Chapter Sixteen
Avery’s stomach dropped as Sheriff Chase stepped closer. Rain dripped from the brim of the sheriff’s hat, running down her jacket. Avery braced herself, certain the next words would confirm her worst fear.
That one of the hostages was dead.
“It’s Charlotte Barker,” the sheriff went on. “Her body was found in her car on the side of the road. Two gunshots to the head. Execution style.”
The words hit like a punch. Avery blinked, trying to make sense of them. Charlotte. Dead.
Noah groaned, low and guttural, then cursed under his breath. For a split second, Avery thought it was relief, that at least it wasn’t Megan or Riley. But the edge in his voice said otherwise.
“I need a word with all of you,” Noah insisted.
They went inside the hospital, the rain muffled as the door swung shut behind them. The hallway smelled of antiseptic and the rain. Isla, the sheriff, Avery, Jackson, and Noah stopped near the waiting area, their faces drawn tight with tension.
Noah turned to them, his expression grave. “Charlotte wasn’t just some grieving wife or Brotherhood loyalist,” he said. “She was my mole.”
Avery stared at him, stunned. “Your mole? You mean she was feeding you information?”
Noah nodded. “For years now. Every major move the Brotherhood made, she passed through one of my handlers. She wanted Mick out. Wanted to stop what Haver was building from prison.”
Avery couldn’t wrap her mind around that. Charlotte Barker—informant, not just enemy. Everything she thought she knew about the woman shattered in an instant.
And now Charlotte was dead.
Avery could still hear the rain drumming faintly against the hospital windows as Noah spoke. His voice was low, steady, but she could tell it cost him something to say the words.
“After Haver went to prison, Charlotte came to me,” he said. “She knew what her husband was doing. Even from behind bars, Haver was grooming Mick to take over. She didn’t want that life for him. Too dangerous. She thought he’d end up in jail or dead.”
Avery tried to picture Charlotte that way, afraid for her son instead of controlling him. It didn’t fit with the woman she’d seen outside Warren’s house, calm and sharp-eyed even while Darian loomed behind her.
“Charlotte started feeding us and Sheriff Chase some intel,” Noah went on.
“Nothing that would expose her, but enough to keep us a few steps ahead of the Brotherhood. She stopped robberies, assassinations, and an attack that would have killed half a dozen civilians. She played both sides and she played them well.”
Avery shook her head slowly. “You’re saying she was risking her life for this?”
Noah nodded. “Every time she passed us information, she knew what would happen if Haver or Darian found out.”
Avery exhaled, a knot tightening in her chest. “And now she’s dead.”
“Yeah,” Noah said quietly. “Which means someone found out.”
Avery looked toward Jackson. His expression was hard, focused, but his eyes flicked toward her, the silent understanding clear between them.
Charlotte Barker had been fighting her own war all along. And whoever had killed her wasn’t just cleaning up loose ends.
They were sending a message.
After all, they’d left her body so it would be found. So that Avery would learn that she was dead.
“So Charlotte knew,” Jackson said. “She knew for a fact that it was Warren who ratted Avery out.”
Noah nodded. “She did. But it isn’t as black and white as it looks.”
Avery’s pulse quickened. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Warren was angry,” Noah said. “Your rejection cut deep, and Haver used that. During their conversations, Haver convinced him you’d ruined everything for the Brotherhood and for him. Warren was easy to manipulate, and when Haver promised him a payout, he took the deal.”
Avery felt a wave of nausea roll through her. “He sold me out for money?”
“Money and ego,” Noah said. “But Charlotte told me that wasn’t the end of it. Warren came to her not long afterward. He told her he regretted what he’d done. Said he didn’t know how bad things would get once your identity got out. He wanted her to call off the Brotherhood.”
Avery swallowed hard. “And?”
“She told him that was impossible,” Noah said quietly. “Once Haver put things in motion, there was no stopping it.”
Avery sank onto a nearby chair, the truth heavy in her chest. Warren’s betrayal, Charlotte’s secret work, Haver’s reach. It all connected in ways she hadn’t seen before.
And now, with Charlotte dead, Haver’s plan had just taken another turn.
Or had it?
“Was this actually Haver’s plan?” Avery asked. “Is he truly calling the shots or is Darian, Mick or even Warren?”
“We don’t know,” the sheriff answered. “It might have been all BS with Warren telling Charlotte he regretted ratting you out. In fact, Haver could have turned over the reins of the Brotherhood to Warren.”
