Page 11 of Brazilian Revenge

She touched her stomach. “All the time.” Well, that wasn’t a lie, was it?

He slated her a sideways glance. “Good. You should put some meat on your bones.”

“Hey, chill, I’m not that skinny. Plus, I lost some weight after I left the hospital.” She rubbed her hand on her neck, touching the hot pulse in her vein. Every time those miserable days haunted her memory, her palm slicked and blood boiled. I lost the daughter I’ll never have. Her only shot at making a family of her own was ruined. According to the doctors, she could never get pregnant again.

“We’ll find out if that, in fact, happened soon,” he said, eyes focused on his tablet.

“Is that why you aren’t after Harry, yet? Because you don’t believe me?”

“That, and also if you were telling me the truth, the hospital is a good place to begin inquiring. If the visit is unfruitful or I need any more details, I can call a private detective I trust.”

“The same person who has been looking for me?” she asked, remembering how she had fled from city to city over the past months, afraid she would be thrown in jail, used different names, and barely spoke to anyone. “He doesn’t seem very talented, does he?”

Shifting in his seat, Leonardo tossed the iPad to the side. He drew back, and she hated how on display she felt whenever he shot her one of those long-lasting glances. She swallowed hard. “How did you stay off the grid?”

“I skipped from town to town. I grabbed my bag that had some cash, and withdrew my savings.” Money that was now gone. “I was stuck without my passport, and if I went to the American Embassy, I’d be history. I would take money from the Devil himself to be able to carry a healthy pregnancy.”

“What was your plan?”

“When the child was born, I would look for you and hope you didn’t throw me out the window,” she said. “I never intended on keeping the baby a secret for so long.” After having been raised by strangers, she decided her offspring deserved better. And, yeah, what if a part of her fantasized of Leonardo’s forgiveness, and perhaps even him being an involved parent?

His lips quirked up. “You have all the right answers.”

This will never work.“Yet it’s like I have none at all.”

The car came to a halt. He slid out and held the door open for her. She sucked in a breath, and tried to dry her dampened palms on her jeans. A glance at the white, square-shaped facility was all she needed to remember the events of that day. She touched her belly, just like she had when she woke up from the coma. When she stepped on the pebbled sideway, her knees weakened.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” she said. Her heart galloped, and she chewed her lower lip hard as if she could somehow stop the crazy rush.

“Why not? Because there was never a baby?” he asked.

“N-no,” she said, and he gripped her arm and pulled her into him. The collision with his wide chest set a forbidden frisson through her, strong enough to distract her from her own panic. Don’t show weakness. Gathering her strength, she tried to escape his hold, but he only grasped her harder. “Hey. You’re hurting me.”

His face paled, and his fingers loosened on her. “I’m sorry. Are you okay?”

No. And she would never be okay. And that was just something she was going to live with. Didn’t he have a point? She traveled with Harry to Brazil on his dime, even though she demanded none of it stemmed from his illicit business, how could she know for sure? Even the few properties he owned were built on deceit. I’m no better than Harry. Hard to agree, but Leonardo was right.

She cleared her throat. Whining wouldn’t get her anywhere. The man was obviously not cutting her any slack. The sooner she proved she hadn’t lied, the better. “Let’s do this.”

He curled his lips, but then released her, almost like he’d prefer to confront her, to try to destroy her when she was stronger than weak. Damn it. Why did he have to be so freaking ethical?

He withdrew his hand from her, but her skin seared as she followed him into the hospital. Although he gestured for her to go ahead of him, she preferred to let her eyes feast on his amazing ass. Leonardo exuded confidence as he walked, his spine locked into place, and his buttocks the Achilles’ heel of any female with a pulse.

Well, not this woman.

Getting involved with him once had been a mistake. Getting involved with him again would cost her everything.

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