Page 128 of When He Plays

“She’s guilty,” Jezebel announced flatly.

Guilty of stealing my heart, hell, yes, Charlotte is⁠—

“Freya,” Jezebel elaborated.

Instantly, his stare was on Jezebel once again. “Excuse me?” Maybe he’d misheard.

But her stare was knowing. “Drop the pretense. I am aware that you’ve suspected her involvement for quite some time. But since your grandmother was friends with her for so long, you didn’t want to act without total proof. I can understand that.” A considering nod. “But you stopped allowing Freya to visit your grandmother last year. Clearly a a sign that you believed Freya was a threat.”

“My grandmother is very fragile.” He had bodyguards and nurses with his grandmother all the time. He provided her with the best possible care and protection. He gave her everything she needed. “She can’t handle additional strains.”

“Like the strain of knowing one of her oldest friends killed her son?”

Logan did not let his expression change. “Stay out of this, Jezebel.”

“Why? So you can have Freya’s blood on your hands?”

Yes.

“You took care of a problem for me, and now I’m taking care of one for you. As of thirty minutes ago, Freya is in the custody of the Las Vegas PD. Detective Reece handled the arrest. She caught Freya right before she could board a nonstop flight bound to Puerto Vallarta.”

His hands flew out of his pockets. He surged toward her.

“She’s being charged with the murder of Adam Sterling and his wife Patricia.”

His breath shuddered out. “You don’t have evidence to hold her.”

“I do, actually. Turns out, her first husband Vance? He has decided that a guilty conscience is just not something he can live with. He turned on her. Implicated himself in the process because he helped her hide the murder weapon so long ago, but he understands that there is often a price that must be paid for doing the right thing.”

“How. The. Fuck. Did. You. Know?”

“Know that you wanted revenge?” Her head tilted to the left. The gold hoops in her ear lobes bounced. “It was easy enough to discern. Turns out, you and I are alike in many ways. You knew what I wanted. I knew what you wanted.”

You wanted me to kill your niece’s murderer, Jezebel.

“Logan, you helped me when you agreed to allow Charlotte to work undercover in your world. I appreciated your cooperation. The least I could do was pay you back for that debt.”

His back teeth ground together. “I was going to handle Freya.”

“Betrayal is one of the worst sins out there, isn’t it? For years, you thought she was helping you. And helping your grandmother. But when you began to suspect the truth, it became like a poison in your veins.”

Yes.

“Killing someone you once cared about? That act leaves a very deep mark, believe me.” Her dark stare held his gaze. “I owe you this. She’s going away. She will not get out.”

“I want to see her.”

“Of course. I expected nothing less. Go see her. Tell her to burn in hell. Then walk away and forget her. You don’t need fury and bitterness dragging you down every single day.” Her lashes flickered. “Trust me. That gets old. Bury Freya.”

Yeah, he’d damn well intended to do just that⁠—

“And walk away. You have a future waiting.”

Behind Jezebel, the hospital door opened. Charlotte stepped out.

“Let the future matter more than the past,” Jezebel urged him. “Do it before it’s too late.”

Charlotte saw him. A wide smile swept over her face, and she rushed toward him with her arms extended.