Runaway Hearts: Seduced by Danger

6. Wake Up!

Chapter 6

Wake Up!

I slowly open my eyes. Bright sunlight filters through the curtains and illuminates the room. Snuggling with a pillow, I glance at the small radio on the white melamine table between the beds.

9:17 a.m.

Yesterday’s aftermath should leave me groggy and disoriented, but I feel clear-headed.

The bed next to mine is neatly made. Kai stands by the window, the hard glow of summer daylight playing on his face while he gazes at the river.

And he looks hella good.

Kai is a lean, mean, glorious machine that oozes power and confidence. Despite the slight fear that lingers in the back of my mind, I’m inexplicably drawn to him.

It excites and terrifies me to think about his potential for violence, knowing he has the strength to hurt me if he wants to. But I trust him not to, which doesn’t make sense. As Eric told me, nothing about my thoughts makes sense these days.

“ Stay quiet, princess. You wouldn’t want anybody finding out how insane you are.”

I loathe how Eric’s memory lingers like a stubborn stain that refuses to fade.

I try to push him out of my mind, but it’s futile. His grip over me is oppressive, and I doubt I’ll ever be free of it.

The breakup broke my heart, but it was an event three days after, when I went to pick my things up that ended my will to live. I made the mistake of going alone.

“Your redemption is gonna be a long fucking path.”

I was hurting so bad. Three full days at Arietta’s place, I begged Eric to take me back. I wanted the pain to stop. I would’ve done anything for that pain to just vanish.

“If you loved me, you would already be on your knees, princess.”

And he took advantage of it, the way he always did. His hazel eyes flash in my mind with the feeling of his fist pulling on my hair.

“What a pathetic piece of broken cunt you are.”

Once done, he released me with a shove that sent me stumbling back into my suitcase.

“Now, get the fuck out.”

My heart shattered into shards that cut through me with every ragged breath.

I left the apartment, speeding through the streets like a racecar driver, ignoring red lights and taking sharp turns as if I were trying to escape myself.

It didn’t work.

Until I arrived at a deserted parking lot. I chugged a whole bottle of sleeping pills, only to wake up two days later in Winnipeg’s psych unit.

A week after, Eric sent me a text that made me question why I ever wanted to go back to him.

“Heard about your little pity party at the hospital. Such a mess without me, huh?”

Somehow, the horribleness of the words slapped me into reality better than any physical blow. He didn’t want me back. That man only wanted a toy to torture. And I decided I would do everything in my power—so little it might be—to stay the fuck away from him.

Eric is still known as the “good guy” in his circle, and I was afraid no one would believe me if I spoke up about what he did. I never had the courage to tell anyone. Partly because he reminded me countless times before he was a good person, and no one would believe me if I told them otherwise.

“So, you better be a good girl.”

But I don’t want to be a good girl anymore. I want to be me. Without censorship, without tablets. And so, what if I’m a little unstable?

Something strange in my soul whispers that Kai appreciated the wild card in me last night. It kept him alive and safe.

The sight of Kai pushes Eric away from my thoughts.

I wonder why his actions contradict the menacing reputation Kai has. Perhaps it’s a facade, a way to mask the vulnerability he keeps hidden. Or maybe he’s not as dangerous as the rumors make him out to be. Somehow, I doubt that. The scars, the scary veil in his eyes, the gun, the quiet control he has over himself. It all merges to support the theory.

“Your phone won’t stop buzzing,” he says.

I sigh and smile at Victor’s message, a photo of a woman reading on the beach.

I send him a thumbs-up so he knows I’m all right.

Kai’s voice pierces the silence and brings me back to the here and now. “Who’s Victor?” Curiosity mixes with rivalry, flashing in his golden eyes.

“An old friend,” I mumble, aware of the slight blush creeping up my cheeks.

I’m unaware of Victor is age, only that he’s old enough to be my grandpa. Old enough to understand things I leave unsaid and more.

The pad of my index traces the plastic chip hidden in my cell phone case, and I close my eyes to give this memory the place it deserves.

Victor paced back and forth in the break room the day I returned to work.

“Eric dumped me, and I’m having a hard time dealing with it,” I said right away to ease the worry straining his wise blue gaze.

“Good riddance.” A shudder unfurled from his toes to his shoulders until a relieved breath made his chest sink. “Do you have somewhere to stay?” he asked with thick white brows knitted together.

“I stayed with Arietta and Donovan a bit.”

He nodded, lost in thought. “Clever.”

Not wanting him to dig any deeper, I added, “I’m at the Willy Motel for now. I’ll check ads for a place this weekend.”

“If you need an apartment, I know a guy—“ Victor began before I cut him off with a snort.

“You always ‘know a guy,’ pop-pop,” I teased.

“It’s a good place,” he told me with a lopsided smile, his eyes twinkling with that peculiar light I liked. “Somewhere you’ll be safe…” He trailed off, scanning my features, analyzing them with the sharpness of someone who has seen it all.

But Victor didn’t know. Not a single soul knew who Eric truly was in private.

“And?” I prompted with a raised eyebrow. “Because there’s always an ‘and’ with you.”

Victor let out a hearty chuckle, allowing me to see the red-and-white mint on his tongue. “It’s one street over from my place. Just in case.”

