Page 114

Andrew.

Stepping into the floodlight's glow.

His suit jacket is gone, his dress shirt rumpled, sleeves rolled up like he's been pacing, panicking. But it's the thing in his hand that makes my breath catch.

It's a crowbar.

He grips it tight, knuckles white, his entire body coiled with tension. His eyes dart between us, wild and unfocused, like a cornered animal deciding whether to fight or flee.

Liam steps forward instinctively, shifting ever so slightly in front of me. His posture is calm, but I can see the readiness in the way his shoulders tighten, the way his stance widens just enough to brace for impact.

"Andrew," Liam says, his voice smooth, steady. Slow. "Put the crowbar down."

Andrew lets out a sharp laugh, shaking his head. "Oh, sure. Right after I take a swing at you."

Ryan stiffens beside me, his hands balling into fists, but it's Dean who speaks first.

"What the hell is this?" Dean demands, stepping forward. "Why are you here?"

Andrew scoffs, dragging a hand down his face, his grip on the crowbar momentarily loosening before tightening again. "You think I want to be here? You think I had a choice?" His gaze flicks to Liam, and something ugly flashes across his face. "No, no. You did this. You put me in this position."

Liam's expression doesn't change. "I don't even know what the hell you're talking about."

Andrew exhales sharply, nostrils flaring. "Vanessa," he spits. "That's what I'm talking about. She's been using me, blackmailing me." His voice cracks slightly before he pulls himself together, dragging his free hand through his disheveled hair. "She had dirt on me, alright? She knew about some… financial issues I had. Nothing major, nothing illegal, just…" His voice quavers, and for a moment, he looks almost pathetic. "Just things I didn't want coming to light."

Ryan scoffs. "Oh, so your brilliant solution was to sell out my sister?"

Andrew's jaw clenches. "I didn't have a choice!"

"There's always a choice," Dean says coldly, arms crossing over his chest. "But you were too much of a coward to make the right one."

Andrew's eyes flash. "Oh, please spare me the righteous big-brother bullshit. Do you have any idea what it's like to be trapped? To have someone like her holding a noose over your head?" He gestures wildly, the crowbar nearly clipping a stack of plywood behind him. "You don't know what she's capable of."

Liam tilts his head, watching him carefully. "Why don't you enlighten us?"

Andrew lets out a bitter laugh, pacing a few steps. "She's been playing a long game, Carter. You weren't the only one she was dismantling. She was making sure the Bennetts were caught in the crossfire too. She figured if she could make Ava doubt you, if she could push her far enough, she'd ruin you through them." He exhales sharply, rolling his shoulders. "She had plans, alright? And if you think she's done, you're dead wrong."

A chill skates down my spine.

Liam doesn't blink. "And what exactly were your plans, Andrew?"

For the first time, Andrew hesitates. His fingers flex around the crowbar, his stance shifting.

Ryan takes a step closer. "Andrew." His voice is dark, edged with fury. "What the hell were you planning to do here tonight?"

Andrew swallows hard. "I—I thought I could fix it." He glances around, eyes darting like he's looking for an escape. "She sent me here to make sure Dean didn't find out about the files she has on him. She said she had leverage. That if things went south, I needed to—" He cuts himself off, shaking his head. "I don't know. Warn her, stop something?—"

Dean goes completely still. "What leverage?"

Andrew drags in a shaky breath, not answering.

Liam takes a step closer. "Andrew." His voice is razor sharp. "What leverage does Vanessa have on Dean?"

Andrew exhales harshly. "There were… discrepancies in some of the early permits for this site." His eyes dart to Dean. "Nothing you did, but things that could look bad if someone was motivated enough to spin them. Vanessa made sure she had the documentation lined up. She was going to use it?—"

"Son of a bitch," Ryan hisses.

Dean's jaw flexes, his entire body wound tight as a steel cable. "So that's what this was about," he mutters. "She was setting me up."