Chapter 104

ASHER

I stood by the window, staring out at the skyline as I processed Spencer’s call. He hadn’t minced words: Isabella had just received news that Dominic’s remains had been found. A bone. Identified by the police. Dominic’s mother had delivered the news, and now Isabella knew her ex-husband wasn’t just missing—he was dead.

Jax was pacing again, his hands clenched into tight fists. I could feel the anxiety rolling off him, palpable in every step.

"How the hell did this happen?" Jax’s voice cracked, his panic no longer concealed. "We weren’t supposed to leave anything behind! Now they’ve got a bone, Asher. A bone!"

Knox was quieter, his arms crossed over his chest, brows furrowed in deep concentration. His agitation simmered just beneath the surface, but as usual, he was waiting to speak until he had more to say.

I inhaled deeply, trying to project the calm I always did. "This changes things, yes, but it doesn’t mean we’re in trouble. They found one bone. They’ll see this as a missing person turning into a confirmed death, but they have no reason to trace it back to us."

Jax turned on me, eyes wide with disbelief. "No reason? We killed him, Asher! If they start digging, who knows what else they’ll find. Isabella—" He stopped, swallowing hard, then continued. "She’ll be questioned. She’ll be at the center of this. She was his wife."

"Ex-wife," I corrected calmly. "They’ll question her, yes, but they won’t be looking for her involvement in his death. Right now, the police will see her as a victim in all this. Dominic was missing, now he’s presumed dead. Their focus will be on how he died, not on who killed him. And we have plausible deniability."

Knox spoke up at last, his voice cool but tinged with urgency. "But that’s what worries us, isn’t it? They’ll look to her for answers, and if they press too hard…"

Jax cut in, his panic edging back into his tone. "If they press too hard, Asher, she’ll start to ask questions. Questions we can’t answer without revealing the truth."

I met both of their gazes, my mind racing through every possibility. I’d anticipated this—planned for it—but that didn’t mean I could predict every move the police would make. They were right to worry about Isabella, and the fact that Dominic’s remains had surfaced made things more complicated.

"Isabella knows Dominic is dead now," I began, my voice firm. "But the police won’t jump to conclusions. They’ll treat it as a death, maybe foul play, maybe something else. But I’ll handle it. I’ll be her official partner on record. They’ll see me as the stable figure in her life, the father of her child. And when they come knocking, I’ll be the one they deal with."

Jax let out a long, shaky breath. "But what about Isabella? She’s already shaken up by the news. What if they come at her with more questions?"

"They will come," Knox said, his tone a bit grim. "That’s inevitable."

"Which is why we control the narrative," I said, glancing between the two of them. "We need to make sure Isabella is shielded from all this. She doesn’t need to know more than what the police tell her. I’ll be the one to stand between her and any suspicion. The key is keeping her calm and focused on the pregnancy, on our future."

Jax ran a hand through his hair, frustration and worry etched into his face. "She’ll be devastated if she ever finds out we were behind Dominic’s death."

"She won’t find out," I said firmly. "We’ve covered our tracks. The police have no reason to look our way. And as far as Isabella knows, Dominic’s death was a tragic outcome that had nothing to do with us. That’s how it stays."

Jax shook his head, still visibly tense. "I just don’t like the idea of lying to her. She deserves the truth."

"I know," I said softly, understanding his conflict. "But the truth is a dangerous thing right now. We need to protect her, and sometimes that means keeping things from her that could hurt her—or all of us. We’re doing this to protect her and our future with her."

Knox finally moved, stepping forward. "We’ll stay vigilant. Keep the story straight and make sure the police don’t stray too far. But Asher’s right. We handle this carefully, and we shield Isabella from anything that could put her at risk."

Jax sighed, still uneasy but resigned to the reality we faced. "Okay. But I’m not going to be comfortable until this is all behind us."

"Neither will I," I admitted. "But for now, we stay calm. We let the police do their job, and we keep Isabella safe. She’s what matters most. Everything else is just a distraction."

Jax nodded slowly, still troubled but trusting in the plan. Knox’s gaze was steady, though I could tell his mind was already working through the next steps, the next possible moves we’d have to make.

