The Ice CEO's Contracted Nanny

And

ning before it ends. Sometimes,

p it seemed to shred the air itself. The steering wheel was still tre

.. no

l, heavier th

my throat. The airbag pinned me to the

hind me-a small, choked sound that fe

incess... sh

turned my head slowly. Hot blood trickled from

ad

ans

I calle

he window, her head twist

e was sleeping, but it w

grew louder,

id, trying to soothe her, a

at my sister's screams, not

as I fumbled with her car seat buckle. I pulled my little sister into my arms, holding her tight against my che

by... I'm here

li

g was

nly thing I had

e asphalt was hot enough to burn through the soles of m

... I'll be back,

the other car-the one crushed against ours, t

... My

he steering wheel and the buckled dashboard. H

r. And in the back seat, a little boy, maybe three years old, was crying. He w

hammered against my r

him! I'l

avement. A woman I'd never seen bef

stranger shouted, her

ver. Ellie thrashed,

rincess, I'll be right back,"

r with both hands. The metal seared my palms, but the lock gave way. I scooped up the boy. He

It's okay, l

ing hand and gripped my wrist. Her green eyes were filled with

at's your n

My voice

nd so sad, I knew I would carry it

ommitting the name to memory. "

it felt like what you were supposed to sa

lowly. The blood was

heart. My

bling in my arms. "But his isn't. Take

ords were a crushing weight, comi

ar I'll come back for

strength. "Listen to a dying mother: save my

ut cut thro

! IT'S GONNA

y dad... My dad'

or a s

ved his lips, th

Run, my girl, and

I scr

ezed my hand o

..." My voice was bare

n her face. "Go, Emma. Go and don't look back. Make this da

eyes flickered toward my sister, who was s

p was coming. Luca clung to me even tighter

d screamed, his voic

Clara whispered.

She let go of my hand slowly, as if she were hand

d at my

" I whi

princess. Da

o stay, the urge to run

ING TO E

thing I heard. A

o my chest as Ellie scream

ground shoo

ir grew too ho

e world explod

lapsed to my knees on the asphalt, ins

s so loud my

y was orange. And everything

whispered, and the

ke. My heart hammered against my ribs, a painful, frantic rhythm. My han

ye

me like a piece of shrapnel. I could swear I still sm

r a second, forcing myself

roo

psided

ft breathing

li

d my heart seized when m

nin

tened with sweat. Her little body was restles

Not

pull us out of this miserable spiral. And I had no money to spare. Not

air was a hard lump in my

tle longer, please," I murmured, brus

the same feeling from two years ag

ce was, this time

to c

always, was n