Chapter Nine
“Open your eyes, Satyanna,” Harry whispered.
She fumbled with the blindfold and pulled it down on her face. For the past couple hours Harry had been in mysterious mode, and she wasn’t sure that was good or bad.
When her gaze landed at the yacht anchored at Santa Monica pier, she frowned. Harry had explained beforehand he’d be doing some business in California, and she didn’t imagine he’d have much time for her, which was fine. Just knowing he’d helped her out of that dreadful youth house six months ago should have been enough. Life with him wasn’t perfect, but at least she’d be able to finish school and even think about college.
The breeze caressed her face, and she was glad her hair had been in a bun—a suggestion from Harry. Never in her life had anyone cared what she wore or how she looked. So why not give him the satisfaction of seeing her all prim and proper with a sleek do and long red dress? “What’s happening?”
“Remember how you told me once you never went to a father-daughter dance?”
Satyanna nodded. Did he even remember? She had mentioned on a day she had foolishly experimented with some of his liquor. Drinking wasn’t really her thing, and she was under the drinking age. Although Harry wasn’t a man who abhorred illegal activities, he had been mad at her for drinking. Like it was wrong and he…cared about her. “I remember.”
“Well, I had a meeting with a fellow who owns this yacht. And he told me I should take it for a ride before buying it. So we’re doing it in style, Satyanna,” he said, and gave her his arm.
She hesitated for a second, and then took his arm. They walked on the deck, and the closer she got to the beautiful boat, the more vivid details drew her in. There was a DJ in a small booth, a cold-cut buffet, and a few other people aboard. “Who are these people?”
“I thought it would be more fun to have company.”
He slipped his hand inside his tux and retrieved a pink rose.
Her throat clogged. “Why…why are you doing all this?”
A smile formed on his lips. “Because I never attended a father-daughter dance either.”
Satyanna shook her head, willing the memory away. Was it wrong to remember the good things Harry provided her in the past? Yes it was, because she’d learned later he never borrowed that yacht per se.
Don’t dwell on it. Focus on the good. She kissed the top of Lyanna’s head. They had been together for a few hours, but her heart squeezed with joy, and tears threatened to spill from her eyes every time she held her daughter. She’d checked the nursery room for items she needed, and found them all handy. Clothes, diapers, wipes, and cans of baby formula. She never got to breastfeed her baby. In the midst of all that happiness, Leonardo’s drawl rang in her ears. With or without your help.
Now that they had Lyanna with them, couldn’t they just move forward? Harry was far too smart to get caught, even by someone as determined as Leonardo.
Holding the baby, she walked into the room Leonardo had been searching for thirty minutes. Lyanna had already napped and woken up, and Satyanna had changed her diapers—twice—and given her the bottle. The moment could almost pass for domestic, if he weren’t about to flip over a mattress.
“No luck?” she asked.
“Nothing important yet,” he said, rolling up his sleeves. A sheen of sweat covered his forehead and cheeks, even though the air conditioner was on. Looking at him like that…disheveled hair, the top buttons from his shirt undone, and that glint of resolve in his eyes…
She bit back a smile. An annoying ripple surged through her, and she decided not to muse over what it meant. For crying out loud, they had sex the night before. She couldn’t want him again, could she?
He frowned. “What are you thinking?”
“Baths,” she said. Oh, great. “I may need to give Lyanna a bath tomorrow. Kinda nervous. My first one.”
A delicious smile played on his lips. “It’s not that hard. I’ll help.”
“Thanks.”
She carried the baby, who started to yawn again. She took her to the nursery and sang her a lullaby. She had stared at those dusty pink walls for several minutes, but the ground was still gone from underneath her feet. They were inside Harry’s home, in Brazil, and they’d found their daughter. What was next?
Before she knew Lyanna was alive, she had planned on returning to the States. Brazil was great, but she had no ties in the country, and, after a yearlong exile, she missed the little roots she had. “I’ll show it all to you, little one,” she said, putting the baby on the crib. She couldn’t wait to explore the streets of New York City with her daughter in a stroller. To take her to Central Park on a sunny Sunday morning. To show her, as she grew, all the fantastic museums and sites.
