Page 13 of Unravel Me

I squeeze my eyes shut. So Grandpa Angelo, the capo, the head of our family, is dead too? Uncle Anzo has gone crazy. Completely insane. He is killing all of us one after another.

"Please, Anzo. Don't do this," I hear my father's breaking voice.

"Pfft… I begged too," Anzo says coldly. "But you were deaf to my cries and my pleas. The time for punishment has come. The reckoning for your sins."

My entire body seems to shake like a leaf tossed about by the wind. I lean over the banister and see Anzo raising his gun.

The next moment, a shot rings out. But Anzo does not shoot his brother. He keeps his promise, I guess. The bullet tears through my dad’s head instead…

My parents are True Mates, which means—

The room fills with harsh light.

The energy coil connecting my parents' souls tears apart, killing my father a fraction of a second after my dad's body crashes to the floor in a splatter of vivid red blood.

I scream.

And scream.

And scream.

I scream even though I know that, since I was little, I was taught that in moments like this you must remain silent if you want to survive… Every child in the mafia is raised to know that when you hear gunfire, you run as far away as possible and keep what you saw a secret.

But I don't do that.

Maybe it was because I naively believed Uncle Anzo when he said he wouldn't hurt us, the innocent ones, his nephews.

As I would soon learn, Anzo lied.

CHAPTER 4: JARED

Present day

The next day, I leave at the first light of dawn, at four in the morning.

Just minutes before I leave, I stop by Tommy's crib one last time, reluctant to tear my eyes away from my son sleeping with his plump lips slightly parted, softly snoring. A sleeping child is the cutest sight any parent could see.

Alex stands beside me, still sleepy and rubbing his eyes, as I gently run my fingers through my son's silky curls.

"I'll come back to you, Tommy, I promise. And I believe I'll return with someone who can be a father to you, someone who can give you the love your own father never did."

Alex looks at me, his eyes studying me intently, as if he can see all the way into my soul.

I sigh and straighten up. Together, we leave Tommy's room. I'm about to turn toward the door leading to the driveway when Alex grabs my hand. His lips tremble slightly.

"Jared, I've been thinking about what Storm suggested… Maybe you should reconsider and take Veyron with you. I got to know him pretty well when we were kids. He’s a great guy, and he could help you. He used to work as a detective's assistant, so he’s good at poking around and finding things out. At least you wouldn't be alone."

"I don't want an alpha with me, Alex. I'm in preheat. It could end with me fucking Veyron instead of my True Mate," I mutter grimly.

Understanding flashes across Alex's face.

"Right. Shit. That's true. There's still the preheat. Wouldn't it be better to wait it out?"

"My preheat can last up to a week. And I want to… meet him. As soon as possible. I have to make this trip alone. Just… go there and let Fate guide me."

Alex suddenly seems to remember something. He raises a finger, then walks over to the kitchen cabinet and pulls out a small blister pack of pills.

"I have some kind of birth control here. It’s close to its expiration date, but just in case… you know, if things don’t go according to plan, maybe you should take one?"