Part 3
"I don't know if I can do this," Charina moaned, leaning back in the car seat.
Her friend Kiki sat in the drivers' seat, tapping her nails on the steering wheel. "I don't know how he can be so blind. He must have known on some level."
Charina shrugged. She knew her younger brother better than Kiki. She knew how much Logan had loved Rose, and their baby Gloria. Gloria shouldn't even exist, but somehow she did.
"Rose has been gone over a week," Kiki said, turning off the car's engine. She shook her head sadly, raven curls bouncing lightly on her shoulders. "I guess I still can't believe she up and left."
Charina nodded in agreement, tugging nervously on her honey-blonde braid. It was dangerous enough for a lamia like Rose to love a human like Logan. Since they were both Daybreakers that had never bothered either of them. Rose had been thrilled to become pregnant. Now eight months after the baby had been born she'd run? It made no sense.
Logan had been in complete denial, he was convinced Rose would be coming back.
"Have we got *any* leads on her?" Kiki asked.
"No," Charina answered with a sigh. "We're looking. But so far we're at dead ends."
She didn't want to go into the apartment building they were sat outside. She didn't want to tell her favourite brother that his fiancé had skipped town. He'd be devastated.
"Somebody has to get him to listen." Kiki got out the door and closed the door behind her.
Charina followed. Delivering bad news was not something she was good at. Her face was too emotional, she just couldn't hide how she felt. She was immensely glad this wasn't something she had to do on a daily basis.
She spent most of her time working as a research agent for Circle Daybreak, translating runes and old scrolls, looking into ancient spells, things like that. Missing persons were totally out of her league. Since Logan was her brother she had insisted on taking this job. With a half breed baby, Circle Daybreak had been paying close attention to Logan and Rose.
Charina had a key to the apartment and let herself and Kiki in. Logan lay on the couch, a comedy show was on the TV. Charina's nose wrinkled with distaste as she recognised *Married* *with* *Children*.
"You're the last person I would have expected to find this crap funny," Kiki commented.
Logan looked up, yawning. "I'm not watching it, I'm just flipping channels." He deliberately picked up the remote and switched to the next channel up to prove his point, which was showing an old cowboy movie. "The baby's just gone to sleep."
"Any word from Rose?" Charina asked. She could still hold out the faint hope that maybe Rose had gotten in contact and they were wasting their time with the search. Deep in her heart she knew that wasn't going to happen, but couldn't bring herself to actually say it.
Logan sighed. "No."
"We can't find her," Charina said staring at the coffee table rather than look into Logan's azure eyes.
"What?"
"She's skipped town. We can't find her anywhere. She's cleared out her bank accounts."
Charina brought her chin up. Logan just stared at her blankly. "I don't understand."
"Neither do we," Kiki said, moving to his side and patting his arm sympathetically.
Charina stared at her in disbelief, at the seductive smile curving Kiki's rosebud lips. Her lashes were lowered, her head tilted to one side, her raven hair was spilling gracefully over one bare shoulder. Her tight fitting snake-skin print dress pushed her chest up and out and showed off long slender legs.
Was the only reason Kiki had come with her so she could *seduce* Logan? Jump in and get his attention while he was vulnerable? ~Some friend~ Charina thought angrily.
"She wouldn't do that!" Logan, to his credit, pushed Kiki aside. He had some sense at least. Kiki refused to give up, still trying to get hold of Logan's hand as he paced around angrily. "Why would Rose leave? She wouldn't just *go*. She was *taken*! Taken!"
Charina hadn't thought of that possibility. Could Rose have really been kidnapped? "I guess that could have happened."
"You guess," Logan said sourly, arms folding across his thin chest. "Then what did you come over here for?"
"To inform you, so you can help us look for her," Kiki said smoothly, still smiling.
Logan shook his head, somewhere between anger and disbelief.
"Just leave me alone." Logan turned and stalked off.
"What the *hell* is wrong with you?" Charina snapped furiously.
"Well he's going to need comfort while Rose is gone. She was the loser who ran out on him." Tossing her hair over her shoulders Kiki walked out the apartment after Logan.
Charina sighed. From somewhere in the apartment the baby started to cry. What a disaster.
