The Final Chapter
Amedeo left a sleeping Violet in bed. He had some work to catch up on since he’d taken the day off. He played with the ring on his finger. He’d insisted that they do it all. Even if he wasn’t inviting his mother, he wanted it all to seem real to Violet.
He still hadn’t told his mother that he was marrying her. What would she say? He’d have to deal with that at the next dinner. Well, he’d tell the truth. This wasn’t the real marriage. This wasn’t for forever.
Still. For the duration of the marriage, he was going to be as real a husband to Violet as he could be. He wanted her to know that there are trustworthy men in the world. That she should open her heart again and learn how to pick a good guy. Her future husband will thank him even if he doesn’t know why.
Even with losing his father, Amedeo’s life had been a fairytale. He missed having a father around, but Dante had stepped in at some point and been the man of the house. He would be forever grateful to his brother for that.
His mother had been a rock and they’d all grown up to be successful. She’d taught them to work hard and to reach for their dreams.
He leaned back in his chair, still swirling the ring around his finger. He decided maybe he could entertain getting married again, but he’d be sure of what he was getting into this time. No Tory. No one who was high maintenance. Someone who appreciated what he did.
“You look like you’re solving the world’s problems,” Violet said from the doorway. She leaned against the doorjamb, a fluffy robe wrapped around her.
He smiled at his pregnant wife. The sight of her, carrying his child inside of her, filled him with joy. He was going to be a father. He was going to make his father proud. “I’m not.”
She pushed off the door then came to sit the chair opposite him. “Then what?”
He shook his head. “I need to have some secrets.”
She laughed. “You have as many as you want. I just hate to see you so concerned.”
“I’m not, really. Just reflecting on the day. How are you feeling?”
“Still pretty boneless from the spa. Thank you again for that. The whole situation was made better by Kalia being there.”
“I’m glad you two had a good time. Not to be a buzzkill, but any more messages from your stalker?” he said.
She shook her head. “Nothing since the flowers. The length of time in between the threats is making me a little crazy. I’m not sure if I should be worried or not.”
“Not worried. Cautious.”
She nodded. “Right.”
She rubbed her tummy absentmindedly. His eyes were drawn to her burgeoning belly. His child. Inside of her. He’d been a little fascinated when Gwen had started showing. This time it was more personal. This was his child. Half his DNA.
He pondered what the child will look like. He will love it no matter what, he was sure.
“I’m going to ask Salvatore to look into the message and the florist. He can track down who did it so we know for sure who the threat is.”
She nodded. “I’m sorry.”
He waved a hand. “It’s done, Violet. You’re not a child who has to be scolded. We all make mistakes.”
She snorted then looked down at her stomach.
“This baby is not a mistake. It’s a surprise, yes, Violet, but please don’t refer to our child as a mistake.”
She nodded. Her hand stilled in one spot on her abdomen. She got a faraway look.
“What’s wrong?”
He stood, striding over to her. Was she in pain? She grabbed his hand then put it on her stomach. He felt something underneath his palm.
“The baby’s moving,” Violet said.
Amedeo’s heart couldn’t have been any fuller at that moment. For him, this was his first meeting with his child. He knelt down and put both hands on her stomach. “Wow.”
“The baby’s been doing that for a day or so, but I wasn’t sure so I didn’t say anything.”
Amedeo kissed her stomach. “Hello, little one. I’m your dad.”
He looked up into Violet’s shimmering eyes. She smiled despite the tears. “That’s so sweet.”
He kissed her on the lips, overwhelmed by the play of emotions across his heart? Did he love her? Or was he just caught up in the moment of feeling his child move. He didn’t know, but he deepened the kiss.
She grabbed his shoulders, then ran her hands down his naked chest. His body came alive. Her breath came out in pants when he released her lips.
“That was amazing,” he said. “Thank you.”
Then he stood, grabbing her hand.
“Where are we going?” she said.
“Back to bed.”
“Uh, I need food.”
He laughed when he turned around to look at her. She had her bottom lip stuck out. “Okay, I’ll find something for you to eat, but then I want you naked.”
