10. Chapter Ten Ruby
Chapter Ten: Ruby
I was still feeling so lightheaded I thought I might pass out. But I couldn’t.
I still had something important to do. I had to take care of my daughter.
I slipped inside, closing the door with my elbow and biting my lip against the pain pulsing through my hand.
The Little Mermaid was still playing in the living room, the credits rolling softly on the screen.
Rosie was curled up on the couch under a blanket, her face flushed from the fever but peaceful in sleep.
A mix of guilt and relief washed over me.
She was okay. I hadn’t completely failed her.
I needed to act normal, not freak her out. I gently knelt beside Rosie, brushing her damp curls off her forehead with my good hand. "Rosie…wake up, mi amor," I whispered softly.
She stirred, eyes fluttering open, her gaze unfocused and heavy with sleep. "Mami?" Her voice was raspy. "What’s wrong?"
For a second, I couldn’t answer. But I forced a reassuring smile. "Nothing, baby. We’re just going to see Daddy’s office for a little bit. You can stay cozy in your PJs."
Rosie blinked, trying to process what I was saying. Her concern grew as she noticed the way I cradled my hand, then the blood on my jeans. "You’re hurt…"
"It’s just a scratch," I lied. "I’ll be fine. Let’s get your shoes on, okay?"
I helped her slip on her slippers and a light jacket over her pajamas. Every motion was a struggle with one hand, but I kept up the facade for Rosie’s sake. I had to. As we walked toward the door, she clung to my uninjured hand, her exhaustion clear in every step.
"Do we really have to go?" she murmured, looking up at me with tired eyes.
"Just for a little while," I said. "You’ll get to rest there."
The doorbell rang, and I stiffened, my pulse quickening. I took a deep breath and glanced through the peephole. A young woman stood there—maybe about twenty-five, with chunky highlights and a friendly smile. I recognized her from Kieran’s contacts.
Tristan Callahan’s nanny. The not-gangster.
My instinct was not to trust her. But what choice did I have? At least Rosie would be somewhere safe while I got this taken care of.
I opened the door cautiously, still tense and wary. "Hannah?"
She nodded, her smile professional but warm. She didn’t say a word about the blood on me, which I guess may have been part of being a mafia nanny. "Yes. Kieran asked me to come."
I scanned her up and down, my mind racing. "I need to know you’re qualified."
She didn’t flinch. Calmly, she explained her experience, detailing her work with Kieran’s brother’s family and her background in childcare. I hesitated, the clock ticking loudly in my head. Finally, I gave a curt nod and gestured for her to enter, though I didn’t fully relax.
Rosie peered up at the newcomer from behind my leg, a flicker of fear in her eyes. Hannah crouched to her level, speaking gently. "Hi there, sweetheart. You must be Rosie. I’m here to help your mama get you somewhere safe and cozy, okay?"
Rosie didn’t respond, her grip tightening on me. I felt her worry, her confusion. I took a deep breath, trying to stay strong for both of us.
“That’s a cool backpack. You must like Moana, then? Hei Hei is my favorite,” Hannah said, crouching lower with a warm smile.
“I like Pua,” Rosie replied quietly, her voice still raspy. “The pig.”
“I love the pig!” Hannah said enthusiastically. “One of the kids I take care of has a Pua stuffie. Do you want to see a picture?”
Rosie hesitated, her small hand still gripping my jacket. But curiosity won out. Slowly, she nodded. Hannah pulled out her phone, scrolling for the photo, and showed it to Rosie, who gave a sleepy smile.
“See? Pretty cute, right?” Hannah said softly. “And now I get to meet you. I think we’re going to be great friends.”
Rosie didn’t say anything but nodded again, her grip on me loosening slightly. The tension in her shoulders eased just enough to make me feel like maybe, just maybe, this was going to work.
“Okay,” I said, cutting in before I lost momentum. “We have to go now, Rosie. Hannah’s going to help us, okay? You can tell me about the rest of your experience in my car. You’re driving. Julian will drop you off, or you can take a taxi back to my place to pick up your own vehicle.”
“Why are we going to daddy’s office?” Rosie asked. “We can stay here.”
“Mi amor, Hannah is a very nice girl who can take care of you, but I know your dad will want you close by when you’re not feeling well.”
And I hadn’t vetted Hannah, not really. Not enough to let her stay with Rosie in our house alone.
I had called ahead and Julian’s assistant knew Rosie was going to crash the office, but I couldn’t pull them away from their duties to look after our daughter, no matter how much they loved her.
