Page 115 of Unbreakable Thread

“What is it?” I ask.

“I thought I saw Carlos climbing stairs in the warehouse.”

“Like the bleachers?”

“No, baby, where Daniel and his men go. I’ve never been up there. I only saw his backside. I thought it was him.” He laughs. “But I doubt it because he was holding a hooker’s hand up there…I just thought it was him. I’m mistaken. I couldn’t be him. Why would he be around the mafia?”

I glance over my shoulder at Hector, and he’s looking out the window, lost in thought. He must be wondering the same thing. Why would Carlos be in the Underground hanging with them?

I’m about to open my mouth to tell Max about Carlos when he says, “It must be someone who has the same body type.”

Not now. Not tonight. A lot has happened today. Tomorrow. I’ll tell him tomorrow.

Chapter 34

Max

The click of the clock has me looking to see what time it is. Johnny is supposed to report to me what Carlos has been up to. Gary is out with my dad at his therapy session. It seems he’s doing well and not trying to sneak a bottle. Although we have been keeping him busy with the drama in my life, part of me is relieved to have Daniel off my back. But at the same time, another part of me carries guilt. I did this for Leo. Now he’s doing this for me. Neither Leo nor Drake understands firsthand how these men work. I know Drake could handle it, but Leo? No.

“Come in,” I call out. Johnny enters with a stack of papers in a manila folder.

He scratches his chin before settling in the chair in front of my desk.

“What did you find?” My gut sinks. I’ve known Carlos for half of my life now, and something tells me I really don’t know him.

He blows air out. “Something isn’t adding up.” Johnny pulls out a sheet of paper. “He’s been over at Annette’s father’s place. What’s his name?”

“Rico.”

“Yeah, him. He goes alone at times or with his wife.” His fingers shift through the stack of papers, then freeze, holding one up to the light. “Well, that’s interesting. Since when were Carlos and Daniel so buddy-buddy? Gary captured this one.”

I lower myself into my chair. I’m not sure what he means by buddy-buddy. They knew one another when Carlos would go with me to the fights, but I had never seen them exchange more than a nod. Carlos always argued that he hated them, his face scrunching up like he’d tasted something sour whenever I mentioned going.

My palm grows slick with sweat as I stare at the first photograph—Carlos and Daniel seated across from each other at a white-clothed table inside one of Daniel’s casino restaurants. Then the second image: the same two men, in a different venue, laughing as if they’ve been shooting the shit for years. The final picture makes my stomach clench—them again, this time beneath the pulsing lights of Daniel’s strip club. A long-legged woman seated on Carlos’s lap, dressed in very little clothing, who isn’t Nessa. His hands under her short skirt.

“This is unsettling.” I glance at the photos once again. Cupping my chin, I peer at Johnny. “Two days ago, when I fought at the warehouse, I could have sworn I saw him going up the cement stairs that lead to only where Daniel and his men are allowed to go. Even some of his men are not allowed up there. All I saw was his back with one of the whores they take to the fights. He was leading her upstairs. There is no doubt in my mind now, it was him.” I slowly rise from the chair, my attention drawn to the window. I have no words. I’m shocked and confused. How long has he known Daniel, and why did he fail to mention it to me?

“Have you heard anything about the fire?” Johnny asks with a scowl on his face, telling me what I already think.

For weeks, different scenarios circled in my head. Was it electrical? Was there a gas leak? Was it just some kids messing around who accidentally started it? I looked through the security cameras twice. Nothing. No face, no movement. That’s why we figured it was electrical. But now…

“It wasn’t electrical. The fire investigator said accelerant. Professional job. Not something Carlos would know how to do alone.” The man barely knows how to fire up a grill.

Did he hire Daniel? Possibly that’s why they were meeting.

“What should we do?” Johnny looks just as perplexed as I do.

Sighing, I say, “Let’s keep following him. I need to know more. I’m going to keep playing the part. Tonight, I’m taking Sol with me to the gym for training. I want to see how he reacts to her.”

“Should Gary or I come with you two? So she’s not alone while you train. What if he intended to kill her?”

Would he go that far? Why kill Sol? Nothing makes sense to me. We need more.

Shaking my head, I peer at the photo once again. “No, it would be too obvious.”

“Do you have anything else?” I jut my chin toward the stack of papers he has.

“A lot of these are duplicates.” He shuffles through them. “I have these. I’m not sure if they are important, but he’s been to Leo’s twice.”