She smiled. “Feed me and I’ll follow you anywhere.”
He led her to the kitchen and found some leftovers to heat. She ate them happily. He thought about his child. How his life was going to change. How much he thought he wanted Violet in it.
Or did he? Was he too wrapped up in the emotion of the situation? Could he separate out his feelings? He couldn’t imagine that he’d fallen in love. He’d wanted to see Violet again after that night, but he hadn’t been thinking anything long term. Just another roll in the hay.
“You’re doing it again,” she said.
“What?”
“Looking as if you’re solving the world’s problems.”
He rubbed her arm. “I’m not. It’s all good, Violet.”
She nodded, then put her plate in the ink. “Take me to bed, Amedeo.”
***
Violet had been so careful and had done what Amedeo had wanted, but she got tired of the driver as her constant companion. He was also a bodyguard and not inconspicuous because the man was huge.
Sometimes when she was out for a walk, she’d run into him when she turned around. She was sure he was good at his job, but she became frustrated when he was in the way. Weren’t they trained not to be in the way?
She didn’t try to get away from him when she was shopping. She knew better than that, but suddenly he wasn’t there. As much as she’d bitched to herself that he was in the way, her heart fluttered in her chest when she couldn’t see him.
She spun around in the store but Jeff her driver was not to be found. Shit. She didn’t know what to do. Had he gone to use the restroom? Had he gone outside? He’d never left her without telling her where he was going.
The whole situation was odd.
The saleswoman approached her. She must look like a wild-eyed freak.
“Can I help you?”
“I came in here with that big guy. I can’t find him.”
“Husbands often wander off.”
She chose not to explain that he wasn’t her husband. Too complicated. “Did you see which way he went?”
“I think he went out the front door. Text him. I’m sure he’s close. Was there any merchandise I could help you with?”
Violet eyed her for a moment. “No. I need to find him. Thank you.”
She returned the dress she’d been looking at to the rack then hurried outside. Once on the sidewalk, she still couldn’t find Jeff. She reached for her phone when a hand grasped her arm, guiding her along the sidewalk.
“Just keep walking.”
It wasn’t Jeff. Violet moved to turn around, but the hand tightened. “Just walk.”
“Who are you? What do you want? My wallet’s in my purse.”
“This isn’t a robbery. Now shut up and do what I say. Or I’ll kill you.”
Violet’s heart went into her throat. Her breath became ragged. “Okay.”
If she weren’t pregnant, she might have punched the guy. Life was approached every differently when you have another human you had to think about. The man dragged her into an alley then into a car. She braced her feet. If she got in the car, no one would see her again.
“Bitch.”
He punched her in the head. While she was recovering from a daze, he shoved her into the car. She landed on her side on the seat. He climbed in after her and closed the door. He shoved a hood over her head and the smell of smoke overwhelmed her.
She hadn’t had any morning sickness during the whole pregnancy, but now she was nauseated by the smell. She willed the bile not to come up into her throat. She doubted the guy who had manhandled her would feel any remorse about her vomiting in the hood.
She strained to listen to what was going on around her, but the car might have been soundproof. No one in the car spoke and she had no idea who was here and where she was going. She wished she could get to her phone. She could text blind, but her purse was in the other foot well as far as she could tell.
Damn. She’d been so good about her bodyguard.
She wanted to cry, but refused to give into the fear. Finally the car stopped. She was yanked to her feet then led into a door. Someone slammed her into a chair then tied her hands to the arms. The hood was ripped off of her head and she took a few gulps of air.
A tall, thin man stood behind a desk, observing her.
“Do you know who I am?” he said.
“No,” she croaked out.
She coughed the cleared her throat.
“I’m Papa Juliano. You hacked into my system and now you’re going to do me a favor.”
“Why would I?”
“Because the alternative is having that baby in jail.”
He wasn’t wrong. What she’d done was illegal even if she didn’t change anything. She had hacked into his system.
“I didn’t see anything.”
He came around the desk, making her strain to look up at him. “I don’t care. You’re going to help me with something.”
“What?”
