Page 20 of Echoes and Oaths
Her entire world imploded in that one moment.
Eira shot to her feet, clutching Teo protectively against her chest. She stumbled backward, reaching out with her free hand and grabbing the frame of the clinic’s outer wall to steady herself.
And then he was there.
Mateo.
His arm came out, catching her just before she could fall. He stood before her, solid and still. Eyes searching hers. Her body shook violently. She stared at him, lips parting, breath catching in her throat. Her vision swam. Panic clawed at her chest. She started to hyperventilate.
Teo stirred and began to fuss, woken by her distress. His small cries pierced the stillness, grounding her, tethering her to the moment.
She pulled him closer, trying to soothe him with gentle pats to his back, her hands trembling.
“Shhh,” she murmured. “It’s okay … It’s okay …” But Teo felt her emotions, and his crying grew louder. From the main house, her mother’s voice rang out.
“¿Necesitas ayuda, mi amor?”
Eira forced herself to breathe, to find her voice. “No, Mom! We’re fine.We’re fine!”
Her voice shook. But she said it again. Because even though the past had just walked out of the darkness and shattered her world, she had to believe it. They were fine. They had to be.
Mateo nodded silently, gesturing for her to go inside the clinic.
Eira hesitated, her legs heavy with shock. The sight of him,really him, had left her stunned. For so long, she’d dreamed of this moment. She’d prayed for it. And now that he was there, real and solid and standing just feet from her, her mind couldn’t seem to catch up with her heart.
She walked slowly ahead, her knees weak, her heart thundering in her chest, while Mateo followed closely behind, stepping into the clinic and shutting the door behind them.
Without a word, he reached for Teo. Eira clutched her son tighter for a beat, then released him.
Mateo lifted the child gently to his shoulder, supporting Teo’s head with ease, his large hand cupping the back of his son’s head like he’d done it a thousand times. He bounced him slowly, tapping his back with calm, practiced movements. Teo settledalmost immediately, tucking his head under Mateo’s chin and closing his eyes.
Eira stared.
“We have a lot to talk about,” Mateo said, his voice rough.
He helped her to a nearby chair, and she sat down stiffly, then held out her arms. “Give me my child back.” Without hesitation, Mateo passed Teo into her waiting arms. She clutched her son to her chest, pressing her lips to his temple.
Mateo knelt in front of her, his eyes never leaving her face.
“You’re not dead,” she whispered, her voice cracking under the weight of disbelief. “If you’re not dead … why did you leave us?”
“I didn’t know it wasus, mi amor?—”
“Do notcall me that,” she snapped, her voice shaking. “Do not call meyour love. If you loved me, you would have come back.”
“I left because I loved you,” Mateo said quietly.
Eira let out a bitter laugh, her head shaking as tears rolled down her face unchecked. “I know what you were. They told me you were an enforcer. A murderer. But I defended you. Irefusedto believe it. There was no way the man I knew, the kind, gentle, loving man I knew, was a killer.”
Mateo’s eyes closed for a moment. When he opened them again, his gaze was heavy with truth.
“I’m far worse than anything anyone has told you,” he said. “I came here on a mission. My job was to kill Montoya. I did. And then I left. I went back to America.”
She stared at him, heart pounding. His words didn’t register. Not at first. “So, I was nothing?” she asked, her voice cracking. “I was a diversion? A part of your mission?”
“No.” His answer came sharp and quick. “You were not part of that. You wereneverpart of the mission. That’s why I kept everything, my work, the cartel, separate from you.”
He looked at Teo, now asleep again in her arms, and gently reached out, tracing the curve of the baby’s round cheek with his finger.