What about Leonardo? a voice inside her whispered.
What kind of relationship would they maintain for Lyanna’s sake? After her troubled childhood, she’d sworn once she created her own family she would give it the best shot she could. An intact family with no broken home. No possibility of third party entering the equation.
Taking a deep breath, she headed to the room where the nurse had been staying. Well, imprisoned. For the past couple hours Leonardo had walked the woman to the bathroom once and Satyanna had brought her a sandwich and water not that long ago. Before she went to try to get some sleep, maybe she should ask if the woman needed anything.
When she had been in the Brazilian prison, the guards ignored the prisoners for the most part. Why should she act the same way? Leonardo was right; Jacinta needed to pay. But, knowing the type of hardship she’d endure in a Brazilian prison, Satyanna decided to offer her some decent food. She fetched the key from the console and then knocked on the door. “Jacinta, do you need anything?”
“I need to go to the bathroom. Really bad.”
“Okay, but we’ll make it quick,” she said.
She twisted the door handle, and when she entered the room, she was slammed against the wall. Jacinta pointed an ice pick to her neck. “What the fuck?” she said, her voice wavering.
An evil spark gleamed in Jacinta’s eyes. “I’m getting out. You let me get out and no one gets hurt.”
“Calm down,” she said, unsure if she was talking to herself or the woman.
Jacinta laughed, shaking her head. “I’m very calm, senhora. All I need is to get out. I’m not going to pay for someone else’s mistake. All I wanted was some money.”
Money. Of course. “Okay. Listen, Leonardo is rich, and I’m sure if you give me a shot I can talk to him and ask him…” Satyanna said. Jacinta leaned in, obviously interested in what else she had to say.
Satyanna’s blood throbbed thick and hot everywhere—her pulse, her heart, and her freaking temples. Do this. Swiftly, she balled her fingers into a fist and punched Jacinta’s belly.
“Merda. Filha da puta,” the woman cursed, bending to touch her stomach.
Satyanna dashed for the door, but by the time she touched the handle she felt something sharp piercing her flesh. The burning pain made her glance down, but even before she saw the piece of glass cutting through her shirt and soaking the white shirt with red, she knew it. Shit.
“You shut up.” Jacinta slammed her against the wall, this time harder. Ouch. It was like a giant rock had just crushed her, bone by bone. Ache washed over her body.
“What is going—”
She heard Leonardo’s voice.
Sweat trickled down her back. Her throat dried, and she swallowed with difficulty. Blood. Her blood.
“You try to get me, and she dies.” Jacinta lifted the piercing object against her neck again. Satyanna’s pulse vibrated with fear. She could feel Jacinta’s hot stinky breath. Even with her karate knowledge, she knew this was too much. She had tried to kick her.
Satyanna touched her wound, and figured it looked worse than what it was. It hurt, but she’d make it. She had a daughter. She had to.
“How are you, Satyanna?” he asked, eyes on her. Was she hallucinating or did she sense he was really worried?
“I’m good,” she said.
He leaned forward and gestured at her hip. “This wound doesn’t look good. Let me take a look.”
“Back off.” Jacinta jerked away, and the tip of the glass made a cut on her neck. She could feel a drip of blood running down her skin.
Satyanna took a deep breath.
“What do you want, Jacinta?” he raised his voice.
Jacinta didn’t halt. “Get out of my way. Go to the far end of the room.”
Leonardo gave her a slow nod and scanned the room as if to try to look for an alternative, but there wasn’t any. Maybe he knew as well as Satyanna did that Jacinta had nothing to lose. Death could possibly be better than prison.
“Now, I’m going to leave with her and lock you in.”
“No.”
“Don’t move. I won’t hurt her if you both cooperate. Once I get out of the property I will let her come back, and she can set you free,” she said, her voice steady.
Satyanna swallowed and managed to say, “This is crazy. You’re in way over your head.”
“I’m not going down like this.” Jacinta slammed the door shut and locked it with one hand.
Sourness spilled into Satyanna’s stomach, and she had to swallow the bile floating up her throat. Her mouth was dry. What if their daughter woke up? The throbbing pain continued. Jacinta jerked her through the house, her hands clasped on her elbows. Who would take care of Lyanna? What if Harry returned and took Lyanna with him?
