30 Seconds Read Free

decided she liked it. “I know Blake is old English, but I don’t have a clue about Herro.”
    “And wouldn’t.”
    She frowned at him. “What do you mean?”
    “I changed my last name when I was twenty. It’s completely made up.”
    “Why?”
    “My father split the day after I was born. My mother and grandmother raised me. My mother kept his last name but I had no respect for it. On my twentieth birthday, I changed it to a name I could live with.”
    “And you chose hero. I mean He-are-row.” She sent him a teasing smile. “Your future wife and son will be proud to have your name.”
    He glanced at her. “Thanks.”
    She smiled. “And when did you decide you wanted to be a police officer?”
    “When I was eighteen, I wanted to conquer the world, but I figured I should make the world a better place before I did.”
    “So you’re conquering the crimes in the world.” She nodded. “After my accident, I wanted to do the same thing, but instead of killing the bad guys, I wanted to help the injured.”
    “Accident?”
    She hesitated. “Car accident.”
    “How’d it happen?”
    “I don’t remember,” she answered honestly, but she didn’t want Blake to dig any deeper, so she cranked up the volume, effectively putting an end to all conversation.
    As she stared out the window, the horrible memories of the car accident that left her in a coma for a year played in her mind. She almost didn’t notice the city shrinking in the distance.
    She peered over her shoulder as they drove farther away from Cleveland. She turned stiffly and eyed the stretch of road taking her farther and farther away from the police station. Her heart galloped in her chest. Where was he taking her? While she told him revealing stories about her birth and showed him her tattoo, he was driving her out of the city.
    She nonchalantly folded her arms across her stomach and continued to sing along with the song as her fingers snuck over to the belt buckle. The door was unlocked. All she had to do was release the buckle and she’d be free.
    She may be scared shitless of being in another car accident, but it was better than letting Blake kidnap her.
    She eased the buckle out of its trap and held it in her sweaty palm. Blake was driving in the outer lane. She figured she had a chance at escaping without another car running her over. All she had to do was jump and roll.
    The song changed and her hand released the buckle. The seat belt flew across her chest and snapped back into place as she launched forward and flung open the door. Her feet were on the edge, her hands braced on the frame. She was flying forward when an arm like an iron bar looped around her waist and pulled her back in. Her hip slammed into the stick shift.
    “What the hell is the matter with you?” Blake demanded. “You really want to jump out of a moving car?” He fought to hold her with one arm and still keep driving while she kicked wildly. “Will you stop?”
    “Pull the car over,” she shouted.
    He swerved the car and stomped on the brake. Her nails tore at his neck, breaking skin. He let out a curse and snatched his arm away, giving her the opportunity to break free. She dove out of the car and was running before her feet even hit the ground.
    Her eyes were on the city, an oasis too far away, as her feet pounded the asphalt. She wouldn’t make it, not all of those miles, but cars were coming. She was a good runner and she was in great shape. She could run to one of those cars.
    She ran as fast as she could, creating a gap between them, but she underestimated the speed of a cop. Blake caught her arm and yanked her out of the way of oncoming traffic. The sudden jerk caused her to lose her balance and she fell to the ground cursing.
    Blake tumbled with her.
    She fought with him, kicking and punching, but he grabbed her wrists and cemented her hands over her head. “What the hell is wrong with you? I saved your life and now you’re running away from me as though I