He shook his head, his gaze locked on the approaching lights down the drive. “I can’t. I need to deal with Charlotte and Darian first.”
She leaned out the open door, rain pelting her face. “You can’t take them on by yourself!”
“I don’t have a choice,” he said. “I’m not dragging Warren into that SUV with us, and I can’t leave him here alone. If they came to execute him, I need to keep him alive long enough to find out why.”
“Jackson—”
He cut her off with a sharp look. “Avery, get in the SUV.” His voice dropped, calm but commanding. He handed her the keys. “Start the engine and be ready to move. If this turns into a fight, you get the hell out of here. Understand?”
Avery hesitated, her throat tightening. Every part of her wanted to argue, but the look in his eyes told her not to waste time.
She nodded once, hard, and climbed fully into the SUV. Her hands were slick with rain as she shoved the key into the ignition. The engine came to life with a deep growl that filled the night.
Through the windshield, she saw the glare of headlights breaking through the rain. A dark van was coming fast, the beam cutting across the wet road.
A sick feeling settled in her stomach. Whoever was inside had definitely seen her.
Avery tightened her grip on the steering wheel, her heart hammering. Jackson was still out there, standing between her and whatever threat was about to hit them head-on. She kept the engine running, her hands trembling on the wheel. The low rumble filled the air, steady and ready. She kept her gun close, resting it on her thigh, but she had no intention of driving off. Not without Jackson.
Through the rain-streaked windshield, she could see him hurrying back to the porch where Warren hovered near the door.
Warren’s face was pale, his eyes wide with panic. “I can’t be out here,” he said, voice cracking. “They’ll kill me!”
He tried to move back toward the house, but Jackson stepped in front of him. “Stay put,” Jackson said, his tone like steel. Avery could tell he wasn’t taking any chances on Warren grabbing a weapon or pulling something stupid.
Avery’s pulse pounded as she glanced toward the drive. The glow of headlights grew brighter through the sheets of rain until the dark shape of a van came into view. It slowed, then stopped behind the SUV, close enough for her to make out the driver.
Darian Locke.
Even through the rain, she recognized his sharp features, that cold focus that had made him so dangerous.
The passenger door opened, and Charlotte stepped out. She was calm, too calm, like someone arriving for a meeting instead of a confrontation.
No weapon in sight.
She carried an umbrella, holding it with both hands as she walked toward the house, her steps slow and deliberate. The black fabric gleamed under the rain, and for a moment, Avery couldn’t shake the thought that it looked less like protection andmore like a prop for whatever trap Charlotte planned to spring next.
Avery’s grip tightened on the gun. Every instinct she had screamed that the umbrella wasn’t just an umbrella.
And she knew Jackson was thinking the same thing.
Charlotte came closer, stopping just short of the porch steps. Rain slid off her umbrella in a steady curtain, pooling at her feet. She lifted her chin and smiled, her voice smooth and polite.
“Warren,” she said, as if greeting an old friend. “It’s good to see you again.”
Avery’s pulse jumped. Again.
Charlotte tilted her head, still smiling. “I should probably apologize for using an alias the last time I saw you. I didn’t think it was a good idea to give you my real name. I’m sure you understand.”
Avery stayed low in the SUV, watching through the rain-streaked window. She wasn’t sure she believed Charlotte’s little apology for a second. It sounded too neat, too rehearsed. Maybe Charlotte was giving Warren an out in front of Jackson. Maybe Warren had known exactly who she was back then and had gone along with it.
Her stomach twisted at the thought. Warren had sworn he didn’t sell her out, but his reaction now told a different story. He looked frozen, his mouth working but no words coming out, and his eyes wouldn’t meet Charlotte’s.
Charlotte’s gaze shifted, her eyes drifting toward the SUV. Even through the rain, Avery could feel the weight of it.
“So,” Charlotte said, her voice smooth and cold, “Avery’s alive.”
The words slid through the air like a blade. It wasn’t surprise in her tone. It was a threat.