The pain was nothing compared to the despair of losing her daughter again—and this time it would have been her fault. She had believed Jacinta wanted to go to the bathroom and not try to run away. There was no way Leonardo would let her off the hook.
Jacinta led her through the woods located at the back of the community—where there were no cameras, no light, and no security. Leaves crunched under their feet and mosquitos gathered around her bleeding wound.
What can I do to get out of here? Maybe she could spot a rock and hit her.
Jacinta jerked her away. “I’m done with you. And if you want some advice, get away from here as fast as you can. When Harry comes back and discovers you want to take his daughter from him, shit’s gonna hit the fan,” she said, and vanished into the night.
…
Leonardo ran his hand down his face. How long since she’d been gone? Ten, twenty minutes? He stared at the door handle. Unlike the cheap one from Jacinta’s house, this one was heavy stainless steel. His shoulder ached from having slammed against the sturdy door several times.
What’s next? His heart flipped in his chest. What if Satyanna took off with his daughter? As far as he was concerned, there was no need for her to come get him. This was her ticket out of his life. Forever.
No. She didn’t have Harry’s patronage—according to her—and she didn’t have any money. Hell, she couldn’t even leave the country. She needed him and his resources. She’d come back. When he’d seen Jacinta point the knife at her neck, adrenaline had pumped in his body. And fear. Fear of losing Satyanna. Why was that?
The door swung open and she appeared in front of him. He walked to her. Sweat gleamed on her pale face; there was blood on her side, and she held a piece of paper towel against her neck. “I just checked on Lyanna. She’s still sleeping.”
Relief poured over him. His shoulders dropped a notch, and for a moment he almost relaxed. Almost. “Good. Where did she go?”
“She took off. I tried to catch her, but she ran too fast into the back woods, and I didn’t know my way around.”
He realized patches of blood covered her shirt. Shit. “Come with me. Let me take care of you first.”
She drew back, and cocked her head to the side. Take care of her. Well, he meant in a way he would do for anyone in the same position. He put his arm around her non-injured hip, leading her to the master bathroom.
He opened the contents of the drawers, searching for any first-aid items he could use. A man like Clemonte had plenty of enemies wanting to smash his face, therefore he should have all kinds of emergency aids.
Leonardo washed his hands then turned to her. “Take off your shirt.”
She pulled it over her head and put it on the stool next to her. He made an effort not to pay attention to the white lacy bra that cupped her breasts. Sliding his gaze down, he studied the wound.
Grabbing a clean towel from the linen closet, he dabbed it with some warm water and soap and started to clean the wound. She shivered and swore under her breath.
“Does it hurt?”
She chewed on her lower lip, as if trying to stifle a moan. “A little bit.”
A strange wave of admiration coursed through him. She was trying to mask her discomfort. He caught himself smiling, and wondered if his grin looked as silly as it felt. “You can say it hurts a lot.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Why?”
“Because I want you to fix this damn thing and leave this place. I want to leave. Now that Jacinta is on the loose, she can call him and let him know. He already stole Lyanna from us once. What’s to say he’s not going to do it again?” she said, and he couldn’t ignore the despair dangling from her voice.
Against his better judgment, he slid his index finger down her warm cheek. “I’m not going to let that happen.”
She lifted her chin. Resolve shimmered in the shimmery depths of her eyes. Moisture evaporated from his throat. Damn. “Yes, because you will take us out of here. Now.”
He cut some gauze and placed it on her flesh. She took a long inhale. When he cut the tape to put it over the gauze, he noticed a trail of goose bumps on her arms. Was she that aware of his touch, even if non-sexual? Well, it didn’t matter. Of course. Sleeping with her again would only complicate things, and that both of them could do without. What they needed was a plan, a deal, a bargain. Yes. He was good at that.
A light bulb flicked on in his brain. How come he hadn’t thought of that, yet? When they arrived back in Rio, he’d draw up a contract establishing parental rights. Custodial rights. He’d worked too hard in life to take people for their word, especially whenever dangerous, impulsive emotions were concerned.
