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.”