Page 133 of Runaway Hearts: Seduced by Danger

Kai stands before me, vulnerable and exposed, but his gaze is unflinching. His trust in me is implicit and unwavering.

But my fingers shake. My gaze is fixated on the marks etched into his skin. I step closer, running my fingers over one irregular mark just below his collarbone. His breath catches at the contact, an involuntary shudder rippling through him.

“It’s okay,” he whispers, his gruff tone contradicting the vulnerability.

I deeply respect his strength and tenacity to survive in a world hell-bent on breaking him.

“Nothing about this is okay, baby.” My voice, soft yet steady, holds a promise of understanding. I lean in, pressing a tender kiss to the bruise beneath my fingers.

His breath hitches, and his eyes water. “Please,” he whispers. “Do that again.”

I trail my lips to another scrape, imprinting it with gentle kisses.

Kai’s eyelids flutter, his skin waking in goosebumps, and he sighs in happiness. I kiss another one, on a soft skin patch above his left clavicle. A sharp exhale tells me I found this criminal’s sweet spot.

“Get clean and sleep for a few hours. Then, I’ll kiss them all away.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I want to. Would you like it?”

He hesitates for three heartbeats. “Fuck yes.”

I guide Kai into the shower, a protective instinct taking over. The warm water cascades over his body, washing away the grime of the streets and revealing more of the man underneath. Water turns to a reddish brown as it swirls around the drain. The sight tugs at something deep inside me.

My man is hurt and tired.

Maybe it’s my wild side like Nina said, but maybe it’s something darker. Because the sight of an exhausted, battered Kai makes my blood boil, and a murderous incline builds in my guts.

Kai leans against the tiled wall, eyes shut, letting the water cleanse him. I take a washcloth and gently scrub his back, feeling each ridge and muscle tense under my touch. He hums—a low, satisfied sound that reverberates through him and into my hands.

“You’re worth every goddamn mark,” he murmurs.

Heart squeezing, eyes floating in high tide, my hands work methodically, cleaning each wound, each scar, until all that’s left is the raw beauty of him.

Kai’s breathing steadies, a strange tranquility settling into his frame. As the last remnants of dirt disappear, I turn off the shower and drape a towel over his broad shoulders. His eyelids are heavy. I help him out of the shower and guide him to bed, supporting his weight.

“I’m sorry, Bonsaï,” I tell the fluffy blue bear that’s been keeping Kai’s place.

Kai’s cheeks move like he wants to smirk, but he collapses onto the mattress with a groan of relief, sinking into the soft embrace of the sheets. I pull the covers, tucking him in like a precious secret.

His eyes flutter open. “Stay.” A subtle tug at my hand. “I’ve been having nightmares.”

I can’t resist him. Slipping under the covers beside Kai, I wrap my arms around his battered form, his heartbeat slowing against my chest. We’ll end up on the run no matter what choices we make. I sealed my fate the second I decided to take him back under the rain. And I kept him—Seven—alive. Six won’t let me breathe after saving his unruly son’s life… twice.

Did his contact, Rory, have a role in this?

The murderous thoughts won’t leave me alone. For once, I understand the appeal of violence. Kai’s breathing steadies and deepens, a counterpoint to the wicked thoughts waking inside me.

“Are they still alive?” I hear myself ask.

“No one will ever survive pulling me away from you, love.”

I press my lips to his forehead. “Good.” Inhaling the scent of clean skin and homicidal relief, I ask, “Rory?”

A sleepy murmur answers me. “In hiding.”

My fingers thread in his wet hair, and I massage his scalp. “Sleep, baby. I’ve got you.”

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