Page 46 of The Rebel Billionaire

Charlie tried to move away from me. I wound my arm around her shoulders, tucking her into my side. She'd known Evers her entire life, but he was a little too volatilerightnow.

I wasn't letting Charlie get between us. I could feel her thinking, then she settled into my side.Smartgirl.

"I was walking home last night a little after eight thirty and someone jumped me in my front yard,"shesaid.

Her delivery was emotionless, as if she were describing something that had happened tosomeoneelse.

"He knocked me down and I hit on my side, face first. My shoulder and hip are bruised up, and he tore out a chunk of hair, but otherwise,I'mfine."

Evers stared at her for a long moment, considering, before he turned to me. "Where the fuckwereyou?"

Charlie cut in. "Fortunately for me, Lucas was sitting in his truck in his driveway. He saw the whole thing, and if I hadn't tripped in the front yard, he would've hadtheguy."

"I had him on the ground," I explained. "Charlie took off for the neighbor's house, but she went down and I couldn't see her. I didn't hear a shot, but I couldn't be sure. He could have hadbackup."

Charlie's cheeks were pink and her eyes on the floor when she said, "I tripped in a hole in the lawn. Stupid. It knocked the wind out of me so I couldn't tell Lucas I was okay. If I hadn't tripped, whoever jumped me wouldn't havegottenaway."

"But they did," Evers concluded. "And now we don't know if you have a stalker or if that was just a randomattack."

"Whoever it was, he had no interest in her purse or getting in the house. Her locks are shit, not that there's anything to steal," I said. "She needs motion sensor lights, sensors on all the basement and first-floor windows and doors, and a panic button, tostart."

"I know my job, Jackson." Evers sent me ascowl.

"Just helping out," I said with a grin. Unlike Charlie, Evers knew exactly who I was. He wouldn't fuck with me unless he had to. It probably wasn't smart to poke at him, but itwasfun.

"Do you want coffee, Evers?" Charlieoffered.

"Yeah, I'll take some coffee. And while we're getting it, you can explain why Lucas Jackson is in your house at the crack of dawn,Charlotte."

Charlie's spine went straight and her hands landed on her hips. She raised her chin and narrowed her ocean blue eyes onEvers.

"Don't you 'Charlotte' me, Evers Sinclair. It is not the crack of dawn. And I can have my neighbor over for coffee if I want to. It's none of your goddamn business. Sofuckingnosy."

Turning to me, she said, "They're the worst gossips. Tell one of these boys anything and the others know it five minuteslater."

"Hey," Evers protested. "I know how to keep things confidential, Charlie. We've never had aclient—"

"I wasn't talking about work, Evers, and you know it. I was talking about you Sinclair boys and the Winters boys and the way you all tell each other everything. Especially when things are none of yourbusiness."

I dropped my face to my coffee, hiding my amusement. Evers was honest enough not to arguewithher.

"Evers," she said, the teasing tone gone, "you can't tell anybodyaboutthis."

"Charlie, you know that's not going to happen." He shook his head at her. "You really think I'd keep something like this from Aiden? Or Cooper? Nofuckingway."

"Sinclair," I started, and when his eyes swung to me, they were hard andcalculating.

"What, Jackson? You don't want me to tell Aiden or Holden that you're banging theirsister?"

"Fuck you, Evers," Charlie said without heat, handing him his coffee. "This isn't any of theirbusiness."

"You and Jackson? Debatable. You getting jumped in your yard? That's definitely their business, and you know it. I didn't hear about this, so I'm assuming you didn't make a policereport."

"She made a report,"Isaid.

"Brennan?" Evers asked, approval in his eyes for thefirsttime.

Charlie looked between the two of us for a few seconds before awarenessdawned.