Page 41 of Velvet Corruption

“Okay,” I said. “Okay, look. My brother has a nanny for his kids and she’s always available for emergencies. She’s the best. Do you want me to call her? And in the meantime, I can at least clean your hand.”

Ruby stared at me, weighing her options. I could see the conflict playing out in her eyes. She didn’t trust me—how could she, after everything? But she was smart enough to know when she was out of options, and desperate enough to consider even my help.

“You want me to use Tristan Callahan’s nanny?”

“She’s ananny, Ruby, not a gangster.”

“But she’sTristan Callahan’s nanny.”

“She only runs drugs on the weekend—“

“Kieran!”

I stopped myself before I could dig the hole deeper, then I looked her in the eye—still holding the scarf, trying to stop the bleeding. “I mean—what choice do you have?”

She glared at me for another second, then held out her good hand.

“Give me your phone.”

“Why?”

“So I know you’reactuallycalling a nanny. And so I can vet her, of course.”

I hesitated for a split second, then handed it over. She grimaced as she grabbed it with her right hand, the phone covered in her blood as she put it in her left hand. She unlocked it with quick, practiced motions, scrolling through the contacts list. Her eyes flicked up to me once, suspicious, before settling back on the screen. I knew what she was looking for—some proof that I wasn’t lying, that I had connections beyond the ones she’d known about. That I was the kind of person who could make good on offers like this.

She found what she was looking for and smirked. “Hannah Nanny. You want me to trust Rosie’s care with someone whose last name you don’t even know?”

“I’ve never changed her contact card. Her last name is Sawyer. Look, Rubes, she’s great,” I said. “She’ll be here so quickly if I call her right now.”

Ruby handed the phone back to me, her stance loosening ever so slightly. “Call her. But I’m not agreeing to anything yet.”

I dialed Hannah’s number and put it on speaker. She answered on the second ring, her voice warm and familiar. “Kieran! Are the twins okay? Is the baby okay?”

“Everyone’s fine, Hannah,” I said, glancing at Ruby. “I have a favor to ask. A friend’s in a bit of a bind. She needs some help with her kid for a little while today. Can you swing by?”

There was a pause on the other end, and I could practically see Hannah calculating her schedule in her head. “I don’t know…”

“I’ll double your fee,” I said.

That seemed to do it. “Okay. I can leave in ten. What’s the address?”

I looked at Ruby for an answer. She glared back at me.

“As if you don’t know,” she hissed.

I cocked my head, smirking. “Twenty-three Willow Lane, in Brookline,” I said.

Ruby glared. I grinned.

If we were still fucking, the hate sex later would have beenso good.

“Got it,” said Hanna. “I’ll see you soon.”

I ended the call and slipped the phone back into my pocket. Ruby opened her mouth, probably to tell me off or to revoke the tentative trust she’d just placed in me, but I spoke first.

“You have thirty minutes to decide,” I said. “In the meantime, let me at least rinse your hand.”

Ruby stared at me, her lips pressed into a tight line. Her eyes flicked toward the house, then back to me. I could see her weighing her options, calculating whether I was more trouble than I was worth.

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