Amedeo, Her Italian Billionaire(6)
She tromped downstairs to find her landlord. She knocked on his door. Music played from the apartment, but no one answered her knock. She banged harder. “Damn it. I know you’re in there.”
Her landlord was a bastard to begin with. The door was yanked open. Reggie Dwight stood in the doorway wearing nothing but boxer shorts. Thin, ratty boxer shorts that did not hide enough of any part of his body, let alone the part she really didn’t want to see.
He put a hand on the doorframe, leaning into it as if he were God’s gift to women. His sour scent wafted off him and Violet tried not to flinch when it hit her nose. The man needed a bath. And fumigating.
“Hello, Violet.”
It what he probably thought was a sexy voice, but it came out smarmy. Like from a man who had bodies buried in his basement. Or a woman chained to his bed. Violet shuddered with the sound.
“What’s with the eviction notice? I said that I would have the rent this week.”
“No can do. You’re too far behind.”
“You could have at least warned me. My laptop’s in there. Can’t you open it and let me get it?”
His gaze raked over her, but this man wasn’t Amedeo. No, his gaze was a leer. He wasn’t admiring her form as much as undressing her with his eyes. She resisted shuddering again. She couldn’t piss him off. He was the only man with a key to her place. He could steal her laptop which was the only thing valuable in her apartment. Her livelihood depended on it.
“I could open it.”
He reached out to touch her face. She grabbed his hand. “Don’t touch me, Reggie.”
“You want your laptop?”
“Yes. You can open it and no one will know.”
Could she appeal to his decency? If he had any, it might work. Her dealings with him had never gone smoothly. Why was she expecting this one to be any different? He had her over a barrel, which is kind of how he wanted her. Naked and helpless.
“I’ll know, Violet, and I want something for my troubles.”
She shook her head. “No way, Reggie. We’ve been through this. I’m more woman than you can handle.”
Maybe humor would appeal to him. His gaze went up and down her again. Guess not. “Here are my terms. You. Naked. In my bed. One hour.”
“Okay, but what would we do with the other fifty five minutes after you finished?”
She couldn’t help herself. It had come flying out of her mouth and she couldn’t reel it back in. No time machine had been invented for her to go back and change her answer. His eyes bulged out. A frowned creased his face. “You little bitch. Now I’m not going to help you. Not even if you offer a week of blowjobs.”
“Come on, Reggie.”
He rubbed his own crotch. “You get none of this. It would spoil you for other men anyway.”
Then he slammed the door in her face. No matter how much she knocked, he didn’t open it again. Outside on the sidewalk, she looked up at the cloudy sky. All she needed was for it to rain. And then it did. She had nowhere to go.
When she walked around the building, she eyed the fire escape. If she could reach it, she could get in through the window. She knew how to break into her own apartment. She jumped and grabbed, but missed the bottom of the ladder that had be pulled down.
The rain splattered onto her face. She was getting wetter by the second and not in a good way. The ladder would only get more slippery.
“Damn.”
As if her day wasn’t shit already, she was now homeless and pregnant. “Shit. Shit Shit.”
Kalie was at work so she couldn’t help her at all. How did she get in this predicament? What had she done in a former life to make this one so shitty? “Damn.”
Tears pricked at her eyes, but she wouldn’t give in. She wouldn’t be defeated. Not today.
She had only one choice and she hated that she had only one. She would have to take Amedeo up on his offer. Hopefully, she could somehow get her laptop back. Without sleeping with Reggie.
She sighed, her clothes becoming wetter. She had enough money to get back to Amedeo’s office. Would he still be there? She hoped. Her cell phone had been turned off this morning, too, so she couldn’t call him.
Damn.
A cop car drove by, slowing as it passed her. Must have thought she was trying to break in. That would top her day if she got arrested. At least she’d be warm and dry and fed.
Damn she was hungrier than she’d ever been in her life. Her stomach made noises. She didn’t have enough money for trains and food, but if Amedeo took her in, he’d feed her. She was pretty sure of that.
Swallowing her pride, she trudged to the subway. She could take it and two trains and be warm and dry in the process. Her mother would be disappointed, but that woman had disappointed her enough times, that Violet didn’t care. She wanted food and dry clothing. Not much else mattered at this time.