Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run

Charles leaned over from the passenger seat, grinning. "Sis, are you and your

boyfriend really that close? You have to check in with him every time you go out? I barely ever tell my brothers where I'm going-or when I'm coming back. I just do my own thing."

Clara felt her cheeks warm. She hadn't even realized she was doing it, but she had glanced back earlier and seen Dylan sitting by himself, looking so alone. The sight lingered in her mind.

She wished his world was always full of laughter and people, not so quiet-like he was always waiting for someone who never showed up. That lonely look on his face made her uncomfortable.

She kept her eyes on the road, already used to Charles's straightforward, almost childlike honesty. Other people thought he was a bit slow, but she never saw him that way. "Hey, want to come with me somewhere tonight?" she asked.

"Sure, wherever you go, I'll come along," Charles replied, sounding so sincere it pulled at her heart a little. She couldn't quite remember how they'd met, but being around him felt easy and safe.

Charles folded his arms and turned to the two dogs in the backseat. "You two better behave. If you make trouble, I'm never letting you ride in my sister's car again."

Milo and Buddy, both smart as ever, barked once and settled down instantly.

Clara drove them across town to Z's old place. The place was just a shell now, the remains of what used to be a home. A heavy rain a few days ago had washed away any lingering scents. If not, she might've let Milo and Buddy try to track something.

As they got out of the car, Charles looked around with his hands on his hips. "Someone actually lived here? This place is trashed. Why'd you bring us here?"

Clara walked ahead to where a gravestone used to stand. Last time she came, Z told her it was for his brother. Now, the grave was dug up-just an empty hole.

She glanced at Charles, not sure what he could do but hoping for something. "There was an accident here," she said quietly. "Someone I cared about died. I need to know who's behind it."

Charles crouched in the rubble, digging around. His hands came up black with soot. He gathered some powder and sniffed it. "Someone set off a bomb here. I don't know how things work in this country, but back in North America, you need permits and paperwork for this kind of stuff. Guns, sure, but explosives? That's a whole process. Usually, you just track down who bought the materials. But here, with all the online shopping, it's practically impossible to trace."

Clara crouched down next to him. "It'd have to be someone powerful to make something like this happen. Someone with connections in the city."noveldrama

Charles nodded. "So, who was it? The person who died?"

She hesitated, then said, "Someone important to me."

Charles rested his chin on his hand, frowning in thought. "A guy? I thought you liked Dylan. He's crazy about you, you know. People think I'm slow, but I see things. When you were out cold, he never left your side. Just stared at you like he could bring you back with his eyes. And honestly, he's got this vibe-like, don't mess with him."

Clara found herself smiling. She never expected to talk this much with Charles, or

to feel this comfortable around him. Somewhere along the way, she'd stopped seeing him as a kid.

She grinned. "What do you mean by 'don't mess with him'?"

Charles brushed off his hands, standing up with a little swagger. "You think he's spotless, right? Like he can do no wrong?"

"Yeah, I guess I do."

Even though Dylan had pushed her into things she wasn't ready for, she still pictured him as untouchable, above it all, almost out of reach.

Charles nudged the rubble with his foot. "Doesn't look that way to me. I ran into him once, back in North America. My oldest brother told me need

to steer clear. Honestly,

the warning-he just gave of this weird energy. Can't put my finger on it."

Clara watched Milo and Buddy sniffing around. "Can you get them to remember

the scents around here? I want to know who's been by recently."

"Might be tough," Charles said, calling the dogs over. "If they're not reacting, it means a ton of people have been here, but I'll have them try."

He clapped his hands, and Milo and Buddy came running. He gave their heads a

gentle pat. "Go on, try to remember everyone who's been here."

The dogs made a circuit around the ruins, sniffing everything, then barked and returned to Charles's side. They were so big and imposing-if you let them loose in the city, people would freak out.

Charles looked back at Clara. "Anything else you need to do here?"

Clara stared at the ruins, lost in memories of Z. She rubbed her forehead, her chest aching like someone was poking her heart with needles.

Charles broke the silence. "If the person who died was the one you loved, why don't you suspect Dylan? People do crazy things when they're jealous-take out the competition and all that."

"He's not that kind of person," Clara said softly.

Charles scratched his chin, thinking. "Hmm. Maybe. Hard to say."