Amedeo, Her Italian Billionaire(7)
***
Salvatore emailed Amedeo a preliminary report on Violet about an hour after lunch. He didn’t like what he saw. She was in dire financial straits. No wonder she’d come to him for money. On the plus side, she’d only asked for money for an abortion. She’d made it sound like a one time event.
On the other hand, she might get evicted if she didn’t pay her back rent. Well, Amedeo had a better idea of what he was dealing with. She’d be back. She’d have no choice. If she did come crawling back, he held the advantage. She had nowhere to turn.
He didn’t want to lord it over her, but it was always good from a negotiating standpoint to have all the cards. Violet had no family which saddened him. He couldn’t imagine going through life without his family. His brothers were always there to call him on his behavior. His mother didn’t let him get away with anything, but he knew they did it all in the spirit of love.
He leaned back in his chair, staring out the window. What would that feel like? To be completely alone in the world. No one to call when you had to make a decision. No one to bounce ideas off of. No one to share memories with. No one to make memories with. He sighed. He couldn’t be cruel under the worst of circumstances. He couldn’t be mean to Violet, but he really didn’t want her to end her pregnancy. Being sure she was pregnant was his first think to do.
If she wasn’t pregnant then he would know she was just scamming him. She was on her own. If she was pregnant, then he would take care of things. It was the least he could do. If the child wasn’t his, then he was giving himself good karma. If the child was his, he was going to make the boy or girl’s life easier than Violet ever had it.
Madge buzzed him. “Violet’s back.”
“Send her in,” he said.
The woman who was walking through his office door was not the woman who had stormed out of it. She looked bedraggled, cold and defeated. His heart went out to her. She must have had a bad day after she left him.
With her shoulders slumped, she dragged her butt to the chair across the desk from him. She was dripping wet and he’d have to have the carpet cleaned, but she didn’t need to be kicked when she was down.
Her gaze hadn’t traveled up to his yet.
“Violet? What happened?”
She finally looked at him and those normally sparkling green eyes were now dull. Someone had taken a piece out of her and Amedeo wanted to punch the person. “It started raining.”
“Why didn’t you go home?”
She snorted. “I don’t have a home.”
Shit. She’d already been evicted. He leaned forward, his hands flat on the desk. “Let me get you something to drink.”
He rose, then crossed to his bar. He poured her some tea. Handing it to her, he rested his butt on the edge of his desk. She gripped the mug as if it was her lifeline. He hated to see anyone this defeated. “Start from the beginning. Tell me everything.”
“I haven’t paid rent in three months. My clients haven’t paid me, so I had no cash. I’ve been evicted and my landlord tried to get me to sleep with him to let me back in.”
“Your landlord?”
Amedeo saw red. There was no reason to take advantage of her when she was down. The man was a monster and he’d have to have a talk with the brute.
“I didn’t do it, but I’d at least have my laptop so I could work.”
She sipped some more of the tea.
“We need to get you out of those wet clothes.”
“You trying to get me naked, too? I really don’t need this.”
She stood. He put a hand on her shoulder. That’s when he noticed the dark spots under her eyes. She was exhausted.
“I need one thing from you before I can help.”
She looked up at him. “What?”
“I need to confirm that you’re pregnant.”
She sighed, her eyes falling closed. “Fine. I can pee on a stick.”
He handed her the pregnancy test, feeling like a heel for making her do it. He had to know for sure. A few minutes later, she came back, handing him the stick. She plopped back down on the chair, to wait for the results. Two lines. She was pregnant.
“Are you willing to have this baby?” Amedeo said.
“Yes.”
“Then you should move in with me, but let’s go back to your place and get your stuff.”
Her stomach rumbled. She put a hand on it, her face a study in embarrassment.
“We’ll eat first,” he said.
“I could use a little snack.”
“I’m thinking that you need more than a snack. Go sit on the couch. Put your feet up. I’ll order some food.”
She trudged to the couch, her body slumping onto it. Her eyes closed. She let out a little snore as he punched numbers into his phone. He ordered her food which would be delivered in a half an hour.