and left them in the living room while I swept the floor then put together a concoction to mop the floor. Cleaning and working with my hands was always a good distraction.

    A few weeks ago, I would have never thought I would be dating my former boss let alone spending the weekend in his house so I could clean it while he was away. As annoying as Brendan was with all his bragging and grandstanding, he was equally sweet and funny. Getting to know him helped me realize that he worked hard for his money. I couldn’t me him for bragging a little on his sess.

    He exined how he’d put himself through college selling drugs before leaving the street life alone and building his ounting clientele up brick by brick. When there was a crisis or big financial decision to be made, he would be on the phone for hours helping his clients sort them out. I was attracted to his drive and how dedicated to his job he was.

    He made sure to shower me with gifts and money in lieu of the time he couldn’t spend with me. Even with my rent paid up for the next few months, I found myself spending more and more time at his ce. Dating Brendan felt like a fairy talee true. A handsome, rich man wanted little old me.

    I was just an awkward, tall girl with dreams of taking care of hundreds of little children for the rest of my life. Then one night this dashing man hired me for a job that I could barely tolerate before ultimatelying in and sweeping me off my feet. I couldn’t have dreamed up a better story if I tried. Brendan seemed just as happy to have me in his life as I was for him to rescue me from the life I hated.

    It was his idea that I spend most of my time at his ce. He wanted me to move in with him, but I wasn’t ready for that. His reasoning was that he worked a lot but wanted to spend as much time with me as he could, even if it was just after a long day at the office or a few days on the road. It made sense to me to want to have someone to greet you with a kiss after a hard day’s work.

    I missed having someone toe home to with Kelsea moving out of our apartment. We had only been dating for close to a month. Of course, I felt like we were moving too fast but foundfort in knowing that I still had a ce of my own. I got the feeling that he liked the idea of having a live-in maid just as much as he liked having a live-in girlfriend. Brendan liked having someone there to cook and clean while he was away, and I enjoyed doing it. His money was good, so I wasn’tining.

    For the past few days, he had been on a business trip. He’d told me that he was returning yesterday, and so far, I hadn’t heard from him or been able to get in touch with him. I didn’t know if I should panic or not.

    Brendan was in Nevada and had already let me know that his cell reception was spotty in the desert. It was a struggle to not worry about him, which was why I was up cleaning and mopping an already clean kitchen after midnight.

    A looming presence behind me made my heart flutter as I turned on my heels to wee my man home. The face splitting smile I wore for Brendan fell, and my stomach dropped through the floor when I found someone else standing behind me instead. Not just someone else, it was him.

    My eyes darted around the kitchen for any sign that Brendan was here too. I didn’t see him, but that didn’t stop me from pulling one of the buds out of my ear. The sound of my heart drumming in my ears was deafening. I was almost certain that he could hear it too.

    “Where’s Brendan?” I asked him.

    “I was about to ask you the same thing.”

    “How did you get in here?”

    “Where is your boyfriend, sweetheart?” he asked, taking a few steps to close the space between us. Suddenly I felt naked in the boy shorts and sports bra that had been just right for bedtime.

    “I-I don’t know,” I stammered nervously.

    “What the hell do you mean you don’t know?” he snapped.

    “I don’t know where he is. How did you get in here? Do you have a key?”

    “So, you’re in here mopping and cleaning up like you’re the maid, and you don’t even know where he is? How long has he been gone? Where did he say he was going?” he quizzed.

    “He was in Nevada meeting with somebody or doing whatever he does. I don’t ask him about work. He was supposed toe back this morning, but he didn’t show up.”

    “And you’re not the least bit concerned?” he asked, narrowing his eyes as if he didn’t believe me.

    “I’m concerned but what can I do? What are you doing here? Was he expecting you?”

    His dark eyes shot to the counter where my phone had stopped reading my book once my earbud was out. He picked it up and shoved it in my direction.

    “Call him,” he demanded.

