The Biker's Nanny

ROBYN The private jet touched down just after noon, the Texas heat already rising off the tarmac. Adrenaline had been buzzing under my skin since the moment the plane left the ground in Arizona, and every mile closer to Texas felt like walking deeper into a lion’s den because of how dangerous this mission was. The files on Gage Montgomery were thorough, filled with arrest records that never led to convictions, witnesses who suddenly forgot what they’d seen, and a motorcycle club involved in all kinds of shady business that no one dared to prove. The men at the helm of the Devil’s Wraith didn’t leave loose ends. So, if I slipped even once, there would be no extraction team fast enough to pull me out. I reminded myself of that as the wheels touched the runway. The three innocent girls who'd become collateral sat across from me, already unbuckling before the seat belt light went off, with no idea in the world. Quinn, the oldest at nine, tried to stay composed even as her knee bounced. Luna, seven, pressed her face against the window while Nova, only four, kicked her little legs, asking for the tenth time if Daddy would be home when they got there. “He’s home,” Quinn told her softly but with certainty. “Grandma said so.” I managed a calm smile. “We’ll see him very soon.” The file clearly left out one thing: what a good father he was to his children. It was obvious from the way they adored him, and it was almost admirable if he weren’t responsible for other little girls their age growing up without their fathers. The car waiting for us was black and expensive, and I slid into the back with the girls. Soon, the gates of the Westlake estate came into view. Cameras tracked the vehicle the second we passed through the gate, and my heart hammered harder. This was no ordinary house but a fortress wrapped in luxury, and I was finally about to meet the man behind it. The driver stopped beneath a wide portico, and the front doors of the house stood open with cool air spilling out into the heat. The girls tumbled out of the car the moment it stopped, while I followed at a slower pace, taking in everything around with every sense on high alert. The foyer beyond was all marble, with a double staircase curving upward like something out of a magazine. I stepped inside, and the temperature dropped ten degrees. “Daddy!” Nova’s voice rang out first, followed by Luna and then Quinn as all three raced toward the bottom of the stairs. “Daddy! We’re home!” I set my suitcase down and straightened, my heart still slamming against my ribs. This was it. Our first face-to-face meeting. Everything I’d trained for had led to this moment, and yet the adrenaline still made my mouth dry. He appeared at the top of the stairs, barefoot and half-naked, wearing a pair of dark sweatpants that hung low on his hips, with the waistband of his black briefs just visible above the fabric. Tattoos spilled over one shoulder and down the side of his ribs, disappearing beneath the low waistband in dark lines, and his chocolate-brown hair was damp, as though he’d just stepped out of the shower. He looked up, his light green eyes finding the girls first and softening immediately as he embraced them, showering them with kisses, telling them how he'd missed them before his gaze lifted and locked onto mine. I stopped cold, my attention caught by the slow way he descended the stairs. One hand trailed along the banister while the other hung loosely at his side, and sunlight from the high windows cut across the defined planes of his chest. The files had described him as ruthless, but seeing him in the flesh was an entirely different experience. My breath hitched as heat crept up the back of my neck and down between my shoulder blades. I’d prepared myself to face a dangerous man, but I hadn’t prepared for the way my body reacted to the sight of him. Nova’s voice rang out in the background as she told him I was her friend, but her words soon faded into the distance. For one dangerous second, I forgot about the badge locked away in a safe house miles away and the carefully memorized story I’d repeated until it felt like the truth. “You must be the new nanny?” His voice was rough around the edges, as though he hadn’t spoken much yet this day, and the sound of it slid right down my spine. It took a full heartbeat for his words to register. I scrambled to pull myself together, forced air back into my lungs, and stepped forward with my hand extended before the silence could stretch any longer. “Yes. Robyn Hughes,” I said, keeping my tone even despite my thundering heartbeat. “It’s good to finally meet you, Mr. Montgomery.” He glanced at my outstretched hand before the corner of his mouth curved into something that wasn’t quite a smile. I couldn’t decipher his expression as he took my hand. “The pleasure is mine.” The girls tugged at him, talking over one another about the flight, Grandma’s cookies that they brought for him, and how long he’d been away. He answered them in that same low voice, but his gaze never fully left mine. “Welcome to Westlake,” he said. “My parents spoke highly of you.” I nodded, tucking my hand back at my side before I could do something stupid, like wipe the lingering warmth of his palm against my dress. “Thank you. I heard about their mother, and I'll like to offer my deepest condolences, Mr. Montgomery as well as assure you that I’ll do everything I can to make the transition easy for the girls. They are lovely.” “I’m sure you will.” There was something about the way he said it that made the hair on my arms stand up, and I reminded myself again, fiercely, how dangerous this was. One wrong look or word, and the entire operation could fall apart. Nova clung to his leg while Luna asked if he’d missed them, and Quinn watched the two of us with the attention of a child who noticed more than adults realized. He answered their questions, effortlessly lifted Nova onto his hip, and still managed to look at me once more. “Your room’s ready upstairs. Fourth door on the right,” he said. “Someone will bring up the rest of your things, and Tony will help you settle in. We’ll talk about the schedule after dinner.” I nodded, grateful for the excuse to look away. “Of course.” He turned toward the wide hallway that led deeper into the house, with Nova and Luna in his arms while Quinn trailed behind them. Careful, I told myself again in a quiet chant as I started toward the stairs. One slip, and it wouldn’t just be the case that ended. It would be me. ~~~~~~~~~~ PLEASE READ THE WARNING: The book includes explicit and graphic s****l content, intense adult themes, and dark romance elements. It's a dark erotic romance.