I frowned. “In case what?”

“In case you need to borrow some mints,” Victor said with a soft smile. But something dark behind his teasing tone made me realize he wasn’t joking. “Or a baseball bat,” he added, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.

I choked on my saliva and sputtered a reply. “Already have one, old man.”

Alumina Bang Bang, I called her.

I scoffed and whipped out my phone to check my messages, but Victor put his frippy hand on mine with the softest stare I’d seen from him.

“Don’t read them,” he said. “Don’t answer them, either. It’s best when you cut all ties. It takes three days for the brain to register it’s over. Three weeks to learn the new normal and three months to replace memories with new, better ones.” He squeezed my hand and, in that gesture, offered a lifeline I hadn’t known I was drowning without. “Block him, delete the messages, move on.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded, knowing he was right but still feeling that addictive pull, that dangerous longing for a man who’d brought nothing but hurt into my life.

“Start small, Care Bear. If you can’t delete him completely, try blocking him or just ignoring the messages.” Victor’s hand tightened ever so slightly on mine, a subtle show of support. “You’re stronger than you think. Remember that.”

I nodded, more to myself than to him, absorbing the truth in his words.

I couldn’t erase Eric yet or block him. But I could ignore his texts.

“Could you check in with me… I mean…” My lips shook, and my eyes watered. I couldn’t finish the sentence.

I needed a hug.

He flashed a grin that wrinkled the corners of his eyes and got a chip from his pants pocket. “Consider me your breakup sponsor,” he said, giving me a white plastic coin. “That’s for day one.”

My finger traced the rims of the piece, and it quieted my worries for an instant. “Thank you, Pop-Pop.”

I wanted a hug so bad, but the words wouldn’t get out.

“Good. Now, you wanna cup of coffee, Care Bear?”

“Hum, am I breathing?” I replied with a teasing smile, grateful for his support.

“An old friend” doesn’t do justice to my tight-knit relationship with the old security guard, but the newly named stranger doesn’t have to know everything about me.

But then, Kai’s eyes cloud, and his jaw contracts. “Do we need to talk about my picture in your phone?”

I gasp at the audacity. “You went through my phone?” Heat crawls up my neck, painting my cheeks a deep tomato shade.

“To check if we were safe,” he replies, crossing his arms over his chest. His eyes hold a fierce yet protective gaze.

Fear and attraction dance an intricate ballet in the pit of my stomach. “Safe from what?”

He runs his hand through his hair, looking serious. “From anyone who might be searching for me.”

“And?” Don’t you dare tell me I’m the threat.

He raises an eyebrow. “We’re good.”

Our eyes meet, and we silently agree to leave this unspoken.

“Are you all right?” I ask after a moment of silence.

“I am now.” His shoulders slack. “Why did you rescue me?”

“I couldn’t just leave you to die.”

He lets out a skeptical snort. “Why not?”

This man has issues...

“Because that’s not who I am. I’m a nurse. I’m meant to help people,” I reply, noting the surprise that flickers in his eyes.

“But you knew...you knew who I am, what I’ve done.” His voice is gravelly and carries a certain vulnerability that tugs at my heartstrings.

“Yes, I did. And still do.” My own words surprise me. I should be scared, horrified even, but my mind is as calm as the smooth surface of a lake at sunrise. It’s as if some part of me knew all along this is where I’m meant to be. “Just... don’t put a gun to my head, and we’ll be good.”

Kai’s eyes roam over me for a moment. “You must be crazy or disregard your own life.”

And the truth falls off my lips. “A bit of both, really.”

He chuckles, a rare open sound in the small room. It’s beautiful and rich, like warm chocolate being poured. “Oh, Marianne.” He rolls his tongue in his mouth, savoring each syllable of my name.

My eyelids flutter shut, and my lips curl upward at the uncertain affection and familiarity his tone carries.

“Why were you hitchhiking?”

He looks away.

I raise an eyebrow. “Don’t you have access to... like... a private jet or something?”

He shakes his head. “It’s not discreet enough.”

“Standard plane?”

“Facial recognition,” he says with a sigh.

I furrow my brow, trying to come up with another option. “Stealing a car?”

“Easily traced,” he replies, frustration evident in his voice.

I let out a small laugh. “Why not take the bus?”

His mouth twists in disgust. “I hate the bus.”

I raise an eyebrow and snort. “Right... So, hitchhiking to British Columbia, it is.”

He nods, his expression serious again. “Seems like it.” But his gaze softens as he adds, “And I ended up with you, so it wasn’t all bad.”

His words catch me off guard, and I blush under his intense stare. I step back and nod. I feel and recognize the pull, but I can’t let my fears go for now.

A crooked grin plays on his lips as if he’s won a minor victory. “You’ll take me to the West Coast, then?” He leans toward me, tugging at the invisible thread tying us together.

“Is that where you’re truly going?”

“No. I have something in Vancouver.”

Damn, girl. Stop asking so many questions!

My lips twitch, and I blink faster. “Wh-”

Kai shuts me up with a glare. “Ready?”

I nod, and his expression melts into something close to awe as he reaches out and grabs my bags. “Let’s go.”

And back on the road, we are.

“Coffee first,” I say when I spot a coffee shop.