    My hands trembled as I epted the phone from him. I swiped the screen up to unlock my phone before going to thest call I ced and tapping the screen to call Brendan yet again.

    “On speaker!” he barked, causing me to jump.

    “I’ve been calling him all day, and he hasn’t answered,” I exined.

    Hearing my phone ring through to voicemail must have pissed him off because he yanked it out of my hand and smashed it on the floor. I screamed when he grabbed my shoulders and red down at me.

    “Is that your car out there?”

    “No, I don’t even drive,” I denied.

    His eyes passed over my face and drifted to the watch Brendan gave me before he left town. “He gave you those earrings and this watch?” he quizzed, holding up my wrist as if I didn’t know what watch he was referring to.

    “Yeah, so?”

    “So, do you know where my fucking money is going? It looks to me like you’re helping that muthafucka spend it!”

    “What money? I don’t know what’s going on, but whatever happened is between you and Brendan,” I stated.

    “That ain’t for you to determine. I tell you what though. Since you don’t know where the hell he is, and I don’t know where my money is, we have amon interest in finding his ass,” he dered.

    “I’m sure he’ll be back soon.”

    “And I’m sure he won’t. He’s been off the radar for almost a week. I just found out how to get him out of the shadows though.”

    “Good, now can you please leave?” I asked, urging him to go.

    “Hmph,” he scoffed as he stooped and tossed me over his shoulder like a rag doll.

    I kicked and screamed, pounding on his back as he shifted my weight to get a better hold on me.

    “Put me the fuck down!” I demanded.

    “Until I get my money back, you’ll do,” he sneered.

    “Help! Help! Somebody help me!” I screamed my head off as he moved through the house without saying another word. Once we were outside, I shouted even more hoping one of Brendan’s neighbors woulde to my rescue. Luck didn’t seem to be on my side as I crashnded in the back seat of an SUV.

    “Shut the fuck up!” he snarled before mming the door.

    I snatched at the door handle to no avail. He had the fucking child lock on, but that didn’t stop me from trying to get out. I lunged for the front seat only to be stopped when he opened the driver side door.

    “Let me out of here!” I screamed in his face.

    “Unless you want me to tie you up, you’ll sit back and shut up,” he cautioned.

    “Where are you taking me?”

    “Wherever the fuck I want to!” he barked.

    “Whatever you have going on with Brendan has nothing to do with me. I don’t ask him where he gets his money from. Just let me go. I’m sure you can work this out without my help.”

    “Lady, sit your ass back unless you want me to tie you up.”

    “You’re going to have to because I’m not going down without a fight,” I told him.

    “I don’t care how you go down but don’t think for a second that I’m going to keep tussling with your ass. You can either go conscious or unconscious,” he chuckled bitterly but his face was stone cold as he slid into the driver’s seat.

    “Fuck you! Let me out of here!” I yelled as I grabbed and wed at his face and head.

    Silently he opened the car door and got back out. Terror coursed through me when he tore the door open, but that didn’t stop me from trying to get out. I made a break for it, but my foot didn’t even touch the ground. With his hands on my waist, he lifted me and sat me back on the seat.

    “I see you learn the hard way,” he snapped, covering my mouth and nose with his hand. I didn’t have a chance to put up a fight before everything went ck.hr

    I woke up with a start. Sitting up straight, I looked around wild-eyed trying to figure out where the hell I was and how I got there. The memories of the real-life nightmare came back to me in a sh. The bedroom I was in was huge. My entire apartment could have fit inside the room and there would still be space to move around. I didn’t know what the hell Brendan had gotten me into, but at this point, I was ready to freaking kill him.

    His crazy ass friend had tucked me into bed like there was nothing wrong with kidnapping me and bringing me back to his house. I wasn’t sure if he nned on using me as bait to lure Brendan here or keeping me as a sex ve. All I knew was I wasn’t staying here. I had nothing to do with their beef.

    I jumped out of the bed and darted to the door of the room. Grateful that it wasn’t locked, I snatched the door open and dashed out into the living room. There was no sign of him as I cleared the living room and got closer to the door. My heart pounded out of my chest as I reached the door.

