Page 8 of Rectify

Legs trembling, stomach clenched in a tight knot, he leaned heavily against the wall behind him.

“What? What are you talking about?”

She’d found someone else? Who? Did Aedan mean nothing to her? Had she fallen out of love with him so quickly?

“I don’t believe it.” He couldn’t believe it. If he did, that meant it was the end. How could he go on without her?

“There is evidence. Photos. She’s moved in with Diego Mota.”

“Who the hell is he?”

“He’s a lieutenant for the Fuerte Cartel.”

The Fuerte Cartel? Okay, he’d heard of them. And nothing that he’d heard was good.

“You can’t be serious. Natalya would never have anything to do with someone involved in a drug cartel.”

“I didn’t believe it myself, but I just received the photos as evidence. It’s true.”

“Email them to me.”

“Aedan—”

“Just do it, Rogan.” He pulled the phone away from his ear.

“Aedan, wait, what?—”

He turned off his phone. He couldn’t talk to Rogan right now. He didn’t want his sympathy.

He grabbed his laptop, opening it up. He didn’t believe it. She wouldn’t.

Opening his email, he waited impatiently. An email popped into his inbox. He hesitated before clicking on it. Did he really want to see these?

No. But he needed to.

He clicked on the email, then waited for the attachments to download.

A photo of Natalya and a hard-looking man eating dinner. His arm around her as they walked along the footpath.

These weren’t proof. They could just be friends.

Then he looked at the next photo and his stomach dropped.

They were kissing.

He deleted the email. He’d seen enough. His phone rang, but he ignored it.

He needed to be alone. He needed to think.

So he could try to understand what had just happened, to work out how to repair what had just broken inside him.

1

Natalya sat in her car, anxiously staring at the wrought iron security gates that separated her from him. She licked her dry, chapped lips, trying to find some courage.

Just get out of the car, Natalya.You can’t sit here all night.

Aedan had ignored all her calls and messages. Not that she could blame him after the way she’d treated him. But at the time, she didn’t think she had a choice. Still, she could have handled things differently.

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