After dinner, Hunter did a quick cleanup.
He then stayed with Mia in his small rented apartment, chatting casually.
It was evident that Mia usually had no one to talk to around Dominic and his group of rough brothers.
To the point where Hunter just had to bring up a random topic,
and they ended up chatting for over an hour.
Neither of them noticed the passage of time until Mia's phone rang.
Mia especially didn't realize
that during their conversation, Hunter was deliberately looking for topics and constantly adjusting the content to cater to her attitude.
As a result, Mia, unaware of this, felt a sense of 'meeting too late' with him.
So much so that when the ringtone interrupted their chat,
she felt quite annoyed as she took out her phone because the conversation had been cut short.
Therefore, when Mia answered the phone, her tone wasn't very good.
"Dom, is something wrong?"
Although Hunter turned his head to the side, when he heard the nickname Dom,
he immediately realized that the person on the other end was Mia's brother, Dominic.
Hunter couldn't hear the voice on the other end, but judging from Mia's sour expression, she was likely being lectured.
She bit her lip and listened with a look of displeasure for a while before calmly replying, "I know, I'm coming back now."
"That's all, Dom!"
Hanging up the phone decisively, the smile from earlier was gone from Mia's face.
Seeing Hunter looking at her with concern, Mia quickly forced a small smile.
She stood up and said apologetically to Hunter, "It's late, I have to go back, Hunter."
Hunter could more or less guess the content of the phone call!
Dominic had raised his sister alone; while he might not be a perfect brother,
he still cared for and looked after Mia very much.
So, Dominic must have discovered that his sister had slipped out at night.
Los Angeles at night was by no means a safe place.
"Okay, let me walk you out!"
Hunter knew that Dominic's place was nearly twenty kilometers away from his.
Mia must have driven here.
So, he planned to see the girl to her car.
After all, Hunter saw from his predecessor's memories
that this neighborhood wasn't exactly safe.
"Thank you!"
Mia didn't refuse; she had a very good impression of this young Chinese man.
Not only because they were the same age, but also because he was well-spoken, humorous, and had great cooking skills.
If her initial visit to Hunter
was because she felt guilty that he had been targeted by Vince on her account,
then now, Mia had truly come to appreciate him.
He was a very charming boy, at least giving her the urge to get to know him more deeply.
Walking and chatting with Mia, they soon arrived at the parking lot.
Mia's beloved car, a Honda, was parked there.
With just one look, information from the motorcycle and car magazines Hunter had read recently automatically surfaced in his mind.
A third-generation Honda Acura; the top-trim price for a new one in the US was about thirty-four thousand us dollars.
However, almost everything in Mia's car, from the powertrain to the interior, had been modified.
This car of hers couldn't be had for less than two hundred thousand us dollars.
One must know that as the world's automotive kingdom, car prices in the US have always been among the lowest globally.
A brand new Mercedes-Benz S-Class mid-to-high-end luxury sedan started at only eighty thousand plus us dollars.
For over two hundred thousand us dollars, one could even buy an armored version of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
Mia got into the car but rolled down the window.
Looking at Hunter standing nearby, sizing up her car,
Mia said with a smile, "By the way, Hunter, when you go back to the garage tomorrow,"
"remember to give my car a good checkup. I've been feeling like there's some trouble with the ignition lately."
"Sure!"
Hunter had already unlocked the Repair skill while fixing his own motorcycle a few days ago.
After tinkering at home for a few days, he had confirmed that repairing vehicles,
and even various industrial products like household appliances, could earn experience points for the Repair skill.
However, the more complex the item and the higher the difficulty of the Repair,
the more experience points he would gain upon completion.
So Hunter was now eager to give Mia's car a comprehensive overhaul.
Mia also knew that it was indeed getting late.
After a few brief pleasantries, she inserted the key, ready to drive back.
However, just as she started the ignition...
An annoying scene soon unfolded.
Vroom…
Vroom…
Her car acted as if it had a bad case of diarrhea.
It kept sputtering but refused to start.
Furious, Mia slapped the steering wheel, her face darkening.
Hunter stepped up. "Sounds like the battery or something electrical."
"It's late; I'll give it a proper look tomorrow morning."
"Tonight, I'll take you home."
Mia didn't refuse.
"Fine."
She hopped out, tossing him the keys.
Hunter pretended to pocket them, actually slipping them into his private space.
He waved her over. "This way."
He led Mia to his beat-up bike.
Hunter pulled off his helmet and handed it to her.
Mia didn't mind the old machine.
When Vince had caused trouble and she'd come to apologize, she'd already asked around the garage and learned all about Hunter.
She knew his parents were gone and he lived alone.
She swung aboard, long legs settling behind him.
The tiny seat pressed them tight together.
Feeling the soft pressure against his back, Hunter's thoughts wandered.
But he quickly steadied himself. "Hold on tight—I'm opening her up."
He'd showered after training that afternoon.
Though a rough sort, he smelled only of shampoo, soap, and faint male skin—nothing like the reek of her brother's buddies.
"Okay."
She murmured, helmeted head resting between his shoulders.
The lean frame felt solid and safe, stirring that flutter in her again.
Her cheeks warmed.
Breathing him in, she felt heat spread through her…