Noah made a sound of agreement. “There’s some speculation that Haver is not happy with the way Darian is doing things. Warren and Haver might have arranged a coup of sorts. Kill Charlotte. Next up is Mick and Darian, and then Warren steps up as leader.”
Jackson crossed his arms, his expression sharp and focused. “Is there any proof that Warren’s behind the attacks or the kidnapping?” he asked.
Noah shook his head. “No. Not yet. Everything we have is circumstantial.”
Avery frowned. “So it could still be Darian.”
“It could,” Noah said. “Or Mick. We can’t rule either of them out.”
Noah’s tone stayed calm, but there was something in his eyes—a wariness that said he’d seen too many lies to take anything at face value.
“Charlotte never gave me details about her son, but I could read between the lines. She said he was playing both sides of the fence. That his hatred for the Brotherhood wasn’t as clean as he made it sound. ”
Avery’s stomach tightened. “You mean he might still be part of it?”
“Or trying to be,” Noah said. “Charlotte thought the whole ‘I loved Melissa, and the Brotherhood killed her’ story might be a cover. A convenient excuse to gain sympathy and position himself for power later.”
Jackson swore under his breath. “So what we have is a vengeful boss, a manipulative sociopath, and a kid who might be the next one in line to lead the Brotherhood.”
“Pretty much,” Noah said quietly.
Avery rubbed her temples. “Then we don’t know who’s pulling the strings.”
Noah looked at her. “Not yet. But we will.”
His voice was steady, certain. But Avery couldn’t shake the dread curling in her gut. Whoever was behind this wasn’t just pulling strings. They were cutting them, one by one.
Noah ran a hand over the back of his neck, the lines around his eyes deepening. “I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you sooner about Charlotte being a mole,” he said. “It was part of her agreement with Sheriff Chase and me. She made it clear that if anyone else found out, she’d walk away.”
Avery nodded, though her chest felt tight. She understood why Noah had kept it quiet, but it still stung.
Before she could say anything, Noah’s phone buzzed. He looked down, his face tightening as he read the message. “Damn it,” he muttered.
Jackson straightened. “What now?”
“Cal just texted,” Noah said. “He and Garrett spotted two suspicious men trying to come through the hospital’s back exit. Cal could tell they were carrying concealed.”
Avery’s pulse kicked up. “What happened?”
“They took off the second Cal and Garrett saw them,” Noah explained. He shoved his phone back into his pocket, his voice going hard. “Maybe they were just casing the place. Or maybe the Brotherhood sent them to finish the job.”
Avery didn’t need him to explain. Mick was inside the hospital under guard, but that didn’t mean he was safe.
Neither were they.
Noah’s gaze settled on her, steady and firm. “Avery, Jackson,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. “I want you two back at the compound. Headquarters…or better yet, Jackson’s safehouse where you can get some rest.”
Avery opened her mouth to protest, but Noah raised a hand.
“That’s not a request. Cal and Garrett can handle things here.
You’ve both been running on fumes, and I need you sharp when the next move comes.
Added to that, you’re on medical leave,” he reminded Jackson.
“I didn’t stop you from going to the op today, but I sure as hell should have.
With you not being a hundred percent, I could have gotten you killed. ”
“I had to go on that op,” Jackson insisted.
“Yeah, I know,” Noah verified, “and that’s why you went. But that doesn’t mean it was the smart thing to do. Now, go home. Rest. And for God’s sake, take something for the pain. I can see it etched all over your face.”
Avery could see it, too, and she silently cursed herself for Jackson being pushed to the limits of his injured body. Still, she couldn’t have stopped him from going on that op. No one could have.
Jackson nodded, though Avery could tell he wasn’t thrilled about leaving either.
“You think the kidnappers will reach out again soon?” Avery asked.
Noah’s expression darkened. “Yeah. I do. They’ve been too quiet. It won’t stay that way for long.”
Avery looked toward the hospital hallway where officers stood guard. “What about Mick?”
“I’ll keep security on him,” Noah said. “If the Brotherhood wants him dead, they’ll have to go through me first.”
Avery exchanged a look with Jackson, and he gave her a small nod. She knew what that meant. For now, they’d follow orders. But neither of them was planning on standing down for long.
Noah’s voice softened a fraction. “Go get some rest. I have a feeling the next time the kidnappers call, it’s going to be bad.”
Avery swallowed hard and followed Jackson toward the door. She could feel it, too. Something coming, close and dark. And whatever it was, it would hit before they were ready.
She hesitated when Noah repeated the order for them to leave. Every instinct told her to stay, to try to talk to Mick again while they still could. He might hold the one piece of information that could lead them to the hostages. Or to whoever had killed Charlotte.