Page 9 of Rectify

The past couldn’t be changed. All she could do was apologize and hope like hell he would forgive her. She’d get down on her knees and beg him if she had to.

She’d give him anything he wanted if he would just help her save her son.

Natalya wiped her hands on her ripped jeans. Considering how cool the evening had grown, she really shouldn’t be sweating this much. Nerves and stress had her on edge. Aedan could refuse to listen to her. Hell, he could refuse to even let her through the gates.

Despair swept through her. This was hopeless. Of course, he would refuse to see her. He probably hated her.

“I can’t give up,” she whispered. “I need him.” Natalya stepped out of the car and crossed the quiet street. She pressed the intercom and, all too aware of the camera zooming in on her, tried not to betray how nervous she was. She couldn’t even see the house, but the gates were intimidating enough. A far cry from the small apartment they’d lived in together.

“Hello?” a male voice greeted her through the intercom. The voice wasn’t Aedan’s. A mix of relief and disappointment washed over her.

“I, umm, I need to see Aedan Blake.”

“Mr. Blake isn’t here at the moment,” the polite voice took on a suspicious tone. He was probably wondering if she was a reporter. Or an ex-girlfriend. The only reason she knew where Aedan now lived was through an old mutual friend.

Shit. She hadn’t thought about what she would do if Aedan wasn’t home.

“I really need to talk to him.” She could hear the desperation in her voice. “Is he going to be home soon?”

“I can’t tell you that. Would you like to leave your name and number?”

And have him ignore her again?

“No, thanks.” Tears threatened, but she blinked them away determinedly. She’d cried enough tears since Mateo went missing. Tears didn’t help.

She hurried back to her car and climbed inside, slamming the door shut. Resting her head on the steering wheel, she took in a few deep breaths to quell the panic attack she could feel coming on.

“Calm down, calm down,” she muttered. “Mateo needs you.” Natalya wasn’t used to feeling helpless. Life had thrown morethan its fair share of crap her way, but she didn’t back down, and she didn’t give in.

She certainly wasn’t about to give up on saving her son.

“Damn you, Diego,” she muttered. “Why did you take him? Why?” She hit her fist against the steering wheel of the car. It had been over a year since she’d taken Mateo and left Diego. Diego had paid no attention to Mateo when they’d lived with him; he hadn’t once tried to contact her during the past year. So why would he take Mateo now?

Yet her cousin swore she’d seen Diego near Mateo’s day care just a few days prior to him going missing. Natalya didn’t understand why María hadn’t told her about it straight away, but that no longer mattered. Diego must have kidnapped Mateo. And she was powerless to go up against him. All she had was a few hundred bucks and a beat-up old car to her name.

Diego was rich, powerful, and dangerous. The odds were not in her favor.

“Mierda!What am I going to do?” she whispered desperately.

The Aedan she’d known three years ago wouldn’t have let a little boy suffer for revenge.

But a lot had changed since then.

Aedan wasn’t there, and she was running out of time. There was only one other avenue open to her. Hands trembling, she started her car.

She had to go to Rogan.

She’d hoped to use Aedan as a buffer between her and his cousin, the leader of the Cavan Gang. Rogan scared her. Plus, the last time she’d seen him, she’d called him a thieving, soul-sucking leech.

She really hoped he wouldn’t hold that against her.

Aedan placedhis phone down on the small table beside his chair and sat back.

“Problems?” Rogan asked.

Aedan shook his head. “That was Declan. Some woman turned up at my place looking for me. She wouldn’t leave her name or number. Apparently, she was an attractive brunette.”

Rogan raised his eyebrows. “That doesn’t exactly narrow things down, does it?”

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