“There’s a bill in front of Congress that I don’t like. You’re going to hack into several senator’s emails and find incriminating evidence that I’m sure is there.”
“Those are on government servers,” she said.
A capital offense if she got caught.
“I know. Guess we’ll see if your skills are that good.”
“I don’t have my laptop,” she said.
“We can arrange that, but I think we have plenty of computers for you to use here.”
Her brain searched for a way out of this, but her purse wasn’t in sight. “This could take some time.”
“I can be a patient man. You just better be able to prove to me that you’re making progress,” he said.
The warehouse was dark except for the light shining over them. She had no idea if she was in the middle of the building or near the side. Even if she got loose, she’d be running blind. And pregnant, which put her at a disadvantage.
“Can you understand code?” she said.
“No, but I have people who can so you won’t be able to just write garbage and expect me to believe you. I need this done in the next few days.”
“You don’t think anyone will notice that I’m missing?”
He snorted. “You’re a pregnant black girl. A dime a dozen. And that billionaire you got hooked up with? He’ll forget you in a while. You aren’t as important to him as you think.”
His words hurt, but she refused to cry in front of him. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
“When do I start?”
***
Amedeo looked up from his laptop to see Violet’s driver standing in front of him. The man had an ice pack to the back of his head. That didn’t bode well.
“I lost her.”
Amedeo’s heart seized. “You lost Violet?”
The man looked at his own shoes. “I was jumped and knocked out. All I wanted to do was check out the back of the store. I like to know all of the exits in a place.”
Amedeo pressed his lips together. The man had been doing an exemplary job up until now. “Where?”
“At a maternity store downtown. She was involved in something and I’m not sure she heard me when I told her that I was checking out the back. When I came to, I couldn’t find her. The saleslady wasn’t any help. You know how they are in those high end places. Snooty.”
“Damn, Jeff. Go home. Get some rest.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Killiano.”
“I know.” Amedeo watched the man shuffle out. Shit. He pulled his phone out and called Salvatore.”
“Hey bro.”
“Violet is missing. We think she’s been abducted.”
“Slow down. Violet’s gone? She didn’t run away?”
“No, her driver slash bodyguard was jumped and when he came to, he couldn’t find Violet.”
“Okay. I’ll be over in fifteen minutes and we’ll draft a plan.”
Amedeo hung up, but he couldn’t concentrate on work. If this was the work of Papa Juliano, then Violet might be in real trouble. He couldn’t sit still. Madge found him pacing his office, muttering under his breath.
“Salvatore is on his way up.”
“Thanks.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Violet’s been kidnapped.”
“Ransom note?” Madge said.
“No, not yet. I’ll pay whatever they want. They’d better not hurt her,” he said.
Madge left him, mumbling to herself that no, he wasn’t in love. Well maybe he was, but that wasn’t a concern for today. He could deal with those feelings when she was back and safe. Salvatore strolled in as if Amedeo’s wife wasn’t kidnapped. He wanted to snap at his brother, but Salvatore was the best. He’d find Violet.
“First thing, does she have location services turned on?”
“Yes. I insisted. Especially with the threats that have been happening,” Amedeo said.
Salvatore sat in Amedeo’s chair then clicked some keys. “I need her phone number.”
Amedeo gave it to him. Salvatore clicked the mouse a few times. “Okay. Found her.”
“Let’s go, then.”
Salvatore raised a hand. “We can’t go off half-cocked. I’ll need to check out the place and see what I need for an extraction.”
“You aren’t taking out a tooth.”
Salvatore gave him a grave look. “We’re saving your baby mama.”
“Wife.”
“Okay, wife. Trust me to do my job. I’m good at this.”
Amedeo nodded. Here’s where he didn’t have patience. If he couldn’t be in charge. Still, he had to trust his brother. “What can I do?”
“Wait here and don’t call me.”
Amedeo let loose a sardonic laugh. His brother knew him well. It would kill him to be out of the loop, but this was Salvatore. He did these things for a living.”
Salvatore left. Amedeo tried to concentrate on work. Madge brought him lunch without him asking. That woman needed a raise. He really hoped he’d find someone just like her for his next business venture. Whatever that may be.
