Page 27 of Brazilian Revenge

A huge lump clogged his throat. He gestured for Jacinta to stay put, then slowly closed the gap between him and Satyanna. Each step he took brought a happy childhood memory to his mind. His father pushing him on a swing when he’d been five. His fishing trips with all his siblings. The way his mother kissed his forehead every night before he fell asleep. Even with all the money and success he had conquered, would he be able to provide the same security and love to his heiress?

The second he laid his eyes on her his heart stopped. A beat later it thrummed frenetically. The baby yawned and he bit back a smile. Something softened inside him, as if a part of him dissolved into warm goo. She had chubby cheeks, a cute little nose, and the jaw…the jaw. He recognized the cleft on her chin, the same one he had, even though her face was delicate and feminine. When she opened her eyes and scrutinized everything around her, her eyes were big and hazel. Like mine.

He often relied on his intuition for work—it was a valuable asset to the amount of resources his team brought to him on every single case. In his personal life, he was usually right. His throat thickened, and pushing words out became a task. Yes. The sweet baby bundled in sheets in her arms was his, and there was no denying it. “Is she okay?”

“Of course she is. Mr. Stephen always makes sure—”

He lifted a finger and gestured for the nurse to be quiet. If she were a man, he would have punched her senseless already for helping Clemonte steal his baby. “I wasn’t talking to you.”

Satyanna smiled. “She seems healthy and good.”

The baby cooed and moved her hands. He remembered taking care of his younger siblings, especially after his older brother had fled to the United States—when Leonardo had been only sixteen.

“What’s happening?”

“Clemonte will come back tomorrow. We’ll stay here and wait until he’s back,” he said. What else could they do? Let Jacinta go and never hear from her again? No. He had lost the first few months of his baby’s life, and he refused to let go of more things. To let her free.

Satyanna rocked the baby from side to side naturally as if she’d been doing that her entire life. “Is that a good idea?”

He swallowed hard. Merda. He refused to lose Lyanna again, and what guarantee did he have that wouldn’t happen once Satyanna and the baby got out of his sight? None. Satyanna had run on him once, and could do it again. Their night together didn’t come into play—as far as he was concerned, it had no practical meaning. “I can’t send you back with the baby.”

She drew her eyebrows together. “Because you don’t trust me?”

“I’m not going to lose her again.”

“Because you don’t trust me,” she repeated, annoyance dangling from her voice.

Why should he pretend everything was okay? Giving her the benefit of the doubt to treat her courteously was one thing. Jeopardizing his daughter’s future wasn’t a part of the bargain. “Until Clemonte is in jail where he belongs, I don’t want you traveling with Lyanna without me. I’m not taking any risks this time.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll find a room so the nurse can stay overnight. We’ll have to lock her from the outside to make sure she doesn’t just take off. She’s an accomplice and needs to pay for what she’s done.”

“Of course.”

He turned around and told the nurse, “Come with me.”

She followed him, and he went inside a couple rooms until he picked the third one. It was a media room, therefore the only room without a window so she couldn’t jump outside. Beside several oversize chairs positioned as stadium seating was a huge screen and a console table with alcohol. He checked for sharp objects. Nope. Nothing. “You will sleep here. If you need to go to the bathroom or anything to eat or drink, call us.”

“What? You can’t keep me here. Like some kind of…”

“Criminal?” He shook his head. “You can stay here and watch a movie, or I can take you to the station right now,” he said, even though he would rather not do that. If he took her to a precinct the media could find out. After all, what was a big-time lawyer doing in a small town miles away from his turf? He’d attract unwanted attention, and worst of all, he could give Clemonte an advantage by steering him away. Unless Clemonte wished to get caught, there was no way he’d come to light after hearing that Leonardo had found, and claimed, the baby.

“This is not right,” Jacinta said, but he pushed her inside the media room, locked the door, and sat the key on a console table across the hallway.

“What’s next?” Satyanna asked.

“I’m going to scavenger hunt this place and search for some clues on his whereabouts.” Maybe even on his stolen sculpture. A seasoned son-of-a-bitch like Clemonte had to have an extra USB drive or list of connections. His detective had ensured him in the past that recovering stolen art was hard because highly skillful individuals organized that type of crime.

She gave him a half smile. “Jacinta said he’s coming back tomorrow.”

“Yes, supposedly. Can you really trust someone who stole your baby?”

“No. I guess you’re right,” she said, and kissed the top of the baby’s head. He watched her. She closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them, but her attitude was still more serene than ever. Her eyes gleamed, and she held the baby so gently and tenderly.

His heart squeezed for a moment, but then he cleared his throat. Best to keep his head in the game. “Why do you think he did this, kept Lyanna for three months? If he wanted to sell her in the black market he would have done so. Unless he was waiting for a higher bidder,” he said, remembering a couple of cases he had defended involving human trafficking and defenseless children.

“I-I don’t know…”

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