Blood Between Us

The morning sun bathed the city in a warm golden glow as Ariana Reed drove through the familiar streets she hadn't seen in years.

Home.

The word still felt strange.

She had spent most of her career working in different cities, taking one difficult assignment after another. Returning here had never been part of her plan.

Yet somehow, she was back.

Ariana parked her car in front of the police headquarters and stepped out.

The building looked exactly the same.

The same grey walls.

The same entrance.

The same feeling she couldn't quite explain.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed the thought aside and walked inside.

The moment she entered, she frowned.

The station was unusually quiet.

No officers rushing around.

No conversations.

No chaos.

Just silence.

Ariana glanced around before approaching the reception desk.

A young officer immediately stood up.

"Good morning, ma'am."

"Morning."

The officer looked at her ID card and instantly straightened.

"Officer Ariana Reed?"

Ariana nodded.

"Where is everyone?"

The officer hesitated.

"Most of them are out, ma'am."

"Out where?"

"The serial murder case."

Ariana's expression sharpened.

"So the entire department is at the crime scene?"

"Not exactly. The investigation meeting was held earlier this morning."

"And nobody thought of informing me?"

The officer looked uncomfortable.

"Director Reed left instructions, ma'am."

The name alone was enough to make Ariana sigh.

"Of course he did."

The officer blinked.

"Ma'am?"

"Nothing. Continue."

"He asked us to send you directly to the crime scene after your arrival."

Ariana took the file he handed her.

"Location?"

"It's marked inside."

Without another word, she turned and walked away.

---

Twenty-five minutes later, Ariana stood behind yellow police tape.

The forest was eerily quiet.

Tall trees blocked most of the sunlight.

The air felt heavy.

The crime itself had happened the previous night.

The victim's body had already been taken away.

Most officers had left.

Only a few evidence markers remained scattered around the area.

Ariana slowly walked through the scene.

Her sharp eyes missed nothing.

The ground.

The broken branches.

The footprints.

The surrounding paths.

Every detail mattered.

She crouched beside one of the markers.

The killer had been careful.

Very careful.

This wasn't random.

This was planned.

Standing up, Ariana shifted her attention toward the nearby houses.

Witnesses.

Someone always saw something.

Maybe not the crime itself.

But a car.

A stranger.

A sound.

A mistake.

She started walking.

One house after another.

A few residents answered.

Most claimed they knew nothing.

Others were too frightened to speak.

After nearly twenty minutes, Ariana noticed a house standing slightly apart from the others.

Unlike the rest, it looked almost peaceful.

Beautiful flowers covered the front garden.

Green vines climbed the walls.

For a moment it felt completely disconnected from the horror hidden inside the forest nearby.

Ariana approached the entrance and knocked.

No response.

She knocked again.

A few seconds later, footsteps echoed from inside.

The door opened.

The man standing before her was unexpectedly handsome.

Tall.

Broad shoulders.

Dark hair.

Calm eyes.

For a second, Ariana found herself staring.

Then professionalism took over.

She held up her ID.

"CBI Officer Ariana Reed."

The man's gaze briefly fell on the badge before returning to her face.

A small smile appeared on his lips.

"That's quite an introduction."

"I'm investigating the murder that happened nearby."

His expression became serious.

"Come in."

Ariana hesitated for a moment before stepping inside.

The moment she entered, her eyes instinctively scanned the surroundings.

A habit.

A beautiful house.

Everything was neat and organized.

Large windows allowed sunlight to flood the living room.

Bookshelves lined one wall.

Several indoor plants decorated the corners.

Nothing seemed out of place.

Nothing suspicious.

The man noticed.

"You inspect every house like this?"

"I inspect everything like this."

His lips curved slightly.

"Remind me never to invite you to my birthday party."

Ariana almost smiled.

Almost.

"What were you doing last night?"

"Watching a movie."

"Alone?"

"Unfortunately."

She made a mental note.

"What time did you return home?"

"I didn't go anywhere."

"Can anyone confirm that?"

The man laughed softly.

"Officer Reed, are you questioning me or interrogating me?"

"Depends on your answers."

For a second, silence filled the room.

Then he extended his hand.

"Damien Carter."

This time Ariana looked at it before finally shaking his hand.

"Ariana Reed."

"Nice to meet you."

"We'll see."

Damien chuckled.

Interesting.

Most people became uncomfortable around investigators.

This man seemed entertained.

Before Ariana could ask another question, footsteps echoed from upstairs.

Both of them looked up.

He was slightly younger than Damien.

Equally handsome.

His eyes immediately landed on Ariana.

And stayed there.

For several seconds.

Ariana noticed.

Damien noticed too.

The younger man finally reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Hello."

Ariana nodded.

"Hello."

The young man quickly straightened.

"I'm Evan."

Damien rolled his eyes.

"That's your introduction?"

Evan ignored him completely.

His attention remained fixed on Ariana.

"I'm Evan Carter."

"Ariana Reed."

"A beautiful name."

Damien sighed dramatically.

"Oh, here we go."

Ariana raised an eyebrow.

"Does he flirt with every woman he meets?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"That's a lie."

"That's absolutely true."

For the first time since arriving, Ariana actually smiled.

A small one.

But both brothers noticed.

Evan looked completely captivated.

Damien simply watched quietly.

After asking a few more questions and receiving nothing useful, Ariana closed her notebook.

"I should leave."

Evan immediately looked disappointed.

"So soon?"

"Yes."

"That's unfortunate."

Damien shook his head.

"Ignore him."

Ariana moved toward the door.

"Thank you for your time."

"My pleasure, Officer Reed."

She stepped outside.

The cool breeze greeted her instantly.

As she walked back toward her car, her mind replayed the conversation.

Damien Carter.

Calm.

Observant.

Difficult to read.

And Evan Carter...

She almost laughed.

The man had practically forgotten how to blink.

Starting her engine, Ariana glanced once toward the house.Both brothers were still standing near the entrance.

Watching her leave.

Strange.

Something about them felt important.

She just couldn't figure out why.

With that thought lingering in her mind, Ariana drove back toward the police station.

Completely unaware that this was only the beginning.