Page 23 of Runaway Hearts: Seduced by Danger

I’d rather not open the file. However, my fingers have a will of their own, and the file is open in a burst. It’s a picture.

My eyes widen as I observe the black-and-white photograph on my screen. A metaphoric kick in the gut. The man I picked up yesterday is none other than Hiroshi Kwunaru the Seventh.

He’s the heir to a monstrous criminal empire that no police force has ever stopped it.

The Kwunaru empire is built on the pillars of drug trade, money laundering, corruption, and clandestine gaming tables. They have been ruling over Winnipeg for at least a hundred years.

Hiroshi Kwunaru is infamous for his use of brutal tactics. Those unlucky enough to cross paths with his gang often end up in the hospital, missing various body parts.

I remember treating a patient last year with a cut tongue and three missing fingers, allegedly victims of Kwunaru’s group. However, according to rumors, no one has ever survived a direct confrontation with him.

Or has ever seen his face. Any faces of his organization, honestly. They’re ghosts.

That means the picture comes from his side.

It’s so…

It’s so Hollywood.

I scoff. I avoided a certain death. Another reason to move away from Palco Springs.

A myriad of emotions swirl in my head. “Seito, baby... What’s this shitshow about?” I whisper to the fly on the counter. “Was he vetting me to be his outlaw bride?”

This idea triggers a fit of interior laughter, causing me to cough.

The pharmacist returns to me, his white coat crisp and a concerned look on his face. “I’m sorry, miss,” he says, shaking his head. “We don’t have any of those pills in stock right now. I’m sorry. It’s not a usual medication.”

Well, okay, but give it to me.I’ll have to transfer my prescription once I get to Nay.

“Have you considered other options with your psychiatrist? Maybe I can call him and figure out an alternative if you need it now.”

No. I need the exact pills.

“It’s okay, I’ll manage,” I say with a tight smile. My mind is spinning with the implications of this newfound knowledge. “Thanks for trying,” I add, and a thought occurs. “I took one last night because I had two panic attacks in one day, but it had been some time… and I had a terrible nightmare. Do you think I could take only half?”

He winces and stares at me with almond-shaped eyes. A sigh escapes from him, and his fingers clack on the keyboard until his eyes narrow even more. “You could begin with a quarter and see how it goes.” His features soften.

I consider this for a moment before nodding. Anything is better than nothing, and I must get going.

“Would you like me to cut your pill into quarters for you?” he asks.

“Sure.”

He hands me the precut pill with a soft smile. “Take one piece; if your symptoms don’t improve within twenty minutes, take another piece.”

I thanked him and left the pharmacy with my precious medication in hand. It may not be ideal, but it’s better than nothing.

I slide into my car, feeling all kinds of weird. My heart is still thumping from the nightmare. But there’s also a joy hidden deep in me.

Glancing around, I scan the parking lot for something, anything, to make sense of what’s going on in my head. But my soul screams for something that isn’t there, something I don’t even know about. And that something makes me return to the pharmacy to pick up a stitches kit and antibiotic cream from the shelf.

When I return to my car and start the engine, the sound doesn’t drown out the noise in my head the way it should. A spotlight shines in my head, featuring Stranger Danger lounging on my beach house’s front patio, sipping on tequila, and smiling at me.

I need coffee to clear my mind.

Somewhere deep within me, I hope to see the hitchhiker again.

I enter a coffee shop, seeking clarity through caffeine. The rich scent of roasted beans and sweet pastries fills my nose. Warm beige walls, wooden ceiling beams, and vintage posters enhance the cozy atmosphere. To me, coffee shops are a respite from chaos and a place where time slows down, with freshly brewed coffee aroma as the only important thing.

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