The conference room door clicked shut behind me and Victor's voice dropped like a death sentence.
"Boys, we have no choice. Avery dies tonight. For pack honor."
My blood turned to ice. I stood frozen near the long mahogany table while Victor faced his sons under the low hanging lights. The air felt thick enough to choke on. Jax sat at the far end, golden eyes snapping wide, still pale from the transfusion but alert. Damien stood closest to me, shoulders rigid in his dark shirt.
Damien spoke first, voice low and sharp. "What the hell did you just say, Father?"
Victor didn't blink. "You heard me. The girl is a liability now. Her mother stole ten million from our vault and vanished. Left Avery here as collateral like some cheap marker. Word is spreading fast. The packs see weakness. Dari
