Captured Nanny (The Nannies)

“I had … no idea,” Rain said.

“You’re used to people being good. The black and white of the world. There is good and evil, but you don’t realize that good people can be evil too. Men and women can smile at you and rape people. They can beat their wives, or hurt their kids, or even their animals. They try to put pretty colors on everything, but the world is full of pain. I have no desire to run with that race. This is my life, and I like it here.” The maid bowed her head. “If you gave it a chance, you would see that you are special. Wolf likes you, and he intends to keep you.”

Rain was in too much shock to stop the woman from leaving.

Alone in the bedroom, she moved toward the bed and sat on the edge of it.

What were the other maids’ stories? What about the guards? Who the hell was Wolf Jackson?

Her daughter loved him already.

And he made her body sing.

Tears filled her eyes, but she closed them, taking deep breaths and keeping them at bay. Tears were a waste of time and space.

“Why should you cry? You’re not the one dying. You’re going to get to live your life. I’m the one that should be crying. Every time you cry, it’s a fucking insult.”

She had learned to not cry. To keep those tears silent or to not let them fall.

Rain rubbed at her side and immediately stopped herself. Daniel hadn’t been a bad man, but toward the end, he’d grown violent. After she had taken Evelyn to the park, their daughter had been so tired, and Daniel, he’d been begging for a fight. A vase had been near him, and he’d thrown it at her. It wasn’t delicate glass. It had hurt the moment it hit her. There was no pain now, and it had been a long time ago, but the memory stuck with her.

So many memories.

Most of them had been good, but it was the bad ones that kept on seeping into the good.

Getting to her feet, Rain went to the en-suite bathroom and ran herself a bath. She didn’t use any salts, just the warm water. After stripping off her clothes, she stepped into the water, letting her hair down as she did.

She hadn’t cut the length in such a long time.

Rain recalled the feel of Wolf’s hands in her hair, gripping her tightly as he fed her his cock. He hadn’t hurt her, but she’d loved the way he held her, commanded her.

She pressed her thighs together, not wanting the memory right now.

After grabbing the soap and the sponge, she lathered it up, and then quickly started to clean her body. She focused on her breathing, which became a source of comfort to her while taking care of Daniel.

In and out.

Deep and even.

Taking the time to keep to herself.

To keep her emotions in check.

Gone was the boy who’d always told her to cry on his shoulder. How he’d capture the nightmares and keep her safe. That girl wouldn’t for a second have put up with the anger and abuse he’d directed at her.

Rain had never been a submissive woman, not until Daniel’s illness. Wolf had gotten the real her. The fighter. The girl who’d go up to the bullies, look them in the eye, and not let them get away with it.

She’d been fearless, and according to Daniel, he’d loved that about her.

After dipping beneath the water, she lifted up and grabbed the shampoo. She washed her hair, rinsing it before applying conditioner. She’d spent the day divided between running around the yard and swimming.

Evelyn loved to play.

She’d wanted to find a small quiet place with a pool and a garden, but she hadn’t wanted to stomach staying in town, or even moving to another small one.

For once, she wanted to be free from everyone knowing every single little detail about her. To live her own life without judgment. That was what she wanted.

Rinsing the conditioner out of her hair, she lifted and stepped out of the bath. After reaching for a towel, she wrapped one around her hair and another around her body. Before leaving the bathroom, she emptied the water, took a fresh cloth, and cleaned the room, wiping away all traces of her.

There was a time she hated cleaning. Whenever her parents told her to clean her room, she’d cause such a fuss, screaming at them it wasn’t fair. That a bedroom monster came and trashed her room.

She had been a tomboy.

Her mother, bless her, had hated how she loved jeans and dungarees over dresses and heels. Even on her wedding day, she wore a pair of boots with her dress rather than heels. Of course, her parents hadn’t been there to walk her down the aisle. They didn’t believe in what she and Daniel were doing.