“Let me see your neck,” he said, his voice dropping an octave. She threw her head back, elongating her graceful neck to him. He ran his dark olive finger along the pale flesh, and the vein of her neck pulsed under his touch. “Thankfully it’s just a superficial cut. It could have been a lot worse.”
“Yes. It could have.”
He grabbed another towel and dabbed some water on it.
When he leaned forward to clean her minor cut, he breathed in her citrusy scent. His entire body roared in awakening. He cleared his throat.
There she was, on the counter of a bathroom, completely vulnerable. Her eyes studied every single movement he made. When he raised his gaze to hers, there was a glint of desire in her gorgeous emerald eyes. A glint he knew all too well.
Leave. She parted her fleshy lips, welcoming him to join a club whose membership he shouldn’t renew. He had relapsed in Rio when they were both shaken by the news involving his daughter. What was the excuse now? Until he found Harry Clemonte, most likely there would be stress and tension, and he couldn’t use sex as a recreational drug.
He locked his spine in place, adamant on voicing what his brain processed, a decision, a strategy. But his betraying body had different plans, and before he managed to jerk away, he was lifting his hand to touch her hair.
He admired her under the light like she was some kind of a famous sculpture in a world-class museum. She leaned forward, her eyes not leaving his for a moment. Not surprisingly, his cock strained against his pants. She ran a finger along his jaw, and the touch sent electrifying currents through him. He took a deep breath, cursing his lack of self-control. How could this happen? The rationale from seconds ago dissolved in his mind like crushed ice in a scotch-filled bottle.
He closed his eyes, allowing himself that moment. She traced his facial features with her fingers, and he wondered when the last time was anyone had touched him so tenderly. Within the last year he’d dated a couple women, yes, mostly to distract from the intrusive memories of her. Satyanna Darling.
She linked her arms around his neck, and he dipped his head. He claimed her lips, too impatient for any finesse. She moaned, and tightened her grip on him. All he wanted was to slam her against the wall and fuck her fast and hard. But she had an injury, so he had to settle for quiet intensity. His tongue teased hers, his teeth grazing against her swollen lips. If that was a good way to punish her for having him toss his common sense into the trash, so be it. He had to keep his game somehow. She didn’t need to know about the alluring effect she had on him.
“So good…” she whimpered against his lips.
Her tortured drawl set his bloodstream on fire.
He held the back of her neck, his fingers kneading her skin, and deepened the kiss. Sliding his hands lower, he cupped her breasts and circled the hardening nipples over the lacy fabric. She leaned into his touch, her legs spreading, her sex no doubt ready for his.
Groaning, he pulled her to him and thrust his fingers into her curls, marveling in their rich, sultry texture. Satyanna was too sexy for her own good. And mine. The moans escaping her lips made his cock stir. Yes. Maybe due to her wound they couldn’t have intercourse, but there were certainly a number of things they could—
A cry stopped him in his tracks. A baby wailing. His, no, their baby.
Her eyes flew open, and before he could disengage from her, she was already pushing his chest away and recomposing. “I-I don’t have a shirt.”
He pulled his shirt over his head, fully aware he still had the sleeveless white undershirt. He could have suggested she look in Clemonte’s wardrobe, but he refused to see her wearing other men’s clothes. Why? He had no idea, but it didn’t really matter. “Take mine.”
She frowned at him, and for a beat he thought she was going to decline. Then she took it and slipped it over her, sliding down the counter. Maybe she did it too fast, or she finally realized the cut hurt when she moved, for her face tightened.
“You’re okay?”
She nodded. “I’m going to see what she needs.”
He followed her out of the bathroom. “I’ll come with. You shouldn’t pick her up from the crib. Let’s not upset the wound.”
Rubbing her forehead, she drew in a breath. “Right. Leonardo… I still want to leave ASAP.”
Leave. A part of him hated to dash out of the state where Harry Clemonte was last seen. By now, though, he was sure Jacinta had tipped him off, and chances he’d be back were slim. “I’m calling the pilot to have him wait for us at the airport.”
“T-thanks.”
He gave her shoulder a light squeeze. “Don’t worry. Nothing’s happening to you or the baby.”