As for me, I would do whatever it took to keep our world intact. Isabella would never know what we’d done to protect her.

ISABELLA

I sat on the couch, staring blankly at the TV. My mind was spinning in a hundred different directions, but none of it made sense. Dominic was really gone. Dead. I hadn’t thought about him in ages, but now... knowing he was truly gone forever... it didn’t feel real.

The door to the penthouse clicked open, and I knew the boys were back. I didn’t turn to greet them, though. I wasn’t sure I had the energy.

Asher, Knox, and Jax walked in, their footsteps careful, almost too soft. As if they were worried I might shatter if they came too close.

Asher was the first to speak, his voice gentle but firm. "Isa, how are you feeling?"

I blinked, shaking off the numbness that had settled over me. "I... I don't know."

They all sat down around me, Jax settling beside me and pulling me gently into his side. Knox took the chair across from me, his eyes serious but filled with concern. Asher remained standing for a moment before taking a seat, his gaze fixed on mine.

"It must be a lot to take in," Knox said, leaning forward. "Finding out about Dominic like this. We know it’s hard."

I nodded, but I didn’t have the words to explain how I felt. It wasn’t just sadness. It was more than that. It was confusion, guilt... maybe even some relief. And that made me feel even worse.

"I just..." I hesitated, not sure where to start. "I didn’t expect this. I thought he’d just... disappeared. And now, knowing he’s dead, I feel like... I don’t know what I feel."

Jax rubbed my back in slow, comforting circles, his warmth grounding me. "It’s okay, Isa. You don’t have to know right now. It’s a lot to process."

Asher’s eyes darkened with a seriousness I hadn’t seen from him in a while. "You don’t have to go through this alone. We’re here, no matter what."

I looked up at him, my chest tight. "But it’s so complicated. Dominic... we weren’t in a good place when he left. I was angry at him, and part of me was glad when he disappeared. I felt like I was finally free. And now I feel... guilty. I didn’t want him dead."

Knox’s expression softened, and he leaned forward even more. "You didn’t cause this, Isa. His death isn’t on you."

"I know that," I said, but even as I said it, the guilt lingered. "But I can’t help but wonder... what if I had done something different? What if we’d worked it out?"

Asher, who had been quietly watching me, finally spoke, his voice firm but kind. "Isa, you can’t do that to yourself. You were in an unhealthy relationship with him. You did what you needed to do for yourself, and that’s not something to regret. Dominic’s choices led him down his path. None of this is your fault."

I nodded slowly, though his words didn’t immediately make the heaviness go away. "I just... it’s so final. He was such a big part of my life, even if it wasn’t good. And now... I don’t know how to feel."

Jax pulled me closer, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. "Feel whatever you need to feel, Isa. There’s no right or wrong way to handle this."

A lump formed in my throat, and I leaned into Jax’s warmth, grateful for his steady presence. "Thank you. I just... I’m sorry if I’m not making sense."

"You’re making perfect sense," Knox said, his voice full of understanding. "Grief is messy. Just let it come, however it comes. We’ll be here with you."

Tears stung my eyes, and I blinked them away, not wanting to fall apart in front of them. But the truth was, I felt so overwhelmed by everything—Dominic’s death, the baby, the pregnancy... and now this strange mix of emotions I didn’t know how to handle.

Asher stood up and crossed the room, kneeling in front of me. He took my hands in his, his gaze steady and full of care. "Isa, we’re here for you, always. You’re not going through this alone. If you need time, take it. If you need to talk, we’ll listen. Whatever you need, we’re here."

I exhaled shakily, nodding as I squeezed his hands. "I don’t know what I’d do without you guys."

"You won’t have to find out," Jax whispered against my hair. "You’re stuck with us."

A small smile tugged at my lips despite the sadness still weighing me down. "Good," I said softly. "Because I don’t want to do this without you."

Knox leaned back, a faint smile on his face as well. "You won’t have to. We’ve got you, Isa. Always."

In that moment, surrounded by their strength and love, I realized I didn’t have to carry this weight alone. No matter how hard it got, I knew they’d be there, helping me every step of the way. And that, at least, gave me some peace in the storm of emotions swirling inside me.