Page 159 of Runaway Hearts: Seduced by Danger

Good question.

And it’s Kai who answers again. “Anna Salvador.”

Oh, it’s perfect.

“You need a middle name,Anna.”

“Rosita.” Like my mother’s middle name. “I’m Anna Rosita Salvador.”

“All right, you both need new identities. I’ll call my contact,” Victor declares.

“I’ll take care of everything for Kai Haruno. All the necessary information for your new lives will be waiting for you in a car parked in the municipal courtyard of Eugene, Oregon. I’ll text you the license plate number. Technically, Anna Salvador is already in the United States, so you must enter without being detected. Everything you need will be in the car: maps, cash, and information about your new life. I also suggest burning the Civic before you reach Eugene. Once you’re on, you have it. Email me, and then there will be no more communication. It’s too risky. Good luck, coconuts.”

“Pop-pop?” I ask.

“Yes?”

“Thank you.”

After all these years of seeing Victor as a grandfather figure, he has again offered me his help. The mysterious glint in his eyes finally makes sense now, and the locks on my apartment door are no longer a mystery.Despite feeling uneasy with the tracker still implanted in my body, I understood why it was necessary.

“I need to change.” I sigh.

Kai parks the car, and I get out, tending to my burns that still need attention. I wonder how we will have intimate moments without causing me pain.

“Does it hurt?” Kai asks with concern.

“A lot.” I groan.

I wince as I apply ointment and curse under my breath. Then, I wrap a bandage around my wounds. Kai’s expression changes as I change out of my nightgown and into something more suitable for our escape. He gasps, his eyelids fluttering and his lip twitching.

I love knowing that I can still turn him on despite our situation.

“What?” I ask, acting innocent.

“Nothing.”

I sit in the passenger’s side, leaning back and grabbing a pillow for support. Suddenly, a sharp pain shoots through my body.

“Oh, fuck!” I yell.

“What?” Kai asks.

“We forgot Bonsaï.”

“Marianne, damn it, you scared me,” Kai scolds.

“Bonsaï…” I say, a naughty smile on my lips. “Ah, I scared you.”

Kai shakes his head with a scoff. “We’ll buy a dog. You can name it whatever you want,” he says, trying to pacify me.

My heart swells with warmth. We’ve never talked about this.

“You want a dog?” I ask, failing to mask my surprise.

“I would love to get you one.” He smirks, eyes alive with fondness.

I settle in my seat with a sweet sensation in my chest. “Please, wake me up when we reach the border,” I say, snuggling up with my pillow.

---