An hour went by before his phone rang. Salvatore.
“Tell me the good news bro.”
“We can get her. He doesn’t have a lot of people here. She looks okay, but I didn’t get to see her for very long. She was eating so at least they’re feeding her.”
“Can we pin this on Juliano? Can we get him in jail for kidnapping?”
“If he’s still in the country when we go in. I saw him leave so he isn’t on the premises.”
“Damn.”
Amedeo wanted revenge. If he didn’t get it via the law, he might have to go above the law. That was a choice for another day.
“The important thing is that I can get her.”
“Please keep her safe, Salvatore.”
“I’ll do my best, Amedeo. I’ll call you when she’s out.”
They hung up. An hour passed with no word. Amedeo picked up his phone multiple times to make sure the battery hadn’t died. He’d charged it this morning. He sighed. Madge looked in the door. “You need company?”
“I might.”
She stepped into his office. “Your brother is the best, right?”
“He’s certainly very good at his job.”
“Then don’t worry until you hear bad news,” she said.
Easy for her to say. She didn’t know someone who had been kidnapped. His heart hurt. What if he lost Violet? This would take a long time to recover from. Would he ever feel this way again? Would the universe take her away from him when he just realized his feelings for her?
“You love her.”
Amedeo cleared his throat. “Yeah, I do. When did that happen?”
Madge laughed. “I’m going to say it was the first day when she came back her all wet and cold. The look you had on your face was priceless.”
“Do you have to gloat?”
“Nope, but I do have work to do,” she said.
She left him. He thought she was coming back when his door opened. There stood Violet. Amedeo couldn’t get out of his chair fast enough. He had her in his arms before she could say anything. He kissed her then stepped back to look at her.
“You’re okay.”
Salvatore stood behind her. “I told you I’d deliver her in one piece.”
Amedeo hugged her again. “Did they hurt you?”
“No. I’m fine, Amedeo,” Violet said.
“The baby’s okay?”
“Still in there,” Violet said.
Amedeo patted her stomach then turned to Salvatore. “Thank you.”
“No problem, bro, but take good care of her. She’s a gem.”
“I know,” Amedeo said. He led Violet to the couch in his office. His gaze roved over her. “You’re sure you’re okay?”
“I’m okay. A little shook up, but I think I’ll be fine.”
“Good.”
*
Violet was so excited for the ultrasound that she had woken up early that day. Hours early. The appointment wasn’t until ten in the morning and at five she was ready to go. Well, she hadn’t showered and dressed, but she could have been. Easily.
She stayed in bed, staring at a sleeping Amedeo. The man had been even sweeter since she’d returned from being kidnapped. He hadn’t said he wanted to change their arrangement, but she had a feeling something had shifted in him.
He snored slightly, his hair disheveled. Scruff dotted his face and made him look even sexier. Part of her wanted to wake him, but part of her enjoyed watching him in such an unguarded state.
He had one arm flung over his head. The other rested on his stomach.
“You’re staring.”
She jumped. “I am. Sorry.”
His eyes fluttered open. His gaze took her in. “You excited or something?”
“Yes. I feel like it’s Christmas.”
“What do you think you’re having?”
“A baby.”
He chuckled, then put a hand on her face. “I mean boy or girl.”
“I know. I think it’s a boy.”
“Really?”
Gwen had recently given birth to a boy and Violet thought it would be nice if the cousins were both boys. This wasn’t wishful thinking. She had a feeling it was a boy. “Yes. Gwen knew she was having a boy.”
“Pregnancy psychic powers.”
“I guess so.”
“You hungry?”
“Yes, of course.”
“What can I make you?”
His voice was rough from still being a little sleepy. She wasn’t usually awake before him, so this was neat to see him this way. He slept much less than she did. “What do you feel like cooking?”
“I’ll make whatever you want, Violet.”
He’d been this way since the kidnapping. As if he’d been truly worried about her. She was touched. Well, more than touched, but she wasn’t going to tell him how she felt. It would make things awkward. She didn’t want him to know that she’d fallen in love with him.
