Page 149 of Runaway Hearts: Seduced by Danger

Kai?

As I move closer, I realize it’s a man. The only sound is the gentle waves lapping against the shore. Fear courses through my body, and goosebumps rise on my skin.

The sensation indicates that this man isn’t Kai.

I try to back away, but suddenly, a rough arm wraps around my throat from behind. The man speaks in Japanese and squeezes tighter while shouting to someone else nearby.

Trouble, I was waiting for you; it was too good to be true.

The man in the water laughs and moves closer. A loud bang shatters the silence of the night. The person holding me shoves me to the ground and kicks me in the face before running away with his accomplice. My pain is excruciating; my cheek is bruised, my stomach aches from a punch, and my left thigh feels like it’s on fire from where they stabbed me with something sharp. I hear muffled screams and sounds of a struggle as I lie on the cold sand with my eyes closed.

This is it; this is the end.

Six’s henchmen have finally tracked us down. The sound of fists and bodies colliding echoes in my ears. My mind is foggy as I struggle to regain consciousness on the cold sand.

“Marianne! Get up!”

I come to, rolling on the cool sand with my eyes closed. My right cheek swells from a bruise, my stomach aches from a well-placed hit, and my thigh trembles from pain. I hear muffled screams and a chaotic beat drums in my chest.

My senses become overwhelmed as I struggle to hold on to the last shreds of my willpower. The grunts of exertion resonate around me as if in a distant nightmare.

My curiosity gets the best of me, so I force my eyes open and take in the chaotic scene around me. Kai is engaged in a life-or-death battle with a ninja.

The tension in the air is palpable, and the atmosphere is charged with raw energy. His movements are fluid and precise, a deadly dance between two skilled combatants. My heart races as Kai dodges and weaves, his muscles flexing beneath his T-shirt with every swift movement. He’s a warrior fighting for his life. And that’s exactly what this is—a fight for survival.

Fear and adrenaline power through my veins as the fight intensifies.

I don’t want to die. “Seven,” I call for him.

He delivers a powerful blow to his opponent in one swift movement, sending him crashing to the ground and screaming at me. Panic distorts his face, and I turn my head to see a man behind me. Everything’s happening in slow motion in my mind.

The man with the injured leg points a gun at me.

A disconnected wire in the innermost depth of my mind reconnects. Determination floods me.

I can’t let this happen without a fight.

I’m done being the victim. “Enough!” I scream.

Everything speeds up.

Kai shouts something at me. All I can make out is the word “car.” He sprints toward it and jumps inside.

I rush into the house and grab our backpacks. Suddenly, a man kicks down the front door. My instincts kick in, and I quickly activate the automatic system. I lock myself in the bathroom with our belongings and stuff a bathmat under the door for extra protection.

My assailant knocks on the door.

I glare at the secret hatch I installed on the floor for quick escapes, its ominous glow taunting me with the reflection of Eric’s hazel eyes. It’s a precaution I never hoped to need. But it’s not Eric who pounds on the bathroom door. Yuzu. It’s much worse.

The hammering on the bathroom door becomes deafening.

“It’s busy.” I giggle.

I crawl through the hatch and escape from the house. Kai is waiting for me in the car, motioning for me to get in as he drives away, leaving behind a trail of flying sand.

I get in the car, and Kai speeds off, leaving behind a trail of flying sand. The tires screech under the insistent support of the man driving.

The life I once experienced is now ruined, shattered by my questionable decisions. I weep, overwhelmed by everything that’s happening.

---