Rectify

by Laylah Roberts

  He rolled, tickling her. She squealed, trying to fight him off. He knelt and flipped her onto her stomach. “Brat. That deserves a spanking.”

  “Oh no, you don’t.” She scrambled to get away, laughing.

  Aedan watched her ass wiggle. Damn, why hadn’t he spanked her exquisite butt before?

  He clasped her close against him. “I’m really going to miss you.”

  “I’ll miss you, too. But it won’t be forever. You’ll be so busy with your new movie you probably won’t even notice I’m gone.”

  Like that would happen. “Just remember, I’ll always be here for you. No matter what. I love you, Natalya.”

  “I love you, Aedan. Always.”

  ***

  Aedan stepped into their tiny apartment. It felt so empty without Natalya in it. He’d been away for four weeks on location in London, shooting his film. It should have been the most exciting time in his life. This was it, his big break.

  But he’d spent most of the time worrying about Natalya. Especially over the last week. In the beginning they’d spoken every day, then that had slowly dribbled down to a few times a week. Now he couldn’t get hold of her at all. He hadn’t spoken to her in five days, and that scared him.

  He never thought she’d be gone this long. There was something more going on than she was letting on. The last time he’d spoken to her, she’d sounded distracted, almost scared. His Natalya didn’t scare easily. In fact, she was far braver than he thought was wise. He didn’t like the risks she often took with her safety.

  And yet you never told her that. You never said anything.

  Because he hadn’t wanted to rock the boat. They’d had a good thing going. He’d kept things light and easy.

  Face it, you were scared. You were worried that if she saw all of you then she wouldn’t want you anymore. He’d curbed his more dominant, protective urges because the Aedan she knew was easy-going and light-hearted.

  Maybe it was time to let her see the other side of him? Gradually, of course. He didn’t want to lose her. That didn’t bear thinking about.

  He took a soda out of the fridge and popped the top, taking a long drink. It was ten at night, but he didn’t care. He had three days off before he had to be in L.A. for some more filming. He should be sleeping, but he couldn’t rest until he knew that Natalya was all right. He should have ignored her reassurances that she was fine and jumped on the first flight he could get. He should have demanded she return home.

  He should never have let her go by herself in the first place.

  Rubbing his forehead tiredly, he grabbed his cell and moved into the living room. Hopefully, he could get hold of her tonight then get some sleep.

  The landline was beeping, indicating that there was a message waiting. He pushed the playback button.

  “Hey, Aedan, it’s me. Natalya.”

  Like he wouldn’t recognize her voice? Relief hit him hard. She was all right. But why hadn’t she called his cell?

  “Umm, I don’t know how to tell you this.”

  He frowned, leaning forward, almost as though he could reach through the phone and clasp hold of her. She sounded scared.

  “I need to break things off, Aedan. Between us.”

  He stumbled back, his legs hitting the armchair behind him. With a heavy thump, he sat, his heart pounding, head swimming. This was a joke, right? It had to be.

  “Why?” he whispered, as though he was speaking to her instead of a machine.

  “I know this has to be a shock, and I’m, uhh, I’m sorry.”

  The dial tone hit sounded. That was it? Was she serious? She was breaking things off with him via voicemail and without an explanation?

  He wanted to marry her. He’d been about to propose.

  She’d sounded scared. Maybe she needed help. Maybe her family was pressuring her into breaking up with him. He stood. He needed to go to her.

  Except, he was due in L.A. in two days, and he was under contract, he couldn’t just not turn up. It would kill his career.

  But his career meant nothing without Natalya. Grabbing his cell, he tried to call her. Straight to answerphone.

  “Natalya, call me,” he demanded. He ran his hand through his hair with a groan of frustration. If she was in trouble, she might not have access to her phone. He had to do something.

  Searching through his phone contacts, he called the one person he knew could help.

  “Aedan,” Rogan greeted him.

  His cousin was the only family he had left. They were as close as brothers. His relationship with Rogan was the only thing he and Natalya had ever truly fought about.

  Natalya didn’t approve of Rogan, and she’d never been shy about voicing her opinion. She’d refused to have anything to do with him, and if she’d had her way, Aedan would have nothing to do with him, either.

  Rogan was head of the Cavan gang. While he might not always stick to the right side of the law, he still had morals—his own idea of right and wrong. Aedan didn’t always agree with him, but that didn’t mean he was willing to disown him.

  “Natalya contacted me.”

  “So she’s all right then?” Rogan asked carefully. He knew Natalya didn’t approve of him, and he’d always been careful not to force Aedan to choose between them.

  “She left a message on the landline. She broke things off with me.” He tried to keep the blinding pain from filtering through his voice. Acid burned in his stomach at the idea of losing her. Only the thought that she was being pressured, that he could fix this, kept him functioning.

  Otherwise, the devastation of losing her might well bring him to a standstill.

  “She what?” Rogan asked. For once, Aedan had managed to shock his cousin.

  “There’s something wrong,” Aedan insisted. “She sounded frightened. I need to make sure she’s all right.”

  “You’re due in L.A. Monday morning.”

  “The movie isn’t as important as Natalya.”

  “Of course not. But there’s no point going down there and ruining your career, then finding out that she’s fine. Let me send in someone to investigate.”

  “But what if she’s in trouble? What if she needs me?”

  “Then he’ll contact you,” Rogan reassured her. “This will work better anyway. If she is in trouble, and you race in there, you could make things worse. My man will discover what is going on quickly and quietly.”