    When my handnded on the doorknob, I found that it was locked. I couldn’t even find the lock. I took a step back and looked at the knob. There was no way to unlock it. I searched the wall for some kind of panel before finding it. I pressed the ck button hoping that the lock on the door would pop.

    “Don’t stress yourself, princess. You can’t unlock the door,” the mad man’s voice came through a speaker somewhere.

    “Let me the fuck out of here!” I shouted.

    “Take a shower and get dressed. I’ll be up in thirty minutes.”

    Up? Was I upstairs? I sprinted over to a window and looked out over a huge pool that sat in a back yard that seemed to stretch for miles. Where the hell was I? I marched back over to the door and pressed the button again.

    “I’m not getting all clean just for you to take advantage of me. I’m not about to be your sex ve or whatever you got in mind.”

    “You think I can’t get pussy without taking it?” he chuckled.

    I’m pretty sure there was a button that would have prevented me from hearing himugh. He was likely holding it down to make sure I could. He was taunting me.

    “You will do whatever the fuck I tell you to do. If I say fuck, you will fuck. Get dressed, Den. I don’t have time to go back and forth with you all day.”

    The way he said my name made a shiver crawl up my spine. I wasn’t sure how it made me feel, but I felt something.

    “Fuck you!” I spat after punching my finger against the button.

    That got another sinister chuckle out of him. “Twenty-five minutes, Den. If you’re hungry, the kitchen is fully stocked, but my chef is making breakfast.”

    Smashing my finger against the button again, I shouted. “I don’t even have anything to change into. I hope you don’t think I’m going to parade around in this all day, and I’m not putting on dirty panties.”

    “You seem to think you have control over what happens here, Den. Unless you have my money or can direct me to where I can retrieve it, you will do what the fuck I say and save the back talk for your diary.”

    Tears filled my eyes as I stormed back into the bedroom where I hade from. It was crazy for him to tell me to get dressed knowing that he snatched me out of Brendan’s house half naked. Maybe he doubled back and got clothes for me after he knocked me out. I didn’t care either way, but if I was going to get out of here, it would be nice to have on clothes when I made a run for it. I was not about to be a prisoner to this psychotic bastard because of whatever score he had to settle with Brendan.

    I narrowed my eyes when I spotted the bags at the foot of the bed. I had been so busy trying to get out of there that I didn’t notice them before, not that I gave a damn about bags. I wanted to get the hell out of here. I had to find a way to get in touch with somebody outside of this house.

    I had no clue where the hell I was. All I knew was I was trapped up here unless I figured out a way to get out of the window. I picked up one of the bags and dumped it on the bed. The clothes in it were brand new. I picked up a pair of jeans and my jaw dropped when I saw the price tag. Why would he spend over a thousand dors on a pair of jeans? This was insane.

    As I looked through bags and bags of designer clothes that I would have never paid my hard-earned money for, I grew more and more confused. Aside from wondering why Mr. Evil had spent so much money on clothes for me, I wanted to know how in the world he knew my size. It didn’t matter. I just wanted something covering my body when I got the hell away from here for good.

    With a pair of the jeans and a blouse that happened to be cute as hell in tow, I grabbed one of the bras that happened to be a couple of sizes too small and headed into the bathroom. The bathroom was absolutely breathtaking. There was a huge w-foot tub sitting in one half of the room while there was a walk-in shower on the other in front of his and hers sinks. I loved a long soak while listening to a good book.

    I rolled my eyes before cing my clothes on the counter. I noticed all kinds of soap in the shower. The only ones I saw were women’s soaps. I assumed that he used a different bathroom because I still didn’t even know where he was in this ce. I didn’t even know theyout but there was obviously another floor. I stripped out of my clothes and walked under the warm stream of the shower.

