The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Before Anna could even speak, she saw a motorcycle racing towards them from behind, the rider wielding a baseball bat. As it closed in, the bat smashed against the rear car window with a vicious swing.

Anna shielded herself with her arm and yelled, “Hit the gas, now!”

Kenneth snapped to attention and floored the accelerator, speeding forward.

The car was a top-of-the-line sports model, yet to their astonishment, the motorcycle clung to their tail, relentlessly hammering at the window.

Although Aaron had learned a bit of self-defense from Mark, he was no match for actual combat. He could only huddle behind his school bag, yelling at Kenneth, “Can’t you go any faster?!”

“This is as fast as she goes, dammit!” Kenneth was more terrified of the glass shards flying towards them than anything else; they could ruin his good looks!

Anna tried to open the door to fight back, but it was so badly bent it would not budge.

With a powerful kick, she shattered the car door window, steadied herself by grabbing the grab handle, and leaned out. Her lithe body delivered a kick that sent the pursuing motorcyclist tumbling into the roadside greenery, bike and all.

Kenneth was dumbstruck for a moment. “You could’ve just told me to retract the roof; this is a convertible!”

Anna’s lips twitched with irritation, unable to comprehend how their team leader could have such an idiotic brother.

Aaron cursed and said, “Well, aren’t you going to open it now?”

“Forget it,” Anna said, leaning forward to push Kenneth’s head to the side while she grabbed the steering wheel. “Just drive!”

Kenneth, reacting instinctively, slammed on the gas, and Anna executed a smooth right-hand drift.

They had just rounded the corner when they heard the sound of another motorcycle crashing at the bend they’d left, with someone on the ground.

“Damn, how many more are there?” Kenneth had not even seen the other motorcycle in pursuit.

Anna, too annoyed to reply, turned to Aaron. “Send Ms. Vivienne our location!”

Aaron quickly took out his phone and called Vivienne, informing her of their situation and location.

surroundings. “Handle it yourselves. Meet at the foot of Heaven’s Gate Mountain in 6 miles!” Vivienne

a landmark in Rivenwood, situated well beyond the city’s outer

was precisely where she

Percival commanded as he opened her car door and nimbly hopped

to the left, skidding the

then, Percival had already kicked two pursuers

silence. Gripping the handle tightly,

was

had been suspended from duty, his gun and badge confiscated. Faced with

finally got a moment to call Thomas, instructing him to rendezvous at Heaven’s Gate Mountain

wreckage of

their way to meet Anna, several motorcycles had suddenly appeared, riders brandishing

tail. Otherwise, neither she nor Percival

knew where to find them, especially when she had only learned of the

gaze flashed

a traitor within the Nine

people knew her real-time whereabouts: Anna, Matthew, and the man she had summoned

botched operation at Eastlake Bay, she had suspected a

it might be someone from the Vanguard Agency, but now it seemed like the

Mystics Society was her creation; she had

every member of the Nine Mystics

an explosion was audible

“Take care of yourself.”

Master Miller to your location. I’ll handle this mess

up, Vivienne tossed her phone to Percival. “Matthew’s

the phone and located Quincy’s secure contact

idea. I was following the

on him or Vivienne, and their phones

[Turn off

up with a string of codes,

Aaron and Kenneth to shut off their phones and then pulled up a

bewildered, utterly confused by