He showered then made her breakfast while she showered. She had to drink a lot of water and her bladder was full when they arrived for the ultrasound. She squirmed in her chair.
“You going to be okay?” Amedeo said.
“As long as this happens in the next half hour, I’ll be fine.”
They were called in minutes later. Violet lay on the exam table. Amedeo stood next to her, holding her hand. The technician came in. “I’m Josey. I’ll be doing the ultrasound today. I can’t do any diagnosis. If there are any problems the radiologist will talk to you. Do we want to know the sex of the baby?”
“Yes,” Amedeo said before Violet could. She smiled at him.
“Okay. Let me do the diagnostic pictures then I’ll turn the screen so you can see the baby.”
“Will it look like a baby?” Amedeo said.
“Yes, very much so. We’ll even put the pictures on a cd for you,” Josey said.
Amedeo nodded. Violet couldn’t wait. She looked at the ceiling as the tech uncovered her stomach. The gel was warm when she squirted it out.
“I have to take a bunch of pictures. Relax and I promise you’ll see your baby today.”
Fifteen minutes later Josey said, “Okay. I can show you the baby now.”
She turned the screen for them to look at. Violet smiled. Amedeo gasped. “Wow.”
“That’s your baby. Let me see if I can get a good look.”
“Are you ever wrong?” Amedeo asked.
“Well a boy can be hiding his junk or have it tucked in and we think it’s a girl. If we see his penis then we know for sure. Some babies are shy and don’t show us.”
The technician moved the wand around Violet’s tummy. “Anything?”
Josey laughed. “Okay. I got the right angle. This one is not shy.”
Amedeo leaned over Violet. She nudged him out of the way. “I can’t see.”
“Sorry.”
She looked and clear as day was a penis and testicles. She was right. Amedeo squeezed her hand.
“You are having a boy,” Josey said.
Violet laughed. When she looked at Amedeo, she thought he had tears in his eyes. She didn’t want to point them out, but they made her happy. He wanted this baby as much as she had grown to want it. Him.
“Any names picked out?” Josey said.
“We have it narrowed down to a few. Most likely something Italian to reflect Amedeo’s background,” Violet said.
“Vincent. After my father who died when I was a kid.”
Josey smiled. “That’s great. Let me put this on a cd and they’ll have it at the desk.”
Amedeo had not stopped looking at the screen. He had a silly grin on his face. “I’ll have a son.” He leaned down and kissed Violet. “A son.”
She nodded. “Now we can buy clothes and order the stuff for the crib.”
“Yes.”
Josey pulled a CD out of her computer then slipped it into a sleeve. “Now you can look at this anytime you want.”
She handed it to Amedeo. He held it as if it were gold. Josey handed Violet a paper towel to wipe off her stomach. “Thanks. Now I have to go to the bathroom.”
“I’ll show Mr. Killiano out to the lobby.”
Violet ran to the bathroom. She found Amedeo leaning against a pillar in the lobby of the medical building. He was staring down at the CD in his hand. Wow. He really was touched by all of this. What a sweet man. God, she loved him. Her heart could not be fuller with emotion. He spotted her then smiled. “Hey. You ready?”
“I am.”
“You mind if I bring this into work and show it off?”
“Sure.”
Everyone knew she was having his baby, but there had been no real talk of it. Guess that was going to change.
***
Amedeo watched Violet as she explained how she tracked down the hacker and the identity of the hacker. He had to tell her how he felt. He had to get it out or he would burst.
“Are you listening? You need to initiate charges against this man,” she said.
He still had the CD of their child’s ultrasound in his desk. He showed it to anyone who came into his office. He was probably annoying everyone in the office. It was his company and he could do that if he wanted. “I get it, Violet. I’m pretty excited that you sorted this out. Especially since I’m selling the place soon. I don’t need anything getting in my way.”
She looked at him. “Has the sale gone through?”
“Not yet, but soon,” he said.
Why was she so concerned?
“Will I be out of a job?”
“No, I told you that. Everyone has a job for a year. Or you can follow me to my next venture.”
