Jackson’s snarl cut through the rain. “What the fuck do you want?”
Charlotte’s smile didn’t waver. “I only want to have a word with the woman responsible for locking my husband away.”
The fury hit Avery like a punch. She gripped the steering wheel until her fingers ached, her jaw tight as memories flooded in. Haver Barker’s face. The sound of the gunshot. Evan falling.
Her heart pounded so hard she thought she might be sick. Every part of her wanted to throw the door open and face Charlotte head-on, to remind her that her husband wasn’t the victim here. Evan had been.
But she couldn’t.
She forced herself to stay still, to breathe. If she stepped out now, Darian could take the shot, and Jackson would have no choice but to fire back. One spark, and the whole thing would explode into blood and chaos.
So she stayed put, trembling with anger she couldn’t release.
Charlotte’s voice carried easily over the rain, calm and cruel. Avery could almost feel her smile, satisfied and sure she had the upper hand.
Not for long, Avery thought. Not if she could help it.
Jackson’s voice was tight as a wire. “Did you put a tracker on her?”
Charlotte tilted her head, the rain beading on her umbrella. “No. I didn’t get a chance to do that.”
Avery felt the chill of those words more than the rain. Jackson’s eyes bored into Charlotte, not trusting for a second.
Charlotte’s smile stayed, slow and confident. “I had my son followed,” she said. “Mick led us here.”
Jackson’s jaw worked. “You wanted him to lead you here so you could kill him?”
For a heartbeat Charlotte looked almost surprised at the claim, as if she’d never heard it before. Then the smile returned, but it had a different edge now.
“No,” she replied, voice smooth. “I don’t want him dead. I want him to do his duty to the organization. The Brotherhood is his legacy.”
Avery watched Jackson, felt the tension in his shoulders, the way his fingers curled on the weapon. She wanted to believe Charlotte was bluffing. She wanted to believe Mick had tricked them and he was safe. But Charlotte’s calm certainty made that hope feel like a child’s toy, fragile and easily broken.
Jackson’s tone hardened. “A legacy he clearly doesn’t want.”
Charlotte’s eyes flickered, but her smile never slipped.
“And you had someone shoot at him,” Jackson added, his voice cutting through the rain.
Charlotte gave a soft laugh, tilting her head just slightly. “I didn’t do any such thing.”
Avery could almost hear the lie in her voice.
“And the grenades?” Jackson pressed. “The ones that leveled my house and nearly killed us both?”
Charlotte’s lips curved again, but it wasn’t amusement. It was arrogance. “That wasn’t me either,” she said lightly. “You know how stories get twisted.”
Avery’s stomach turned. The woman’s tone told her everything she needed to know. Charlotte was lying. She had ordered the attack. She just didn’t care enough to deny it convincingly.
Jackson huffed, his patience clearly running out. “If you’re not gunning for us, then why show up here? You could have had this conversation with Avery over the phone.”
Charlotte shifted the umbrella slightly, her gaze sliding back to the SUV where Avery sat. “Because I wanted to do it face to face,” she said.
The words sent a shiver through Avery. They weren’t an invitation. They were a warning.
Charlotte hesitated, her smile faltering for the first time. She gave a quick, nervous glance over her shoulder toward the van where Darian still sat behind the wheel. When she turned back, her tone was softer, almost weary.
“There are things beyond my control,” she said.
