Page 145 of Unbreakable Thread

He’s fading. His skin has gone pale, and his breathing comes in shallow gasps that barely stir the air. The pulse in his wrist flutters weakly against my fingertips like a moth trapped behind glass. Dammit, we need to get him to a hospital.

Max tries to lift him, but Leo grunts and shakes his head.

“I love you too, S…Sol.”

“Hang in there, little bro. Don’t you leave us. We need you. Who will I argue with?” Xander grits his teeth, fighting the tears threatening to free themselves.

“Max…thank you for being there for me…when I needed you. You gave me a… friendship. Take care of Sol…she’s my fri…end.” Leo squeezes my hand. It’s a gentle one. “Tell her…I loved her. We could never be.”

Beth, he’s talking about my baby sister. He loved her, and when I asked if he would date her, he said no. He always felt he didn’t have a future.

“You can tell her when you see her.”

His eyes flutter.

“Come on, buddy. The ambulance is close. Can you hear it?” Max runs his hand on his cheek.

“I’m not…going to make it. It’s okay, because I saved Sol and the twins. It was supposed to happen this way.” His voice is a whisper, not one of pain, but a goodbye.

My heart is shattering.

Max’s jaw tightens. He shakes his head but doesn’t argue. “Thank you, brother.” His voice trembles. “I love you, man. Find your family,” he whispers, then pauses for a second. “I’ll see you on the other side.”

Two, three, four, five, six breaths, and he’s gone. Max swallows hard, closing his eyes. Anger, pain, and sorrow rip into my soul. A bone-deep pain shatters in my chest. Something I hadn’t felt since I lost my parents. My sobs fill the vast room. I hold on to Leo’s head, bringing his warmth to my cheek.

An angry roar comes from Max. One minute, he’s next to me, and the next, he grabs a gun from one of the men’s holsters.

Chapter 42

Max

Daniel’s knuckles whiten around the grip of a sleek black pistol—Carlos’s empty holster tells me where it came from.

I step forward, jaw clenched, eyes narrowed to slits. “You fucking dick.” My words slice through the air between them. “You killed Leo. And tried to kill Sol.” My voice drops to a deadly whisper that somehow fills the ballroom. “And for that—” The gun fires with a deafening crack that bounces off marble floors and crystal chandeliers, leaving my ears ringing.

Carlos jolts to the floor.

I’ve never killed a man, and I never intended to. The rage and pain collapse into a grief I wasn’t prepared for. Not now. When Carlos aimed the gun at the only woman my heart beats for, my entire world snapped into a chilling pain I’d never recover from. He would have taken the lives of our unborn children. A family we had worked hard to earn and build. I never expected it would come down to this. Never expected Carlos to aim a gun at her or anyone. I invite him into my small circle, counted him among the few I could trust. I was wrong. You always hear people say not all heroes wear capes. I’ve never paid much attention to that thought. Until now. Only our hero grew wings.

Carlos plants his hand on his stomach, grunting in pain as the blood flows out of his limp body. I should have aimed for the head. The click of the gun forces me to drag my gaze toward the man pointing a gun at me. The revelation that Carlos and Daniel are related blindsides me.

I stare down the barrel of Daniel’s gun without flinching. My mind goes blank when I see Leo’s body crumpled on the floor, blood pooling beneath him. Sol’s broken wails cut through me like a knife, igniting something primal in my chest.

“Drake,” I say, my voice steadier than I feel, “get Sol out of here.” One death was already too many for tonight.

“Please, Daniel. Don’t take him from us. Please. He’s all I’ve got.” Her broken whisper, begging for my life, burns a hole through my chest. “I grew up without my parents. I don’t want the same fate for my children.” She weeps. “Please,” she whispers.

“Baby, go with Drake. Sol, always remember I love you.” I swallow hard, my eyes on Daniel. “Take her, Drake,” I order.

“Hey, man. Take me for the life he took,” Drake offers himself.

From the corner of my eye, Xander holds Leo in his arms. Carlos is not even dead yet. He’s still holding a hand over his wound.

“Take her, Drake,” I implore. The sound of her sweet voice will always be engraved in my heart. Drake lifts her and carries her out.

The wail of sirens is close. The door clicks shut, leaving just us, Daniel, and his men in the room. Two bullets tear through the air inches from my face, right into Carlos’s skull. Daniel tucks the gun back into his holster nonchalantly, as if he just didn’t put a bullet in his uncle’s head. “Tell Andy to clear the surveillance,” he barks at one of his men. Daniel then drags his gaze to me. “I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time.”

What the fuck?