Page 12 of Rectify

“It could be a coincidence,” Aedan argued.

“What does she look like?” Rogan asked.

“Attractive. Hispanic. Said her name’s Natalya.”

It couldn’t be,Aedan told himself.Why would she be here?

“You want me to let her in or tell her to get lost?” Colm asked. He hadn’t been around three years ago, so he had no idea who Natalya was.

“Aedan?” Rogan asked. “It’s up to you.”

Aedan didn’t want to see her. He should just turn her away. She’d rejected him. He owed her nothing.

“It’s getting late, and her car is a piece of shit.”

Aedan could read the censure in Colm’s tone. Colm was protective when it came to women, and the Scot clearly disagreed with turning her away.

“Let her in,” Aedan told him.

Colm nodded and left.

“Have you heard from her since she broke things off?” Rogan asked.

He shook his head. “No.” But he’d been deleting all messages from unknown numbers for the past fortnight. Is it possible that she’d left him a message?

“What has it been? Three years?” Rogan asked.

Three years and seven weeks, but who was counting? There was another knock on the door.

“Ready for this?” Rogan glanced over at him.

Aedan just nodded, unable to speak. He braced himself as the door opened.

Natalya was toonervous to smile at the large man who’d let her into the house. She couldn’t believe she was doing this. She’d never gotten along with Rogan. In fact, she’d often wished that Aedan wasn’t friends with the gang leader.

She’d forced Aedan to choose between them, and she wasn’t proud of that. It had been selfish. Yes, Rogan did things she didn’t agree with. But it wasn’t like she was squeaky clean either.

The world wasn’t as black and white as she’d once thought.

She stepped into a masculine room filled with dark wood furniture. The carpet was a light gray, the drapes silver and black striped. Gradually, she shifted her gaze to the two men sitting in brown leather armchairs across from her.

“Aedan,” she whispered.

Slimly built with blond hair and spellbinding, intense blue eyes; he was simply breathtaking. Impossibly, he seemed to have grown even sexier with age. He regarded her with an iciness she’d never experienced from him before, and her stomach dropped.

Rogan cleared his throat. “Why don’t you sit down, Natalya.”

It wasn’t a request.

Aedan scowled. She quickly sat. She didn’t know how much longer her legs would hold her.

“Would you like something to eat or drink?” Rogan asked.

“Umm, a cup of coffee would be great. If it’s not too much of a problem.”

“No problem at all.” Rogan stood and left the room.

Mierda!

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