* * *
"I don't know if I can do this," Charina moaned, leaning back in the car seat.
Her friend Kiki sat in the drivers' seat, tapping her nails on the steering wheel. "I don't know how he can be so blind. He must have known on some level."
Charina shrugged. She knew her younger brother better than Kiki. She knew how much Logan had loved Rose, and their baby Gloria. Gloria shouldn't even exist, but somehow she did.
"Rose has been gone over a week," Kiki said, turning off the car's engine. She shook her head sadly, raven curls bouncing lightly on her shoulders. "I guess I still can't believe she up and left."
Charina nodded in agreement, tugging nervously on her honey-blonde braid. It was dangerous enough for a lamia like Rose to love a human like Logan. Since they were both Daybreakers that had never bothered either of them. Rose had been thrilled to become pregnant. Now eight months after the baby had been born she'd run? It made no sense.
Logan had been in complete denial, he was convinced Rose would be coming back.
"Have we got *any* leads on her?" Kiki asked.
"No," Charina answered with a sigh. "We're looking. But so far we're at dead ends."
She didn't want to go into the apartment building they were sat outside. She didn't want to tell her favourite brother that his fiancé had skipped town. He'd be devastated.
"Somebody has to get him to listen." Kiki got out the door and closed the door behind her.
Charina followed. Delivering bad news was not something she was good at. Her face was too emotional, she just couldn't hide how she felt. She was immensely glad this wasn't something she had to do on a daily basis.
She spent most of her time working as a research agent for Circle Daybreak, translating runes and old scrolls, looking into ancient spells, things like that. Missing persons were totally out of her league. Since Logan was her brother she had insisted on taking this job. With a half breed baby, Circle Daybreak had been paying close attention to Logan and Rose.
Charina had a key to the apartment and let herself and Kiki in. Logan lay on the couch, a comedy show was on the TV. Charina's nose wrinkled with distaste as she recognised *Married* *with* *Children*.
"You're the last person I would have expected to find this crap funny," Kiki commented.
Logan looked up, yawning. "I'm not watching it, I'm just flipping channels." He deliberately picked up the remote and switched to the next channel up to prove his point, which was showing an old cowboy movie. "The baby's just gone to sleep."
"Any word from Rose?" Charina asked. She could still hold out the faint hope that maybe Rose had gotten in contact and they were wasting their time with the search. Deep in her heart she knew that wasn't going to happen, but couldn't bring herself to actually say it.
Logan sighed. "No."
"We can't find her," Charina said staring at the coffee table rather than look into Logan's azure eyes.
"What?"
"She's skipped town. We can't find her anywhere. She's cleared out her bank accounts."
Charina brought her chin up. Logan just stared at her blankly. "I don't understand."
"Neither do we," Kiki said, moving to his side and patting his arm sympathetically.
Charina stared at her in disbelief, at the seductive smile curving Kiki's rosebud lips. Her lashes were lowered, her head tilted to one side, her raven hair was spilling gracefully over one bare shoulder. Her tight fitting snake-skin print dress pushed her chest up and out and showed off long slender legs.
Was the only reason Kiki had come with her so she could *seduce* Logan? Jump in and get his attention while he was vulnerable? ~Some friend~ Charina thought angrily.
"She wouldn't do that!" Logan, to his credit, pushed Kiki aside. He had some sense at least. Kiki refused to give up, still trying to get hold of Logan's hand as he paced around angrily. "Why would Rose leave? She wouldn't just *go*. She was *taken*! Taken!"
Charina hadn't thought of that possibility. Could Rose have really been kidnapped? "I guess that could have happened."
"You guess," Logan said sourly, arms folding across his thin chest. "Then what did you come over here for?"
"To inform you, so you can help us look for her," Kiki said smoothly, still smiling.
Logan shook his head, somewhere between anger and disbelief.
"Just leave me alone." Logan turned and stalked off.
"What the *hell* is wrong with you?" Charina snapped furiously.
"Well he's going to need comfort while Rose is gone. She was the loser who ran out on him." Tossing her hair over her shoulders Kiki walked out the apartment after Logan.
Charina sighed. From somewhere in the apartment the baby started to cry. What a disaster.
* * *
