Page 9 of Penalty Kill

“Yeah!” They cheered before running back to play.

“I guess they’re sold,” I said with a laugh. I shouldn’t have been surprised they were so easily won over. Sydney had me from the moment I saw her too.

4

Sydney

I double-checked the address then stared up at the house. Mansion?

This was the right place. I guess the whole pool house, one-bedroom apartment should have been a warning, but it wasn’t. It didn’t click in my naive brain that when someone had a pool house that usually meant the main home was gigantic.

My eighteen-year-old Civic stuck out in this beautiful neighborhood. It seemed like everything had been handpicked and coordinated along each street. Brandon lived at the top of a long hill overlooking the entire Salt Lake Valley. I was right about him being a fancy pants. I just didn’t think it would affect me like this. I wasn’t normally one to feel self-conscious. Life was too short to compare yourself to others, but this... this was wealth I’d only seen from afar. Or on TV.

I took in a calming breath and got out. He hired me based on my experiences, references, and interactions. He met me and liked me well enough to offer me the job. That was enough.

Not like I would have turned him down. Especially not when he told me the pay. Almost eighty grand! In a year? That was more than I’d made in the last ten years combined. As overwhelming as the idea of staying here for fourteen months was, I could do anything for that kind of money. It would be more than enough to set myself up in another country. Anywhere in the world I wanted.

I got to the massive wooden door and knocked. A moment later it swung open and two adorable smiling faces peered up at me.

“Sydney!” Milo ran forward and wrapped his arms around my legs.

I rubbed his back. “Hi Milo.”

Finn stood back, watching me with curious eyes.

“Hi Finn.”

He cocked his head. “You know I’m Finn?”

I nodded. They were identical twins, but I noticed Milo’s hair was cut a bit shorter yesterday and that Finn was the more observant one. While Milo was the leader and took off looking for their next thrill, Finn was a few steps behind taking it all in.

I grinned while he seemed to consider this.

“Sometimes Mommy can’t tell,” he replied.

That was the first time anyone had mentioned their mother. I’d wondered where she was and if she had a say in who filled the nanny position, but Brandon mentioned he was a single parent. What happened to her?

I followed them through the entryway, taking in all the details of the beautiful home. The dark wood floors paired perfectly with the cool gray walls. Just after the entry, the room opened up to reveal a huge open staircase going both upstairs and down to a basement. There was an office past the stairs, and I noticed a bunch of sports memorabilia decorating its walls and shelves. Brandon must be a fan.

The boys led me farther into the house until we reached the most beautiful kitchen I’d ever seen. It was massive. Floor to ceiling cabinets along two walls, top of the line appliances, and an enormous island with five bar stools covered in ivory leather. Every inch screamed luxury.

Brandon was standing in front of the stove and turned as we entered. I spotted scrambled eggs in the pan and tried not to cringe at the slight smell of something burning. “Good morning, Sydney. Sorry I didn’t hear the door.”

“We heard, Daddy,” Finn said as he used all his strength to pull himself up on a stool.

“Good job. Thanks for being a helper.” Brandon smiled at his son before turning back around.

I continued to look around the room and wandered to the closest doorway. It revealed a formal dining room. The walls were gray with intricate wainscoting and a giant crystal chandelier hung over the twelve-person table.

I was trying really hard to not get overwhelmed, but I literally just walked into how the other half lives. My last apartment in Denver could have fit in the dining room. I hadn’t even seen the living rooms or bedrooms yet.

“Milo, Finn, do you want to give Sydney a tour?” Brandon’s voice pulled me back into the kitchen.

“Yeah!” They ran to me and each took a hand before pulling me back to the stairs. I saw their bedroom, which was jungle themed complete with a mural of animals and greenery that covered two walls. Their beds were built to look like they were a part of the tree canopy. It was over the top and amazing. They showed me their slide and bridges that took them to different play areas built on platforms.

“This is so cool. Do you guys love your room?”

They nodded in unison before running down the hall, pointing out their race car themed playroom which looked like a toy store exploded, a guest room, and their dad’s room.