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Romy wasn’t the cavalier type like his brother Cason. He couldn’t smooth talk a woman if he tried. She was probably convinced of that when all he did was ask her a bunch of questions about her baby. However, his awkwardness had led to him noticing how nervous she became as she talked about the baby and about her sister. He began to believe she was lying in some way, and yet he kept talking to her. His foolishness proved he was still too weak, and he needed to do something about it. That led to making a phone call and obtaining a more thorough background check on Ms. Sonya Davis. The truth didn’t look good.
“Her sister was a former lover of yours,” Ezio said.
Romy turned from the window. “Yes, Charlize. I didn’t even know she had a sister, which makes sense because Sonya said they didn’t grow up together. Nor were they close. Charlize died in a car accident six months ago, and she left custody of the baby to Sonya.”
“We don’t know if this Charlize would have tried to extort money from you, claiming her brat is yours, but it’s obvious that’s Sonya’s plan. There’s no need to dirty our hands with this mess. Get someone to make her go away.” Ezio pulled his phone from his pocket and sifted through the contact list. “The best man for the job is—”
“No,” Romy interrupted.
A chilly gaze met his. “What do you mean no?”
Romy nodded toward the envelope he had given his brother. “You’ve seen the baby picture. He might be mine.”
“Come on, Romy. It’s a mixed kid. That’s obvious, but there’s nothing to say he’s yours. So what he has blue eyes? A ton of babies are born with eyes that change color later. You said he’s ten months old. He could have brown eyes by now.”
“You might be right, but I’m not going to be satisfied if I don’t find out for sure. You’ve also forgotten something else.”
“What’s that?”
“If the media gets a hold of this, unsavory types will also learn about it. That puts both Sonya and the baby in danger.”
“Jeez, you have fallen for her! I thought you learned your lesson with that last one.”
Romy tensed his jaw but said nothing.
Ezio ran a hand over his head and looked away. “I apologize. That was a low blow. What will you do exactly?”
Romy cleared his throat. “First, I’m going to ensure the baby’s safety. That means moving him here.”
Ezio blinked. “You’ve lost your mind. Do you realize any gold digger with a blue-eyed mixed blood baby could come waltzing in here making claims and demanding to live at the mansion?”
Romy felt his face burn. “The difference is I don’t have a history with very many women. In fact, I can count only a handful.”
To his relief, his brother didn’t comment on his embarrassing admission. Of course, Ezio was aware of his limited love life. Romy often performed when he was around Cason, but most of it never led anywhere. Either she would reveal her true colors, or he would back off.
Sonya had done the same, which was a relief to him. He could ignore the attraction to her knowing what kind of woman she was.
“I will have the baby tested,” he assured Ezio. “If he’s mine, I’ll take steps to get full custody of him. If he’s not, then no harm done, but I have to take care of him until I’m sure. You would do the same.”
Ezio sighed. “You’re right. There’s no way I would leave my son in the hands of someone I don’t know. I get that you want him here, but what about her? She might not be willing to let him go. Not when she wants the money.”
“I’ll handle it. Non ti preoccupare.”
Ezio grumbled. “I’m not worried. I know you’ll make the right decision. But if you need my input, I’m here. I know how to make an undesirable go away.”
Romy nodded. Ezio had plenty of experience. Being the head of a multi-million dollar company, he was propositioned quite often. Romy might not have a lot of faith in women, but he wasn’t so cruel as to turn Ezio on Sonya.
And maybe that proves I’m more of a fool.
He decided to harden his heart against her and maybe even reserve all feeling for the baby just in case it turned out not to be his. He’d thought he was careful, but a woman determined to get her claws into him would stoop to any means. Maybe that’s why Ezio had negotiated his latest marriage. Romy wondered how long it would last.
The day had dawned overcast when Romy rose the next morning. Rather than risk Sonya getting a heads-up and working to hide anything if he called, he jumped into his car and drove over to her house. He was glad he’d had the foresight to request her address, but it wouldn’t have been difficult to obtain otherwise.
The apartment complex looked to be a on the lower end of middle class, possibly lower. He wasn’t an expert as he had entered the United States already wealthy because of his younger brother. The two buildings before him could use a paint job as the gray coating was peeling to reveal dull orange. If management had hired landscaping personnel, they slacked on their job. Weeds littered the overgrown grass. Other than that the property was clean.
A group of men stood at the corner of the building on the left, and when he pulled in, all eyes swiveled in his direction. Interest rose in his car, and they stirred slowly from their positions. Another car rolled into the slot beside his, a black one with tinted windows. The door opened, and the barrel-chested man behind the wheel stepped out. He removed his sunglasses and strode over to Romy.
“Mr. Sartori, I don’t like the looks of this place or those guys.” He switched places with Romy, putting his thick form between himself and the men, who had stopped moving the second his bodyguard showed up.
