Page 146 of Unbreakable Thread

“Was he really your uncle?”

He adjusts his cufflink. “Unfortunately, yes. Carlos always wanted to be part of my father’s organization. He wanted to be his right-hand man, then take his place when he retired from the position. Carlos has always been power and money-hungry. He’s asked who will take my position if something were to happen to me. I started to suspect he was behind my girl’s disappearance. She left the house frantically when I looked at my camera. She just disappeared. I’ve searched every state and continent. I was about to ask her to marry me. The only people who knew that were my dad and mom. Later, I found out my mom had excitedly told Carlos. My dad has been pressuring me to marry for an heir. Carlos always dismisses it when he hears my parents talk about it. I began to put it together. He didn’t want me to have an heir. He had been begging to be the head of the mafia if something were to happen to me. My mom begged us not to kill him unless we had a good reason to.” His gaze travels to Carlos’s dead body. “I have been spending more time with him to see what he’d tell me about where my girl went. He said he didn’t know. Tonight was a perfect time to get rid of him. My dad despises him. He’ll be pleased.”

I’m unsure why he’s told me all this, considering I’m not in his circle. The mafia is very private about their information. Although I’m grateful for the truth about who Carlos really was. I hate that I stepped into his gym and brought danger to my family.

Police swarm in, and he tells them Carlos was armed and shot a man, and they had to shoot back. The police asked no questions I didn’t expect. Daniel’s reach was longer than I’d realized. “I’m sorry about your friend,” Daniel says.

I raise a brow angrily. “You say you don’t let your men hurt women and children, but you allowed him to point a gun at my girl. He pulled the fucking trigger. If it weren’t for Leo, my kids would be dead, and Sol.” My voice cracks. “He confessed to the fire. And come to find out, he was the one responsible for her fall.” I wish I could bring him back to life and kill him myself.

He nods. “My apologies. I didn’t believe he would do something so heartless to a pregnant mother. We were trying to get to him safely and take the gun, but when he saw my men move, he pulled the trigger.”

Daniel promises to handle the aftermath, gesturing for us to go. As the medic drapes Leo with a white sheet, his lifeless form disappears beneath the fabric, leaving only the outline of what was once our friend on the stretcher. Xander grips my shoulder. “Let’s get the fuck out of here.” His voice is soft but dark, with a cloud of grief hanging over us. I didn’t know that loving both boxing and the woman I love would cost me.

Walking into the house, my father’s head whips up from the pot of coffee he’s about to brew. He wipes the gloss from his eyes and rushes to me. “I thought…” He swallows. “Drake told me what happened. I thought they…killed you. I thought I lost you,” he whispers, clearing his throat. “Leo,” he says in another whisper.

“I’m here, Pops. Daniel killed Carlos. But Leo…he’s gone.” My chest aches, but I shove it down. I can’t break in front of Sol. She needs me to be the strong one.

Drake rushes down the stairs and clasps both hands on my back, his head on my shoulder. “You’re alive, fucker. Man…I didn’t know what to do.”

“I’m here. Where is she?”

“She was losing it. I had her shower to clean the blood off her. Pops made her a hot tea to help her relax, to help the babies relax. She just fell asleep in the bedroom.”

I turn to Drake. “Thanks.” Then to Xander. “Please stay. Being alone right now… We are all grieving and traumatized…” I trail off, my throat tightening. “God, if I’d just stayed put tonight⁠—”

The weight of what happened settles on my chest like a stone.

Xander’s eyes meet mine, his jaw set. “This is on Carlos, not you. Man was unhinged. Daniel said as much. He’d have come for you no matter what, and Sol. Leo loved Sol like a sister. He wouldn’t want you to blame yourself.”

Drake gives me a sad face. “Check on her. Let her know you’re okay. We’ll be here.”

Walking into the dim room, I toss the suit jacket on a chair and unbutton the soiled dress shirt, tossing it in the laundry basket. Sol is curled up on the bed, her arms crossed, hugging her chest. I almost lost her tonight. In those moments, panic pulled at my gut. I didn’t move fast enough.

Sol moans, then a small whimper follows. I crouch down beside her and move the curl of her hair to the side. “Mi amor, I’m here.”

She whimpers again.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper. I keep adding more trauma to her life. “Wake up, mi vida.”

Her eyes flutter open. “Max?”

“I’m here.”

“Max,” she cries, wrapping her hand around my neck. I hold her for what feels like minutes while she sobs. “I thought I lost you, too. I was going crazy.”

My hand moves up and down her head. “Do you need to go get checked at the hospital? To see how the babies are doing? You witnessed more than I would have liked.” I pull back and kiss her cheek, her nose, and her lips.

“What happened?” she asks.

After I tell her everything, she sighs. “I’m glad Carlos is dead, Max.” Her chin trembles. “He…he took Leo from us.” We bring our foreheads together. “Leo saved the twins and me.” She clutches her wing necklace. “I’m going to miss him.”

I whisper, “Me too,” and slide in beside her, pulling her close until her back curves against my chest. She weeps against me for hours. Only after her breathing steadies into sleep do I let my own grief surface. Behind my closed eyelids, Leo appears—motionless, vacant—his final words still in my ears as I press my face into the pillow and let myself break.

Chapter 43

Sol

I rock in the chair Max put under the gazebo, watching him train with Xander, Drake, and Hector. Setting my book down, I grab a water bottle from the mini fridge Max added for me. Every time I glance at the men, a ball forms in my chest. It’s been two months since Leo passed. I still find it hard to believe I’ll never see him again.