Page 16 of Rectify

“Why do you think he took him?” Aedan asked.

“I left Diego over a year ago. He never once tried to contact me to find out how Mateo was. Then a few days ago, my cousin María, who works at Mateo’s day care, saw Diego in the park next to the daycare. Two days later, Mateo went missing. It had to be Diego.”

Rogan shared a look with Aedan that she couldn’t interpret.

“Diego just let you leave with his son? He didn’t even want shared custody?” Rogan asked skeptically.

“I was shocked too. But he was never all that interested in Mateo, or me. We pretty much led separate lives. Days wouldgo by when I wouldn’t see him. There was always someone watching. Then one day, I came home from grocery shopping and found him in bed with another woman. I knew he had other women, but he always kept them away from our house. It was . . . ” she took a steadying breath.

“It was humiliating. I was furious. Mainly because I had Mateo with me. He was too young to know what was happening, but I didn’t want him growing up thinking it was okay to cheat and lie. I was so enraged that I told Diego I was leaving. Surprisingly, he didn’t try to stop me. He just told me it was about time and that he’d been trying to get rid of me andthe bratfor months. So I took Mateo and fled. I haven’t heard from him since.”

“He really let you go? Just like that?” Rogan asked again.

“I know it sounds unbelievable, but I wasn’t about to question my luck.”

“Why the hell would you get involved with a man like that in the first place?” Aedan asked with a ferocious frown.

Natalya’s stomach lurched sickeningly. “I had no choice.”

His face hardened, and his blue eyes grew arctic. “There is always a choice.”

He was right.

“Yes, there is,” she whispered. “But sometimes it doesn’t seem that way. Sometimes, it seems like there is only one path in front of you.”

“Choosing to be with a violent, cheating criminal who had no respect for you was a better choice than me? I must have meant very little to you.” The bitterness in his voice made her feel ill. But it was the hurt she could hear that sent her over the edge.

Natalya wished she hadn’t hurt him. She’d spent the last three years regretting what she did, wishing that she’d gone to him instead. But at the time, she’d thought she was protecting him.

“You were everything to me. Aedan, I loved you.”

“Funny way to show it.”

“Why don’t we get back to the matter at hand?” Rogan glanced at Aedan warningly. “Natalya, when did Mateo go missing?”

“Two days ago,” she answered. “I got held up at work. One of the other waitresses called in sick. So, I asked my neighbor to pick him up since she has a little girl at the same day care. As they were walking home, a dark van pulled up beside them and two men in masks jumped out. They pushed my neighbor down, and she twisted her ankle as she fell. They grabbed Mateo and took off.”

“Where was this?” Aedan asked.

“Hondo.”

“Hondo?” Aedan looked taken aback. “You’ve been living in Texas for the last year?”

“Yes. I thought it would be best to get out of Mexico.”

“Why Hondo?” Rogan asked. “Wouldn’t it have been safer to move farther away?”

“Yes, probably. But my cousin lives in Hondo. I thought it would be easier to settle in if I knew someone.” And she hadn’t had any money.

“What do the police say?” Rogan asked.

“I can’t involve the police. They’d have to call in the FBI, and the last thing I need is the FBI looking into my background. Before I left him, Diego told me that I had to keep my mouth shut. Not that I knew anything. But he told me to keep a low profile and not to tell anyone about our relationship. He’s not even on Mateo’s birth certificate. Besides, I wouldn’t know who to trust. The Fuerte Cartel has a lot of law enforcement on their payroll.”

“Have you tried calling Diego?” Aedan asked her.

“Yes. I’ve left dozens of messages on his voicemail. I’ve tried calling the house. The last time I called, a woman answered. She said Diego was away on business and not to call again. I wondered if he was hiding from me, so I contacted a friend. Carla is married to one of Diego’s captains. When I talked to her, she swore that he wasn’t there. I didn’t know where else to go. No one will help me. No one will go up against the cartel. Diego is too powerful.”

“How do you expect us to help?” Rogan asked.

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