Page 38 of Rectify

“No, I don’t. I think she lied to you. I don’t think she ever saw Diego near Mateo’s day care.”

“What makes you think that?” Aedan asked.

“Because she cleared out her apartment, her bank account has been emptied, and her neighbors saw her leave with a heavily tattooed Mexican man in his late twenties the day after Mateo disappeared.”

“She wouldn’t betray me,” Natalya said. “She’s my cousin.”

“Sometimes blood counts for very little. Especially when someone thinks they’re in love,” Stanton said grimly.

“Doyou think Stanton sent us to the least likely place we would find Mateo’s kidnappers?” Natalya bumped up against him as they searched around the campground.

“I think it’s pretty unlikely they’d hang out here,” he agreed. “They’d stand out like a sore thumb.”

Right now, the place was filled with older couples, all traveling around in their extra-large RVs. A few families were also scattered through the grounds.

Aedan slipped his arm around her. “Come on. Let’s head back to Rogan’s. It’s dark now. There’s nothing we can do.”

“Do you think Stanton’s right? Do you think that woman was lying about seeing Mateo?” How could anyone do that? Didn’t they know the hell they were putting her through, imagining her baby was dead? There had to be a special kind of hell for a person like that.

“It sounds like it,” Aedan said grimly.

“I’m so relieved and so furious, all at the same time. Who would do that?”

“I don’t know, baby.”

“Well, I guess if my own cousin could betray me, it wouldn’t take much for a stranger to, would it?”

She still couldn’t believe it. Didn’t want to believe it.

But that didn’t mean it wasn’t true. That María hadn’t betrayed her.

Aedan stood staringat his bed. How the hell was he supposed to sleep? Thoughts rolled around in his head, each one trying to gain traction.

He pinched the top of his nose, trying to ease the tension headache he could feel forming. A knock on the door caught him by surprise, and he turned, walking over to the door. Natalya stood on the other side, looking nervous.

“Are you all right?” he asked, reaching out to grasp her hand and pulling her inside. Stupid question. Of course, she wasn’t all right. He held her close against him, swaying as she held on tight.

Heat curled at the base of his stomach, tendrils whispered through his body.

So not the time to get turned on, you asshole.

“Can I stay with you?” she asked in a small voice. “I can’t be on my own.”

“Of course you can, Lovely. I’ll get some more blankets and sleep on the floor.”

She stiffened against him. Damn, what had he said?

“You don’t want to sleep with me?”

Cupping her shoulders, he moved back slightly so he could stare into her face. This was something he didn’t want to handle wrong.

“I didn’t want to presume anything. You’re in charge right now, Natalya. Whatever you need, whatever you want, just tell me, and I’ll do my best to be there for you.”

“I want you to sleep in the same bed with me. I want you to hold me. Just keep me warm. I don’t think I can sleep, and I don’t want to lie there alone just thinking about . . . thinking about . . . ” She was starting to hyperventilate, and he knew he had to calm her down.

“Shh,” he told her. “It’s okay. I understand. Go and grab whatever you need, and I’ll run you a bath, all right?”

With a nod, she left. When she walked back into his bedroom there was a blank look on her face that worried him. He could tell that the shock of everything that had happened was getting to her.

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