    Every one of the five shower gels smelled good, so I just picked one and took a quick shower. I was eager to get downstairs so I could get the hell out of here, so I didn’t waste time basking under the warm water. I hopped out of the shower and grabbed a towel before quickly drying off. Once I was dry, I threw on the clothes and stepped out of the bathroom.

    Walking back over to the bed, I searched through the piles of clothes and opened the box that had a pair of sneakers in it. Yet another thing that he’d spent too much money on. I sat on the side of the bed and put on a pair of socks before sticking my feet in the shoes. I sighed when the butter-soft leather weed my feet like a cloud. Damn was this why people spent so much money on these?

    I swallowed down the walnut-sized lump in my throat as I stood from the bed. With every step I took toward the kitchen my heart broke a little more. I could believe I had been yanked into Brendan’s bullshit. I shook my head, mming my back against the wall and sliding down to the floor. Dropping my head I cried into my hands. This could not be happening. Where the hell was Brendan, and why was I the only one being punished for something he did?

    “Get up!” Mr. Evil barked, almost making me jump out of my skin.

    I looked up to find him standing there nonchntly with his hands sped in front of him.

    “You scared me,” I mumbled.

    “I told you I wasing up in twenty-five minutes.”

    “I know it hasn’t been twenty-five minutes already.”

    “Obviously, you had time to get ready anyway. I know you’re upset, but you’re going to have to suck it up and act like you’re happy to be here before I take you downstairs.”

    “How am I supposed to pretend like I haven’t been kidnapped and held hostage?” I quizzed, staring up at him and waiting for a response.

    “That’s not up for me to decide. Stand up,” he said, reaching down to take my hand.

    With an exasperated sigh, I took his hand and let him help me to stand. His musky cologne pissed me off. How could he worry about smelling good while he had a freaking hostage? He looked devilishly good in dark gray cks and a matching vest. The white shirt contrasted perfectly with his umber skin.

    “Am I supposed to be a high-priced hooker or something in these expensive behind clothes? These shoes cost more than my rent.”

    “You’ll wear what I want to see you in. Where is that watch?” he quizzed.

    “It’s on the bathroom sink. You can have it. I did not have anything to do with whatever happened with your money. Just let me go home. I won’t even tell anybody what happened. I don’t even know your name,” I exined.

    He brushed past me as if I wasn’t speaking as he proceeded to the bathroom. The need to stay close to him had me falling in line with his steps and following him to the bathroom. He walked out of the bathroom with the watch in his hand before stuffing it in his pocket. ncing up at me, he began to speak.

    “We are approximately five miles away from the next house on either side and ten miles out from the next city. I like it that way. I like privacy and space. I can see how that might not work in your favor right now. You can try to run if you can figure out how to get out of this house, but I’m sure you’ll find it difficult to navigate your way around here.

    “There are also two security guards outside who will ensure that you don’t leave unless I say so. I won’t say so. I suggest you cooperate with me until I can locate Brendan or get my money out of him. Until he materializes or my money magically reappears in my ounts, you work for me. Once you walk out that door downstairs, I’m going to need you to look like you’re happy to be here. The people out there don’t need to know the details of our arrangement. Just like you, they work for me. No one here can help you. They have jobs to do of their own. It’s your job to do what the hell I tell you to do and look like you’re having fun doing it.”

    “Why?” I asked genuinely curious.

    “Seems like you would have learned to stop asking so many questions. You are not in control here. Do what’s expected of you, and we won’t have any problems. I’m a busy man. I don’t have time to go back and forth with you or try to pacify your every request. We won’t have to have this discussion again. Since you are having a hard time wrapping your mind around the way things are going to go, I’ll give you an extra ten minutes. When you get your head together, join us downstairs.”

    With those words, he continued past me to the door. Stopping in his tracks, he looked back at me.

    “What were you listening to?” he questioned.

    “What?” I frowned in confusion.

    “When I came inst night, you were listening to something. What were you listening to?” he asked again.

    I sighed. “A book.”

    “What book?”

