Page 17 of Brazilian Revenge

“Man. I’m sorry about all this. You know, though, that there’s a possibility—”

Leonardo gulped down a generous shot, the liquid burning down his throat. The heady sensation spread through him, and limbs loosened for a moment until reality struck him again. Even though having a baby with Satyanna hadn’t been in his grand life plans, he would be the best parent he could. That’s what his father would have wanted him to do—that was the right thing to do.

He wouldn’t marry her, of course. That idea was foolish and impossible. Marriage was a lifelong commitment, one he’d gladly make when he found the right woman for him. Like his father had found his mother. He wouldn’t simply sign his happiness away in the name of conventions or practicality. Detouring wasn’t his thing.

“I will find her,” he said between his teeth. “I refuse to think about any other possibilities.”

“Good. I will help you with whatever you need. You’re not in this alone,” Bruno said.

“I don’t want to bother you, especially with Addie pregnant.”

“No bother. She’s great and so is the baby.”

Silence.

Leonardo rubbed his temples.

“Shit, that was stupid to say. Sorry—”

“It’s okay. It’s all new, and it hasn’t sunk in yet. Look, I’ll call you tomorrow.” He hung up the phone and took a long, deep breath. Alcohol wouldn’t give him the solace he needed. Talk about a twist. A day ago, his life was where it needed to be—besides plotting for revenge. And now somehow his priorities had shifted. Rather, his motivations.

He still wanted Harry to pay, and he didn’t believe her one hundred percent. Hell, he had locked his duplex and kept the key, hadn’t he? There was no way out for her.

A knock on his library door had him lift his gaze.

“Hey. Any news?” Her voice was soft.

A long, white nightgown snugged her body. Why did he not explain to Laura he needed more modest clothes for her? Even though it wasn’t see-through, he had to blink twice to keep from staring at the elegant curve of her neck, and the valley of exposed skin of the V-neck cut. Thankfully her long, lean legs were hidden.

“What do you want?”

She crossed her arms. “I’d like my daughter back, but for now I will settle for some company.”

“I’m not in a cheerful mood.”

She smiled a little. “Good, I’d hate for you to change your ways for little old me.”

For a moment, it was like they signed an invisible, unspoken truce. Even though he didn’t say a word, he watched her, how the dim light hit her kinky scarlet curls. A soft sigh escaped her lips. His fingers tingled because he was a fool, and caught himself staring at the freckles peppering her nose and cheeks. He had never noticed them before. Did she wear makeup to conceal them? Why would anyone commit such crime?

Not my business.He stepped away from her, and she frowned. “You said you had an argument with Harry before your blood pressure spiked and you were sent to the clinic. What was it about?”

She clamped her lips, arms crossed as if to shield her from the truth. “He said we could use the baby to our advantage. To get money from you.”

“What?” he yelled. “You were friends with someone like that?” And who knows what else. Although Harry was far too old to be her lover, Leonardo wasn’t sure about anything anymore. A strange chilly sensation surged through him.

Tears brimmed in her eyes. “I wasn’t. Trust me, I was desperate to stay away from him. We always had a difficult relationship. For the longest time, even though he wasn’t perfect, he was the only family I had. You wouldn’t know what that’s like,” she said, her voice losing energy at the end.

He sighed. Finally, they agreed on something. However, bragging about his close-knit relationship with his siblings wouldn’t take him anywhere. Besides, it wasn’t like his relationship with his older brother Bruno, for instance, had always been tight. For many years, it’d been strained and distant.

“Why didn’t he take you back to the States a year ago?”

She leaned against one of his many floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. Her citrusy scent swirled around him, adding a notch of lightness to the ambience of polished dark mahogany furniture, and many first edition, leather-bound books. “After he stole from you, the next day he wanted to. When he showed me the sculpture, I didn’t want to go with him. He disowned me and went by himself, maybe to teach me a lesson. I stayed, because I had some money set aside and wanted to lay low for a while. Away from him.”

“Then?”

“Then three weeks later I learned I was pregnant. He had taken my passport with him, and I knew you were looking for me. Once the detective you hired almost found me. My then next-door neighbor tipped me off, and I was able to flee.”

He scratched his chin. “Why didn’t you look for me? If you were telling me the truth?”

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