Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run

Clara glanced up at the sky, the last light fading. "Let's go."

They didn't stick to the main roads. Instead, the small group slipped through the Capital's back alleys, winding between shadows and silence.

Milo and Buddy moved ahead-one on each side-hugging the walls and sniffing every hidden corner. Clara always knew her dogs were smart, but tonight they seemed almost too clever, always finding the best cover and never making a sound, even when it felt perfectly safe.

Earlier, she'd let them sniff something of Aiden's. Now, Milo and Buddy were quietly leading the way, noses to the ground, focused and determined.

But they weren't heading toward the old manor like she expected. Instead, they veered away from the city lights, moving further out, toward quieter, emptier streets.

Clara frowned, leaning in to whisper to Kay, "If the old man wanted to punish someone, wouldn't locking them up at the manor be easier? No one would ever know. Why bring them all the way out here? Does the Ferguson family own another place out this way?"

In the darkness, Kay was practically invisible. If she didn't already know he was there, she might've lost track of him completely.

As usual, he said nothing.

Clara stopped walking. "Is this a setup for me?"

It made sense-using Aiden's location to draw her out. She couldn't get anywhere near Dylan; his security was impossible to break. So her only move was to go after Aiden, and the old man probably saw that coming from a mile away.

she couldn't back out now. Even if she was walking right into a trap, she had

won't be many people with Aiden. The old man doesn't know you know

and Charles knew how good she actually was. To everyone else, she was just some

more they underestimated her,

punishing people. Keeping Aiden away from the manor was probably to make sure Dylan

only about an hour's walk. Milo and Buddy

a cluster of villas-this wasn't the middle of nowhere. It was a wealthy neighborhood, filled with homes for

the Fergusons had a

stopped to sniff the air, then nudged Clara's leg before bolting

Kay paused outside one particular villa. This one was locked down tight -guards everywhere, at least a dozen men patrolling the

he sprang forward, barking loudly

sight of so many people, but

a few guards to

quiet-Milo clearly didn't care about their

those guards were distracted, Clara signaled Buddy. The rest of the men never saw it coming. Before they could even reach for their guns, Clara and Kay took them out, and Buddy tore

for keys and

open, the heavy,

led down into