    I rolled my eyes before answering. I was used to people making fun of me for my choice in literature. I knew this asshole wouldn’t be any different. Brendan continuously gave me a hard time saying I was listening to porn and mind-numbing trash. I didn’t give a damn what he thought so I told him.

    “Say You’ll Ride by Tucora Monique,” I said, preparing for the foolishness to follow.

    “Were you done?” he asked.

    “Obviously not. I was about halfway through it when someone snatched me up like only a deranged person would.”

    “How long does it usually take for you to finish a book?”

    “Couple days, maybe a day and a half if I’m not busy,” I replied, still not sure where this was going.

    He simply nodded his head before continuing on his way out of the door. Once he was gone, I plopped down on the plush gray couch. It was actually prettyfortable. His mentioning the book I hoped to be able to live long enough to finish had me imagining curling up on that very couch with a good book.

    I wished that I was reading one of my romantic thrillers instead of actually being holed up in some crazy man’s house like I was in one. None of the fairy tales I had read over the years prepared me for what was happening to me right now. It was all well and good when I was living vicariously through the characters I read about, but actually being kidnapped by a handsome and powerful man didn’t exactly feel like the beginning of a magical, heartwarming love story.

    I had no idea what was in store for me, but I could only imagine. My head was spinning with thoughts of what could be waiting for me downstairs. I kept praying that I was deep in some lucid dream, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t wake up.

    Swallowing hard, I hopped up from my ce on the couch and stormed toward the door. I was surprised to find that the door was no longer locked. I rolled my eyes as I swung the door open. I stared down the stairs before walking down to my fate. I didn’t hear anything at all as I ventured down the stairs. Once I was off the bottom step, I made a break for the door. Relief washed over me when I turned the knob and opened it. I flung it wide open, not bothering to close it behind me as I ran outside into the front yard.

    Two gigantic men dressed in ck stood out front talking. When one of them spotted me, he tapped the other one on the arm causing him to look my way.

    “Hey, my name is?—”

    “Ma’am, I’m going to have to ask you to go back inside or be escorted there.”

    “I’m not going back inside. I need to get out of here.”

    Throwing his head back, the slimmer of the two walked over to me and grabbed my arm. “I got her, G.”

    “Get your hands off me,” I fussed as I fought to release my arm from his vice grip.

    “I’m sorry, but I have instructions to make sure you don’t leave the premises.”

    “Do you understand that you’re an essory to a crime?” I asked him just to make sure he knew he was going down with his boss when this was all said and done.

    “I just need you to understand what I have to do. You should have known there was a reason that he didn’t even get up when you came outside. We’re not letting you leave until he says it’s OK. Now rx.”

    I felt defeated as we made it back to the open front door. Imagine my surprise when I stepped across the threshold and saw Mr. Evil sitting on a couch while two small children yed with a ton of toys in front of him. I stood in the doorway taking everything in for a moment before the big guy nudged me in the center of my back.

    My eyes moved from my captors’ stoic face to the little girl as she sat in the middle of the floor crying and waving a doll. She was adorable with her hair filled with pink barrettes. I didn’t have time to focus on her when I caught the boy standing on the arm of the chair out of my peripheral.

    “Aht-aht, you better get down from there,” I warned him.

    Suddenly every eye in the room shifted to me. Mr. Evil’s stone-cold expression warped back to the look of disdain he took on every time I was in his presence. He stood to his feet causing me to freeze in ce. I kept my eyes on him as he stopped next to the boy and motioned for me toe closer with his head. When I walked over and stood in front of him, he introduced me.

    “Den, this is King, and the little songbird is Evie.”

    “Hi,” I said, giving them a nervous wave.

    “King, this is Den. Sit down and be still while I talk to her for a minute,” he instructed the little boy.

    “OK,” the kid said before doing a somersault and plopping down on the couch.

    Without another word, he turned and headed into another room off from the enormous living area where the kids were. After I followed him into the room, he closed the door behind me and walked over to sit on the corner of the desk in the middle of the room. The entire wall behind him was covered with bookshelves filled with books. I could tell from where I stood nothing on his shelves would interest me.

