Accidental Witness (Morelli Family 1)

“Oh?” Attempting a more serious tone to match his, she leans on the table. “Okay, I’m all ears.”

“I mentioned my daughter, Isabella?” To illustrate, he has his phone at the ready, and a couple swipes later he’s showing off her picture like an adoring father.

“Oh, she’s just so darling,” my mom says, clutching her heart like she just may die from the cuteness.

“She is,” he says warmly.

I make a note that I’ve still never seen him with said daughter. I’m not convinced she even exists.

“My problem is, she needs a nanny. She has a nanny during the day, when everyone’s in school, but I need someone for the evenings. I need someone live-in. I want Mia.”

Understandably shocked, she says, “You want Mia… to be a live-in nanny?”

“Yes. I pay well, and since I’ll take care of her room and board, I’m sure Mia could send some of it home for you. You’re a single mom, I’m sure it would be nice to have the load lightened a bit.” Reaching into his jacket pocket, he extracts a thick white envelope. He places it on the table and slides it across to my mom.

Her eyes widen and she cracks it open, inhaling and exhaling slowly when she sees it’s thick with cash.

“Think of it as a sign-on bonus,” Mateo tells her.

I’m glad my mom is distracted with the money, because I think that’s the only reason she hasn’t noticed my jaw hanging open. Not only has Mateo not asked me about being a nanny to this child I’m not convinced exists, but he actually wants me to live at his house? Full-time?

“Mia will have her own room, of course. Really it’s like a little apartment, just with more supervision. She’ll stay in my sister’s wing.”

“Wing?” my mom echoes, lost.

Flashing one of his charming smiles, Mateo tells her, “We have a very large home.”

“Wow,” she says, frowning as she visibly tries to process. “So she would… live with you? For how long?”

“As long as she wants to work for me. Until she goes off to college? If she goes to a local school, she can stay; we’ll work her schedule around the other nanny.”

“Where’s your daughter’s mother?” she asks, confused.

His lips press firmly together and he leans back in his seat, distraught. “Unfortunately… she abandoned us, a couple of years ago.”

Hand to her heart once more, my mother laments, “Oh, how terrible.”

He nods, accepting her sympathy. “Mia’s very good with her, so I think it’ll be good for Isabella to have her around. And Mia’s nearly finished with high school anyway, so she probably would’ve moved out soon—I believe she mentioned you might be moving in with… Brax?”

Still haven’t met Isabella. Never once mentioned Brax.

Less enthused at the prospect while sitting across from a wealthy single father, she says, “Oh, yeah, well, maybe. I don’t know, we’ll see.” She looks at the envelope again like it’s dessert. It’s gotta be killing her not to count it and see how much is there.

“Well… I think… if it’s okay with Mia, we could probably try that out. I’ll have to pay a sitter to take her place, so I think it would definitely be a good idea for her to send half her pay home,” she says, glancing over at me. “But yeah. I mean, it sounds like a great job. We were talking about her trying to find something to help out—this wasn’t what I had in mind, exactly, but when opportunity knocks…”

Mateo’s grin isn’t even victorious. He knew he’d win, because he came armed with money and bullshit.

And just like that, I’m for all intents and purposes sold to the Morelli family.

Chapter Seventeen

Vince’s hand moves along the curve of my bare back, his touch light, almost absent.

I’m tummy down on the bed, my head resting on my arms on top of my soft, fluffy pillow. I like him touching me. I like sharing a bed.

“You’re gonna put me to sleep,” I tell him with a relaxed smile.

Cracking a smile, he says, “It’s after midnight; that’s probably a good thing.”

I sigh as his hand settles along the small of my back, and turn my face to look at him. It reminds me of the night he snuck in to hold me. It’s so strange, at our age, to know he won’t have to sneak anymore.

It’s been two weeks, and the transition hasn’t been as hard as I expected.

Mateo seems to have backed off Vince now, letting us get settled. I’m staying in Vince’s bedroom, not my own, like he told my mother, but that’s proving to be really nice. I’ve still only seen Isabella once in passing, when her actual nanny was hauling her out of the room. Vince got me a few more dresses so I have a variety to choose from for our nightly dinners, and the one on Sundays is actually kind of nice, not as obnoxious as it initially sounded.