Page 292 of Knot What I Expected

“Mate?” I spit. “I’m not your mate, Ethan.”

His expression flickers. Good.

“My mate is a better male than you could ever dream of being.”

There. That gets him. His face twists.

I should probably stop provoking the psychopath holding my son hostage.

But fuck him.

“Now, I came here like you asked. Where is my son?”

“You mean our son, don’t you?”

“No. I don’t⁠—”

“MOMMY!”

My heart stops.

I turn.

“Matteo!”

There he is.

My baby.

His dinosaur backpack is still hanging from one shoulder. His little soccer uniform is dirty, and there are tear tracks down his cheeks, but he’s standing.

Alive.

Thank God.

He’s okay.

Then I see who is holding him.

Nando.

My brother has both hands around Matteo’s arms. And he looks like shit.

For one stunned second, I barely recognize him. The plump, laughing boy I remember is gone. His cheeks are hollow. His skin has a grayish cast beneath it, and his clothes hang from his body. His eyes are dull, pupils wrong.

My heart cracks anyway.

“Nando.”

“Mommy!” Matteo struggles against him.

“Baby! Baby, are you okay?”

“I want to go to you, Mommy!”

“I know.” Tears burn my eyes. “Mommy’s here. It’s going to be okay. I promise.”

I look at my brother.