    “Enjoyed your morning run?” he asked, lifting his brows slightly as he waited for my answer.

    “Fuck you,” I said, rolling my eyes.

    “Hate me all you want. Don’t give my employees a hard time. Simon and Gerry are only doing their jobs. You should focus on doing yours. While you’re here, you are in charge of the kids,” he stated, standing from his perch on the desk.

    “What do you mean I’m in charge of the kids? What am I supposed to do with two kids while I’m being held hostage?” I asked.

    “You’re in school studying early childhood education, correct?”

    “Yes,” I answered tly, surprised that he’d remembered that in the first ce.

    “Good, this should be good practice.”

    “None of this makes sense to me. First of all, I’m being held responsible for something I had nothing to do with. Now I’m supposed to act like I’m not being held against my will here and take care of some little kids. I’m not being a nanny,” I refused.

    “You’ll do whatever the fuck I tell you to do. You belong to me until I say otherwise. You work for me until I recover my money and/or your man. Your duty is making sure those two in there are good until further notice. You’re new around here, so I’m trying to exercise a little patience with you. I’m not too fond of repeating myself, so don’t make a habit of questioning me about something I already exined.”

    I rolled my eyes. If he was going to kill me, he might as well get to killing. I was scared as hell of him, but something told me that he wouldn’t hurt me with his kids right in the next room. With that in mind, I pushed the envelope.

    “Is this why you had me fired? You needed a nanny?” I questioned.

    “What did I just tell you about asking questions?” he barked, causing me to cower under the boom of his voice.

    “I’m sorry. This is just so crazy to me. Can I at least know what they call you?”

    “Who?” He snapped.

    “The kids? Do they call you daddy?”

    “No.” He frowned as if my question was absurd, but at least he answered it.

    “Why not? Do they call you by your first name? I only asked because I have no idea what your name is.”

    “I’m not their daddy,” he rified.

    “Whose kids are those? Did you take them too?” I whispered thest part.

    “Stop asking so many questions, Den.” He shook his head.

    “Why? Is that it? Did you kidnap those kids too?” I quizzed.

    “No!” he bellowed, causing me to jump. “Stop asking questions, because I don’t answer fucking questions. I ask them. Go out there and make sure they don’t tear my house down.”

    “OK,” I replied, nodding quickly before turning to get out of there while I could.

    “Steel,” he said to my back.

    “What did you steal?” I asked, turning and lifting my eyebrows in anticipation.

    “My name is Steel like the metal, and those children in there are my niece and nephew. King is four and Evie is two.”

    I couldn’t hide the sigh of relief I let out at his revtion. Still, I wanted to know why he got me fired. Pressing my luck, I nced back at the door before looking at his crinkled brow again.

    “Did you have me fired so that I could be your nanny, or did you really hate me that much?” I questioned.

    “Den, I don’t have time to answer a million questions. Please just go in there and make sure that the kids are good. If you need anything at all to help you ensure that you are able to do that, don’t hesitate to write it down and leave it on the refrigerator. My housekeeper will take care of it. I’m going to be in meetings for the rest of the week. I don’t have the time or energy to hold your hand while I’m taking care of business.”

    “How long do I have to stay here?” I asked him.

    He sprang to his feet, taking long strides to close the space between us. Before he reached me a knock at the door gained both of our attention. I let out a sigh as he bypassed me and moved to the door.

    “Remember you’re happy to be here,” he reminded me before opening the door.

    “Mr. Gray, breakfast is ready. Will you be taking yours in here?” a man asked.

    I couldn’t see him with Mr. Gray crowding the doorway, but I could only assume it was the chef he mentioned upstairs.

    “Yes,” he said, stepping aside so the person on the other side of the door could see me. “Take her with you so she can make sure the kids eat. This is Den, the kids’ new nanny.”

    “I know you’re d you finally found someone. Come on, mama,” the other man said, turning his attention to me.