“Which is?” she said.
“Not sure.”
“Well, I can’t afford to be out of a job, like you can.”
He didn’t want her to leave. “I know. Don’t worry about it.”
She rolled her eyes. “Amedeo, I know you’ve taken care of the baby, but I still need to have a job. Can we get back to this hacker?”
They sat in his office. Him behind the desk. Violet looking over his shoulder. She’d brought up what she’d done to find the hacker. Now he had to make a decision about charging this person. Well, he had to. This was not acceptable.
“Okay. I don’t need the specifics. Tell me who we have to call and how do we prevent this in the future.”
“I’ve been working on the prevention, also. You’re system wasn’t nearly as secure as Carl thought.”
“Carl doesn’t have the raw hacking knowledge that you have,” he said.
“True. Not a lot of people do,” she said.
“Did this person cause any damage?”
Violet shook her head. “Not that I can see. I guess he was laying low to see if anyone discovered him in there before he did his mischief.”
“I don’t even know this person.”
She shrugged. “You may have been picked at random.”
“No viruses or anything like that?”
“No. That’s what I thought he might have done, but none. Let’s see what the FBI will say about it. It was only a breach. No damage.”
He nodded. “Can this wait until tomorrow?”
She stepped away. “You don’t seem too concerned.”
“I am. I really am and I appreciate what you’ve done, but I have other things on my mind.”
She glanced down at her belly. “Not sure we can do it on the desk in my current condition.”
He kissed her stomach. “No, I wanted to go see my mother.”
She sighed. “I guess that’s overdue. Does she know the situation?”
She knew he’d married, but he told her that he was going to have another wedding. A real one because he wanted Violet to be his real wife. He wanted to ask her in front of all the important people in their lives. He’d been planning it for a few days.
“She does. She knows all about it.”
Violet studied him. “She’s okay with it?”
“She’s over the top.”
Violet gave him an odd look. He just laughed then patted her bottom. “Go get your stuff. Let’s leave now.”
“Can we stop home so I can freshen up?”
“No need. Really. My mother knows we’re coming from work.”
She frowned. “Okay.”
He met her in the lobby then walked her to the car. He held the door for her then climbed in after her. She was silent the whole ride to his mother’s house.
“Is everyone here?”
She was clearly looking at all the cars in the driveway.
“Yes.”
She scrunched up her face. “I love your family, but I’m not sure I’m up for all of them today. Can we go home?”
He patted her thigh. “Trust me. We don’t need to be here long, but I think it’ll be fine.”
“Okay.”
They walked in and the first person he saw was Gwen with DJ or Dante Junior. He kissed Gwen’s cheek and then the top of DJs head. What a sweet smelling baby. Ah.
Everyone was in the kitchen and Violet had a puzzled look on her face when she saw Kalia who waved to her. She glanced back at Amedeo. “What’s going on?”
“I have a surprise.”
“Okay.”
He greeted everyone with a hug or a kiss. His mother beamed. She knew what was going to happen. Hopefully Violet wouldn’t be upset. Hopefully she’d be happy. He was betting his heart on her reaction.
Violet hugged everyone then sat on the stool that Amedeo had indicated. Here gaze was wary, but she had a smile on her face. “This looks like an intervention.”
Amedeo laughed. “No, it’s not.”
He took a deep breath then looked around the room. All of the important people were here. He let out the breath.
Then he knelt in front of Violet. “I wanted everyone in our lives to be here when I did this.”
Violet looked around then back to Amedeo. “Yes they are all here.”
He pulled a ring box out of his pocket. A questioning look appeared on Violet’s face. They had wedding rings, but he hadn’t given her an engagement ring. He wanted that for her. He wanted her to know that he was all in this marriage. That it wasn’t a sham.
“Violet Taylor, will you marry me? Again? For real this time? I’ve grown to love you over these months and not just because you’re carrying my child, but because of who you are and who I am when I’m with you.”
Her eyes widened. Her mouth opened. Tears appeared. “Oh. My. God. I love you, too, Amedeo. Yes. I’ll marry you. Again.”
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