Page 176 of Runaway Hearts: Seduced by Danger

In a protective gesture, he pulls me closer and wraps his arm around my waist. “Squeeze me as tight as you can,” he requests as he massages my neck with one hand and presses gentle kisses against my temple. “It’s over now. We’re safe.”

Oil and dust mix with the lingering scent of gunpowder on Kai’s clothes. His warm breath against my skin sends shivers down my spine, but his hug is my sanctuary in this moment of chaos.

“You’ve got your hands full with me,” he murmurs into my hair, a tremor betraying his tough exterior starting to crumble. “Screwed-up criminal and an even worse patient.”

I let out a small laugh, breaking the tension. “Well, I’ve always had a thing for villains.” I look into his eyes and kiss him on the lips.

He smirks. “Let’s check our stuff.”

I open my box and find a wallet, complete with all the necessary cards for a normal life. I can’t help but laugh when I see the Costco card. It will come in handy during our escape, especially for stocking up on toilet paper. Inside are also my driver’s license, international work visa, credit card, health insurance card... and something catches my eye.

A firearms license.

In a smaller box, there are also keys and a stack of documents—probably information about our new identities. Alongside these important items sits a large sum of money and different passports from Canada. My heart rate slows as the reality of our situation sinks in. In another box, Kai finds a book on stock markets, practical as always. He shows me his passport.

“Kai Haruno...you’re officially a Kai now,” I tease. But then I notice something odd. “Didn’t you say you were twenty-eight?”

“Vic changed the dates.”

“So, you’re thirty-two now? And your birthday is in June?”

“Yeah, the thirteenth.”

I look at my passport and realize Vic has also aged me up. “Anna Rosita Salvador. Okay. Twenty-six years old?” I confirm.

“And your birthday?”

I let out a sigh. “July ninth instead of the third...” Finally free from our past lives, I ask Kai if he’s ready to go.

“Just a sec,” Kai says, inspecting the car.

“What’s the matter… Oh…”

Kai removes a plastic wrap that covered the car. The car isn’t light gray; it’s black. When the surprise passes, I help him. It looks like the film left on new stainless-steel appliances. It’s sticky but doesn’t leave any residue.

With the film removed and discarded, Kai rummages through the trunk. He removes the bottom of the trunk, where the spare tire sits. He lifts it, and I smile at the new license plate. With everything changed, we get into the car, a nondescript Korean sedan that blends in perfectly.

“Now, to a hotel,” Kai says in an authoritarian tone I don’t appreciate.

“Okay, but maybe we should leave the city first?” I suggest.

“No, it’s safer if we stay here.”

I can’t argue with his logic after all our close calls while on the move. “Fine,” I give in and start driving silently until we come across a nice hotel. I pull into the parking lot and turn off the engine before rubbing my face and sighing deeply. “Is this okay?”

He nods and follows me into the lobby.

Flashing my friendliest smile at the clerk, I say, “Good evening. We would like to book a room for one night. Preferably one with a whirlpool bath.”

The clerk raises an eyebrow and asks, “For you and your boyfriend?”

My gaze shifts to Kai as I reply, “Yes, for my boyfriend and me. And could we also have a veggie pizza delivered to our room?” My heart races with excitement; we’re finally free from the men who were chasing us. I pay for the room with cash left for me in the car, and Kai looks just as exhausted as I am as we head to our room with two key cards in hand.

My mind is numb, unable to process the events of the day. They seem like a distant dream. Kai drops onto the bed as soon as he sees it, and I tend to the wound on his thigh, closing it up with five stitches. He falls asleep before I can even finish bandaging him.

After wolfing down some pizza, I treat myself to a hot bath. As I scrub away all traces of the day’s turmoil, my mind is too exhausted to think about anything else.

Dressed in my pajamas, I slide under the soft covers and sink into the plush pillows. This is the most comfortable bed since that luxurious hotel we stayed at in Pearl Town, with Kai by my side.

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