    “OK,” I said, leaving the office and following the man out of the room.

    Steel mmed the door behind me causing me to jolt.

    “Don’t mind him. Mr. Gray is a big meanie to everybody, but he pays well. Maybe now that we have a pretty girl around here, he will soften up.”

    “I doubt that,” I mumbled.

    I wanted to tell him that my position wasn’t a paying one, but I didn’t know how much information I should trust him with. I had already been briefed on keeping my mouth shut and pretending that I was happy to be here. Still if someone could help me get out of here, I would be a fool to pass them up. I just needed to figure out where he stood.

    “I’m Den. What’s your name again?” I asked, not sure if I’d forgotten it or if no one ever told me.

    “I’m Miguel. I work here four days a week preparing meals for Mr. Gray and his housekeeper Sicily. The kids have only been here a few weeks. They’re such picky eaters that we are having a hard time identifying things they like to eat aside from chicken nuggets and French fries. Mr. Gray told me to just give them whatever they want, but that’s not healthy, mama. I know better than to argue with him, but I have been trying to figure out what I can give them that they won’t throw across the room. Maybe you can help us with that part.”

    “I’ll work on it.” I nodded.

    “This morning, we have cinnamon pancakes, poached peaches, bacon, and eggs. Mr. Gray is going to be in his office most of the day. I think he’s scared to run you away. He wants the new nanny to think he’s nice so she will hang around. These children have been giving us a run for our money.”

    “What time do you usually make lunch? I want to make sure the kids are ready.”

    “Breakfast is between seven and nine depending on if Mr. Gray has meetings or a flight. Lunch is promptly at one, and dinner is on the table by six.”

    “OK, perfect. I’m going to work on getting the little ones on a schedule.”

    “Lord knows they need one, mama. I don’t think either of them have slept since they got here. Mr. Gray doesn’t look like he’s been getting much either. They are struggling with missing their mother. I can’t me them.”

    I recalled Mr. Gray saying that the children were his niece and nephew. I assumed that the children were his sister’s. Since he had already warned me about asking questions, I didn’t push for more. Besides, it seemed like Miguel was an open book. I wouldn’t have to push him much.

    “I’m going to get them washed up and bring them back to the table. Mr. Gray should be ready by the time we get back.”

    “He’s not going to eat breakfast with us,” Miguel revealed.

    “Oh, OK.”

    “He usually takes breakfast in his office and works through lunch. He’s been working through all three meals since the kids got here. I don’t think he likes children very much,” he expounded.

    “I don’t think he likes anyone.”

    Miguelughed. “Speak for yourself. My mean ass boss is the best boss in the world.”

    “I guess it’s nice to hear that he can be civil with somebody,” I said, shaking my head as I walked back to the living room.

    Both of the kids were jumping on the couch and singing along with whatever song was on the TV. I walked over and stood in front of them and put my hands on my hips and one finger over my lips. King stopped first, and it was refreshing to see that his little sister followed suit.

    “Hi, King. My name is Ms. Den. Can you say Ms. Den?” I asked.

    “Ms. Den,” he eagerly repeated me.

    “Very good. What about you, Evie? Can you say Ms. Den?”

    “Say Ms. Den, Evie!” King encouraged her.

    “Miss Debbie!” Evie shouted, making both King and Iugh.

    “Good job, Evie. Are you guys ready for breakfast?”

    “Yes!” they yelled in unison.

    “Good. Let’s wash our hands and get ready. We have to have clean hands before we eat anything. We don’t want germs in our mouths now do we?”

    “No!” King sang as he hopped down from the couch.

    Evie crawled off the side, and I bent down to scoop her up.

    “We’re having pancakes. Do you guys like pancakes?”

    “Yes!” King answered along this time.

    As much as I hated being in this big, beautiful prison, I figured the least I could do was bide my time by getting to know these innocent little babies. They didn’t have anything to do with the money their uncle kept hollering about. Neither did I actually but here I was.