Hannah gave me a warm smile. “Got it,” she said. “Let’s go.”
Hannah drove while I sat in the back next to Rosie, my injured hand cradled awkwardly on my lap. Rosie dozed, her head resting against the window. The soft hum of the car engine and gentle music from the radio filled the silence between us.
I kept my eyes on the road ahead, but my thoughts were scattered, racing through every worst-case scenario. I didn’t trust easily—especially not someone sent by Kieran—but I didn’t have any better options. At least Rosie was in good hands while I dealt with this mess.
"Thanks again," I muttered after a few minutes.
Hannah glanced at me briefly before turning her eyes back to the road. "Of course. I know this can’t be easy."
"It’s not," I admitted quietly. "But I don’t really have a choice."
“Kieran has only ever called me once before for an emergency. The baby had some sort of respiratory issue and the twins both got injured on the trampoline at once.”
That hurt somewhere deep. “Wait,” I said. “Kieran…he has a baby?”
Hannah laughed softly. “No…no, Tristan and Ade’s baby.
They have three little ones now and they always have random emergencies pop up, so trust me, I get it.
The emergency was…well, it was supposed to be a weekend away for my boss and his wife, so obviously that didn’t end up happening.
Anyway, he must really care about you and your daughter if he’s calling me for an emergency. ”
I stiffened at that, a mix of frustration and confusion bubbling in my chest. "I don’t need Kieran to care about me," I said tightly.
Hannah didn’t press further. She simply nodded as if she understood, leaving me with my thoughts as we continued toward Julian’s office.
The quiet stretch of road felt surreal, the afternoon finally catching up to me.Beside me, Rosie stirred in her sleep, and I turned to check on her.
This had been one hell of a sick day so far, but she was still half-asleep, peaceful.
That sight—the fragile calm on her face—was the only thing keeping me together right now.
My daughter had come so close to meeting her biological father. He’d been in the driveway, in the shed…almost in our home. He’d offered to watch her while I went to urgent care.
This was bad. Dangerous. He was too close.
We pulled up to Julian’s corporate building after about a half-hour, the building glass facade gleaming under the early afternoon sun, casting crisp shadows on the pavement.
I gave the security guard a tight smile, my eyes flicking nervously to Rosie, and he waved us through without hesitation.
He knew who we were, knew where we needed to go.
The familiarity was a relief, a small piece of assurance in the chaos.
Inside, one of Julian’s assistants greeted us. “Ms. Marquez! Rosie. It’s so good to see you. Do you want some cookies?”
“Can I?” Rosie asked me.
“Sure, love,” I said. “Just remember that it’s only today because you’re not feeling well.”
He was already prepared, leading us down a hallway to a quiet side office. There was a couch, snacks, and a few coloring books scattered on the table. Everything felt too calm, too controlled, and I swallowed down the panic that rose in my throat.
I scanned the room quickly, assessing its safety before helping Rosie settle in. She was so tired, her eyes drooping as I tucked the blanket around her and brushed a kiss over her temple. "Mama has to go take care of something, but you’ll be safe here, okay?"
She looked worried again, her small hand clutching at mine. "It’s because of your hand, right?"
I smiled tightly, forcing myself to look braver than I felt. "I’ll be fine, peanut. You just rest here. I’ll be back soon."
“And I’ll just chill here with you in case you need anything,” Hannah said. “Okay?”
Rosie nodded reluctantly, curling up on the couch with her blanket. She was trying to be strong, trying to believe me, and it broke my heart to leave her like this. But I had to. She was safest here.
I lingered, my feet unwilling to move, my heart torn in two.
Pain throbbed in my injured hand. Every beat of my pulse sent a fresh wave of agony shooting up my arm, making it harder to think, harder to breathe.
I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment, willing the dizziness to pass.
I couldn’t let Rosie see how much I was struggling. I had to hold it together—for her.
Hannah stood back, silent but understanding, her presence a reminder of the choice I’d made. She let me decide the pace, let me say goodbye even when I didn’t want to. Rosie was already half asleep, her little body sinking into the cushions.
I winced as I flexed my hand slightly, immediately regretting it.
The gauze Kieran had wrapped around my palm was soaked through, sticking to the wound.
I clenched my teeth to stop myself from groaning.
The pain wasn’t going to ease anytime soon.
I had to get to urgent care before this got worse—but first, I had to know Rosie would be okay.