Page 13 of Brazilian Revenge

“We’re not okay, you and I. We’re not sharing inside jokes. We’re not acting like none of the past year didn’t happen. Do you understand?” he said, in a tone that left no doubt. A part of him scorned his elementary school-level maturity. But, if he didn’t say it out loud, if he didn’t cling to it, if he didn’t believe it, how could his hate for her be true? And damn it, he needed it to be true, because if it wasn’t, he was in deep shit.

She chewed on her lower lip. “Yes.”

“Good.”

Treating any woman badly was beneath him. Yet Satyanna…evoked in him emotions he couldn’t figure out. No good would come from this visit, he realized, as the receptionist opened the door and they entered a small office. A tall man in his fifties, his hair a tad too dark for his age, greeted them.

If she had lied to him, she’d pay. And if she had truly hidden the fact she was pregnant when he could have protected his child, she’d pay, too. He hadn’t been able to protect his brother Bruno when they were young, which was why Bruno had left Brazil as a teenager. With his children, it would all be different. Forgiving her wasn’t a possibility. Avenging her was a different story.

“Sit down, please.” The director gestured at the two chairs across from the desk. “What brings you here, Mr. Duarte?”

“My friend here claims she stayed at your clinic a few months ago when she gave birth to a baby, and I wondered if you have any medical records you could share.”

The director assessed Satyanna and nodded. “I remember her. Yes. I’m sorry about the baby. It was a girl, wasn’t it?”

Ice spread in his stomach. Could it be true? He clenched his jaw, seeing red at the corners of his eyes. Parenthood wasn’t supposed to be like this. How, in a single moment, could the happiness of having conceived a child be crushed by the death of an infant? He curled his fists so hard, his knuckles whitened.

“Yes. Lyanna,” she said, but didn’t look at Leonardo.

The director leaned back in his chair. “I know everything that goes on in my clinic. We’re not big or famous, but I take pride in keeping up with everything. If you give me a moment I can make a copy of your chart if you need,” he said, and rocked back from the chair, pointing at a printer that could have time-traveled straight from the nineties.

“Sure, that would be great,” she said in a small voice.

…

With a folder in hand, Satyanna strode out of the office. They walked in silence through the reception area, emotions swirling inside her. Returning to the place that yanked her shot at happiness was soul crushing. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes, and she wiped them with the tip of her index finger.

“Look at me,” she asked when they reached the parking lot. “Say something,” she said, raising her voice.

Leonardo turned to her, his main vein visibly pulsating on his neck. Lips hardened into a thin line, as if he was about to mince his words. If she thought her nightmare was over, damn it, his hurtful glare hinted it was just getting started. Swallowing hard, she peered at him, hoping the waves of frustration and sadness inside her would subside.

“Hug me.”

“What?”

“You just learned your daughter died. Come here,” she said, opening her arms. As bad as it was for her, the shock probably only hit him. And if he thought he was going to blame her for what happened, he had another think coming. That game was over.

“I don’t want to hug you.”

“But you need to,” she said, erasing the distance between them. So do I. The talking, the arguing more like it, could wait. He frowned at her, skeptical like an injured animal in the woods. Ignoring the noticeable tension stretching through his clothes, she wrapped her arms around him, delicately at first. She gave him the grace period of a few seconds as her hands tapped his back, half expecting him to jerk her away and bark something at her.

He didn’t.

Quarterback arms enveloped her, and she soaked in his nearness. Notes of bamboo and mint danced around her, and she pushed his scent into her nostrils. Leonardo tightened his embrace; his body was all ridges and planes, much like the year before. He was strong, overpowering, and…he needed her.

A groan escaped his lips, and she wasn’t sure if he was fighting back tears or anger. Either way, his grip on her remained steady, and she rested her head on his shoulder. A powerful, hot wave enveloped her like an electric blanket on a snowy winter night. When was the last time she had held someone? Too long. Too damn long.

She linked her arms around him, and even though rationally he evoked all kinds of warring reactions in her, she couldn’t ignore the thrumming of her heart. It didn’t matter what would happen a second from now, nor what had happened in the past. For the time being, they were two parents grieving the loss of a child.

Hot tears threatened to spill from her eyes, but she blinked them back.

“Senhor. Senhora.”

Leonardo let go of her before she had a chance to disengage from him, and he ran his fingers down his face. His eyes were red. She turned on her heels, and found a skinny guy with facial hair and blue uniform. The cleaning staff from the hospital.

Leonardo stepped forward. “Yes. What is it?”

Her Portuguese wasn’t super fluent, and sure, she spoke with a laughable American accent, but thank goodness she could understand most of it.

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