Renegade Runaways :: Chapter Ten

Marlena held Hope close to her, tucking her into her side like mothers do with children. They sat together on the ground, watching Kayla triage Steve.

"What can we do?" Hope asked. She felt numb.

"You are making a fuss about nothing." Steve groaned, "I've been stabbed before."

"Well, one time is one too many," Kayla snapped. The scene flashed before her eyes over and over again. She had been reading a book, Steve and Bo were exchanging small talk. They sat together around the fire and she was actually enjoying herself for once on their God forsaken spontaneous getaway. John and Marlena had gone to get supplies. Out of nowhere, two men appeared and a fight ensued between them, Bo, and Steve.

"You should see the other guy," Steve chuckled, and regretted it as soon as the pain seared through his abdomen. He felt more blood seep out of the wound in his side.

"I did see him," Kayla sighed.

"Is he dead?" Hope asked quietly. She shivered. The ground was cold. The sun was gone. She felt Marlena pull her closer.

"He's dead alright." Kayla nodded, "Slit throat."

"They're both dead…" Steve announced, "And good riddance."

Kayla looked over at Hope, "Bo shot the other one. Then he went looking for you. I'm so glad you're okay."

"I still don't understand what happened…" Hope shook her head. Sadness masked her face, "One minute Aiden was Aiden… The next minute he wouldn't let go of me... now he's dead."

Over in the clearing where Aiden's body still lay lifeless on the ground, Bo watched John go through Aiden's cell phone. He was restless, frustrated, and impatient.

"He's been tipping someone off this whole time." John announced as he skimmed through several text messages.

"Who do you think he works for?" Bo asked. He was tense. His hands balled up into fists as he thought about Hope being attacked.

John shrugged, "No idea… The number is private."

"He kept talking about money." Bo bit his lip, "He was after Hope's trust fund."

"Could be related to Peru, could be an isolated incident." John nodded, "Either way, we're lucky to be rid of him and we need to get a move on. Whoever he was funneling information to knows our location."

Bo looked at Aiden's dead body. He wanted to kick him in the face. He felt no remorse. The coldness he felt in his heart almost made him sick to his stomach.

"Is everything okay?"

John and Bo turned to the sound of Hope's voice.

"You were into this creep?" Bo asked with disgust.

John raised his eyebrows, taking his cue to exit, "I'm going to check on Steve."

Hope stared at Bo, speechless. Her mouth fumbled for words. She felt vulnerable and taken aback.

"Bo… I…."

"Some detective you are…" Bo mumbled. He didn't want her apologies, he wanted to fight. The full moon above them gave him enough light to see the tears forming in her eyes. He knew exactly what buttons to push to get what he wanted, "You exposed our daughter to this monster?"

Hope's jaw dropped. She could see the fire in his eyes and she willingly took the bait, "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Bo snapped.

"Apparently you're not very good at your job either Detective Brady." Hope's voice was saturated with sarcasm, "Getting stuck in a pit shows a lot of skill."

"Do you think I wanted to be there?!" Bo yelled.

"Yeah," Hope nodded, "You walked right into that mission and look where it got you. You didn't want to be here with our daughter. You didn't want me. You put your job first! What else is new? You always put our family last."

"You know what?" Bo almost laughed, "You're exactly right. I would rather be in a hole in the damn ground than at home with my wife and my daughter."

Even though she was furious, Hope's nerves were almost giddy with excitement. Adrenaline raced through her. They were fighting. She'd been waiting for this. She'd been praying for this. She knew they could survive this. She smacked the side of his head.

"Dammit, Hope." Bo grumbled in pain. This is exactly what he'd wanted. He wanted to scream and yell and get everything out in the open. It felt liberating. Feeling the fire between them once again made his body scream life, "How could you ever think I would willingly sit in a hole instead of come home to you?"

"How could you ever accuse me of wanting to put our daughter in danger?" Hope retorted, "Haven't we been through enough when it comes to our children?"

"Don't you dare…." Bo warned her.

She didn't. She wanted to pull her hair out, hit him, and kiss him at the same time. He drove her mad.

"I was trying to save my mother…." Bo growled, "How can you fault me for that?"

"Because you stopped treating me like your wife!" Hope screamed.

"And you certainly stopped acting like my wife." Bo replied.

Hope spun around, ready to storm off. Bo grabbed her wrist, spinning her back to him and pulling her close to his chest. They stared at each other in warring silence. Their breath hung in the cold air with each exhalation. Hope felt weak at the knees with his touch. The tension drained from her body as she stared heatedly into his confrontational eyes. The air was cold, but her body was warm.

"Let go of me," Hope ordered. She wasn't quite ready to give in. Bo forcefully pushed her wrist back to her, causing her to stumble two steps backward. She forcefully exhaled and turned to walk away.

"FancyFace….."

Hope closed her eyes, but kept her back to him. His voice was soft. She turned to look at him. Her heart fluttered.

Bo stared at her. He could feel his love for her in every pore of his body. He gratefully opened his arms when she sprinted towards him and launched herself into his chest. He lifted her, eager to have the chance to hold her. His ribs screamed at the physical impact, but he didn't care.

Hope wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around her neck. Their lips met forcefully. Bo squeezed her tight, tangling his hands in her hair. Their teeth clashed. He wanted her kiss, more than he wanted to breathe.

The events of the evening had left them both desperate and reeling from shock. They clung together under the stars kissing away the rage, jealousy, resentment, and fear.

Bo pushed her chin away, gasping for air, "Sometimes you make me so mad I can't stand it... But God, it seems the angrier I get, the more I want you."

Hope smiled brightly into his eyes. She knew that feeling all too well, "I love you..." She kissed him again, hungry to feel his lips, "I've missed you."

Bo gently returned Hope back to standing. His heart swooned as he stared down at her. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead, "Let's go. We've got to get a move on."