Page 120 of Runaway Hearts: Seduced by Danger

Feral? Me? What an unusual thought.

Kai’s fingers linger for another heartbeat before he steps back, wiping his bloody knuckles on his jeans.

The clicks of guns being cocked resound next to us. A red dot appears on Kai’s chest. Then, a low whistle.

And that’s when everything goes black.

Chapter 24

The Beach House

Adull ache pulls me back to consciousness. My head throbs and my fingers twitch against the coarse texture of whatever I’m lying on. My senses slowly come back to life.

“Kai?”

No answer.

Groaning, I blink, trying to focus my vision. I’m still on the third floor of the parking lot, lying on a rough concrete floor. The sensation in my body is familiar. I was drugged. Chloroformed? And Kai...

“Where are you?”

Still no reply. Kai was taken. No! I close my eyes and exhale, dusting myself off.

Shadows never move alone; I should’ve known better. Vancouver was a trap. I told Kai it was a trap. He didn’t listen. And now, I’m sitting on the hard floor, alone and a bit angry he refused to play it safe.

I struggle to sit up, my body protesting every movement. My heart gallops in my chest. Panic fights to set in but is pushed back by something more profound—curiosity.

What now?

A thick liquid tickles my arm.

Blood.

Kai’s blood smeared red across my skin. I wipe it away, my hands trembling. Kai should be here. The shadows took him. My breath comes in shallow gasps as the setting sun throws its last rays at me in the parking lot.

Memories of the ambush flood back, piecing together like a grim jigsaw puzzle. The deafening screech of tires in the background, the menacing click of guns being cocked, and then darkness enveloping me.

I press my trembling palm against the ground, willing my body to move despite the pain. My muscles scream in protest, but I manage to stand, wincing at the sharp ache shooting through my arms.

“Ah…”

A tremor in my chest tells me I’m on the verge of tears. My lower lips languish, and I take in a shuddering breath. My head spins.

I must move, find cover, and reassess my situation.

Did they kill Kai?

Why did they leave me behind?

What the fuck happened?

My chest tightens, and the air becomes hard to breathe as a cold sweat runs down my cleavage. “Oh, fuck off!” I shout to the relentless grip of anxiety.

With trembling legs, I make my way back to the top floor where Kai and I had been moments before. Frantically searching for any sign of him, my heart sinks as I find nothing but emptiness. No traces of his presence, no lingering scent. Panic rises in my throat.

Shit.

On the second floor, nausea overtakes me, and I throw up. The stench of fear and uncertainty fills the air.

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