Page 171 of Runaway Hearts: Seduced by Danger

A mischievous smile breaks across my face. “Ooh, I have one.”

Chapter 35

Busting Fantasies

The fenced entrance of the impound lot looms in front of us as we walk up at 8:03 p.m. The air is thick with the smell of gasoline, but I’m a pot of boiling water, hissing with excitement, ready to overflow at any moment. We’re on the cusp of receiving our new IDs; I can almost picture them in my hands.

We enter the grimly lit office, and I lean against the counter as planned. “Good evening, I’m here to get my car,” I say to the large bald man behind the counter.

“Plate number?” he grumbles.

Huh. No.It’s written on the cell phone in the burned car at the border.

“I don’t remember.”

Kai walks up to the camera globe in the corner and unplugs it. Nobody can identify us in those disguises, anyway. I’m dressed like a schoolgirl from a porn shoot, and Kai looks like a total nerd with his Rubik’s cube T-shirt, fake glasses, and no tattoos.

The clerk raises an eyebrow and stares at me.

“Listen, sir,” I continue, trying to sound convincing. “This car was dropped off for me here, and I—”

“What’s your name?” he interrupts, his eyes darting between Kai and me.

It’s shady.

Plastering a charming smile on my face, I answer. “Anna Salvador.”

The clerk’s eyes widen in shock, and fear flashes across his features. He swallows hard before speaking again. “Miss... I don’t want any trouble,” he stammers, his gaze locked on Kai’s gun. “A group of guys came by earlier and... I didn’t let them... but...”

“But what?” I urge him on, feigning concern.

My mind screams at me to knock his head against the counter and use the computer to access our information, but I resist. Kai’s gun is equipped with a silencer; it would be quick and efficient but not worth the risk of getting caught.

But.I. Breathe. Dark thoughts don’t have to lead to dark acts.

Instead, I put on my best smile and lean closer to him, my eyes softening. Everything about me exudes goodness and innocence. “I understand.” I take his hand and pat it with my thumb. “We don’t like this situation, either. But sometimes,” I say and pull back from the counter, “desperate times call for desperate measures.”

The clerk’s eyes widen even further at my smooth words.

I tilt my head to the side and flash him a one-sided smirk. “Now, do we need desperate measures?”

The man’s breathing becomes labored, his words coming out in rapid gasps. “They’re four. Asian twins and two other dudes. That’s all I know.”

Kai closes his eyes and leans on the side wall. Asian twins mean that Kenji and Tazo are here.

Who are the other men?

I suck my teeth and sigh. “We both know there’s more. Spit it out.”

The clerk’s eyes widened, and he darted around the room as sweat beads were on his forehead, making his pale skin glisten under the harsh fluorescent lights. “I don’t understand,” he stammers.

“Who are the other men?” Kai asks, his tone colder than an iceberg.

Every muscle in the clerk’s body seems tense. His fingers dig into the counter, leaving imprints on the cheap surface. “Hired muscles.”

“Hired by who?” I ask, and my skin prickles with goosebumps as the atmosphere freezes. And I giggle. “Oh, you’ve been a bad boy.” But I don’t give him the time to register my phrase. “You saw someone put something in my car. And you demanded protection in case it blew up in your face, didn’t you?” I shake my head. “Who protects you? Huh? Not law enforcement. That’s for sure.” Tension hangs like icicles, their sharp points piercing the atmosphere.

I cast a glance at Kai, whose eyes have taken on sinister darkness like storm clouds rolling in over an innocent beach. “If he talked, it could be anyone from local gangs and mobsters.”

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