Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run

A flicker of alarm shot through Clara as she spun on her heel and headed straight for her car.

She'd barely been on the road ten minutes before she caught sight of not one, but several cars tailing her in the rearview mirror-just as she'd suspected.

The old lady's funeral was over, Dylan had already forgotten about her again, and now, in the old man's eyes, there was nothing holding him back. He could do whatever he wanted.

Clara's hands tightened around the steering wheel, her eyes fixed ahead, calm but alert.

There was no way the old man hadn't gone all out this time. Escaping wouldn't be a walk in the park.

She pulled out her phone and dialed Charles.

He answered, his voice still heavy with sleep. "What's up?"

"Charlie, I need you to track my location and come pick me up. Now."

Charles woke up instantly. He didn't waste time asking questions-just grabbed his jacket and was out the door.

Clara watched the city blur past, buildings and streetlights melting away behind her. Maybe it was her nerves, but she swore she could hear the tick-tock of a clock somewhere, counting down.

Her heart skipped. Just then, her car rolled onto a bridge. She took a deep breath, yanked open the door, and went for it.

Right before the car smashed through the guardrail, she pulled a sharp turn, and in that split second, dove off the bridge.

Water closed over her head, cold and overwhelming. Even before she surfaced, she heard the explosion echoing above.

The cars following her had never tried to overtake, never tried to box her in. Their plan was obvious now-they just needed her to stay in the car. The bomb must have been planted last night.

She didn't dare come up for air. Instead, she let the current pull her along, swimming downstream as fast as her strength allowed.

She had no idea how long she fought the water before finally dragging herself

onto the riverbank, shivering and gasping for breath.

Spring nights were still cold; the water made it worse. Clara wiped the droplets off her face, didn't dare rest, and hurried toward the road.

She had no idea how quickly her pursuers would catch up.

As she walked, she fished out her phone and gave it a shake. The screen stayed black-completely dead. No calls for help.

Still, she trusted Charles. He'd find her. He always did. And with his two

bloodhounds, they could sniff her out from miles away.

Clara crouched in a hidden spot by the side of the road, waiting.

But then, the distant thump of

helicopter blades reached her ears—not Charles. Her heart jumped. She scanned her surroundings, made sure she wasn't visible from above, and finally let herself breathe.

A car appeared down the road, rolling to a stop right in front of her.noveldrama

She thought it would just keep

going, but instead, the window

slid

down to reveal a man with strikingly handsome, almost dramatico

features. The kind of guy who

looked like he broke hearts for fun.

He flashed her a roguish grin, tapped the horn twice. "Hey, beautiful. Out here alone? Need a ride?"

Clara heard more helicopters getting closer. If she stayed put, she'd be found in minutes. The old man had sent half the city after her; even if Charles showed up, it would be a full-on fight.

Without hesitating, she got up, yanked open the car door, and slid into the passenger seat.

The man blinked, clearly surprised by how fast she decided. After a moment, he

hit the gas and glanced over. "Not worried I might be trouble?"

She leaned back, letting herself breathe for a moment, mind racing through her dwindling options.

When the old man made a move, he never left room for error. He'd make sure she disappeared before Dylan even realized something was wrong.

She took a steadying breath. After weighing her options, there was really only one place left-Dylan's Palm Bay.

She scrolled through her contacts and called Aiden.

"Aiden, is Palm Bay still off-limits to me?"

Last time, Dylan had Aiden kick her out. But she'd brought him dinner for a few days since then-maybe that had softened him up.

Truthfully, she never could tell if Aiden genuinely disliked her, or if he was just following orders.