  It was a good solution. Although it galled him to let someone else go in his place.

  “Leave it to me, Aedan.”

  Rogan tended to act the part of the over-protective big brother, but Aedan knew he was right.

  “I want him there as soon as possible.”

  “He will be,” Rogan promised.

  ***

  Aedan grumbled and rolled over in bed. “Someone turn that damn alarm off!”

  He pulled a pillow over his head to drown out the noise.

  It didn’t work.

  He sat up, glaring at his phone which shook and vibrated.

  “Ahh, crap.” Grabbing his phone, he turned off the alarm before switching on the bedside lamp.

  4.45 a.m.

  Jesus Christ. He’d arrived in L.A. late last night and hadn’t gone to sleep until after midnight. He was absolutely done in. He’d been calling Natalya constantly over the last three days. But every time his call had gone to voicemail. Where was she? Fear for her was burning him from the inside out.

  After a long shower, he felt marginally more human. As he fixed himself some much needed coffee, his phone rang.

  Who the hell would be calling him at this hour? Nerves filled him as he saw Rogan’s name displayed on the screen.

  “Rogan? Have you heard something?”

  “Yeah,” Rogan replied grimly. “It’s not good.”

  “She’s in trouble? I’ll book the first flight out.” Screw the movie. They’d just have to understand.

  “She’s not in trouble. Aedan, she’s found someone else.”

  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’d never heard Natalya mention his name.

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

  The Fuerte Cartel? He’d heard of them.

  “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.

  He had to try and understand what had just happened, to work out how to repair what had just broken inside him.

  Chapter One

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

  Just get out of the car, Natalya.

  She couldn’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. At the time, she didn’t think she had a choice, but she still could have handled things differently.

  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. Anything he wanted, she’d give him.

  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 more than its fair share of crap her way, and 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 hadn’t paid any 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?

  But her cousin swore that she’d seen Diego near Mateo’s day care just a few days prior. Natalya didn’t understand why Maria hadn’t told her 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 to her name and a beat-up old car.

  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 placed his 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?”

  Aedan flipped him the bird. Others wouldn’t have dared flip off the head of the Cavan gang. But Rogan was his cousin and his best friend. Rogan wasn’t as cold and dangerous as he appeared. At least, he wasn’t with those who mattered to him.

  Rogan let few people get close. Since Brandt’s betrayal, Aedan had noticed that he was drawing himself back even further from those around him.

  “I don’t date brunettes.” Not since Natalya. He pushed the thought of her from his head.

  “Do you date anyone? Can you call it a date when you fuck them once then discard them?” Rogan asked.

  “I don’t discard them,” Aedan protested with a frown. Rogan made it sound like he used these women, and he didn’t like that idea. Anyone he dated, he treated exceptionally well. They went away satisfied and so did he. He wasn’t looking for a relationship and he always made sure they knew that from the start.

  “I’ve seen some of them more than once.”

  Rogan raised his eyebrows. “But you haven’t really been interested in anyone since Natalya left, have you?”

  “You’re one to talk. When is the last time you went out on a date?”

  “Relationships aren’t for me. Isn’t Declan supposed to be your bodyguard? Why don’t you let him do his job?” Rogan asked, changing the subject.

  “Because I don’t need
a bodyguard anymore.” He’d hired Declan after a crazy fan had managed to get onto the grounds of his house. Declan had tightened up his security, and he usually traveled with him when he went out of town on business.

  Rogan snorted. “You’re rich. You’re famous. You’re a walking target. Stop being stupid and make Declan work for his damn money.”

  Aedan frowned. He hated when Rogan went all big-brother on him. He had a tendency to be overprotective.

  “Butt out.” Unease swirled in his stomach as he recalled the phone calls he’d received over the last few weeks. Multiple messages from a woman promising to do all manner of nasty, dirty things to him. She’d discovered his phone number, could she also have found out where he lived? Surely she wouldn’t just walk up to his house and ask to see him?

  She probably wasn’t dangerous. Just crazy. He’d blocked her calls. Now any calls or messages from numbers he didn’t recognize, he ignored or immediately deleted.

  Rogan took a sip of whiskey. “I heard from Dylan today.”

  “Are he and Tilly okay?” Aedan asked with concern. Dylan was an old childhood friend. Recently, Dylan and his girlfriend, Tilly, had approached Rogan for help when Tilly’s best friend, Miller, had gotten mixed up with the Vipers. They’d managed to get Miller away from the gang safely, but not before the Vipers had gotten her addicted to Fizz, a new drug on the market.

  “Yeah, he and Tilly reached her family’s place safely. He’s planning on asking her to marry him.”

  “He told you that?” Aedan asked, surprised. Not that Dylan would ask Tilly to marry him— anyone could see that the two of them were made for each other. But he was startled that Dylan would confide in Rogan. And a little hurt that Dylan hadn’t told him. Aedan brushed off the stupid thought. He wasn’t a teenager, trying to keep up with the bigger, older boys anymore. He wasn’t that lonely kid in a strange place, looking to fit in.

  “He didn’t. But he’d be crazy not to propose.”

  “It was good to see him again. I’ve missed him.”

  Although he certainly didn’t lack for companionship, Aedan was short on true friends. The real sort that you could call on at a moment’s notice for help. The kind who didn’t care who you knew, or how much was in your bank account.