Renegade Runaways :: Chapter Fourteen

The motorcycles were ditched in Atlanta. The ISA arranged for a black SUV, and the six of them road all the way to Pensacola, Florida in silence. Tension filled the vehicle. Hope stared out the window, lost in a swarm of thoughts, but never losing sense of the fact that Bo's hand still gripped hers painfully tight.

John slowly pulled the SUV into the garage of a beach house.

"What's this?" Steve asked.

"Safe house." John replied quietly, "Shane made reservations."

"Doesn't look very safe to me," Kayla mumbled. Her arms were crossed over her chest as she sat behind Hope; still unsettled from the scene at the gas station.

Hope winced as she followed Bo into the house. He was silent. Commanding. He said nothing to any of the others as he carelessly left them in the basement. Try as she might, she couldn't take it anymore. It had been seven hours since they'd said a word to each other. Hope whimpered as Bo led them into a bedroom.

"Bo, you're hurting me!" Hope screamed and instinctively pulled away from him.

It took everything inside of him to let go. He stared at her. His eyes were hard.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Hope questioned. She held her aching hand to her chest.

Bo swallowed once trying to gather rational thoughts. He ran his hand through his hair, proceeded to lock the bedroom door, and turned his back to her. He stared out the window at the sunset over the ocean.

Hope's eyes widened. She stared at the bedroom door, but didn't unlock it, "Brady, you're scaring me."

"That man could have killed you." Bo said under his breath.

Hope recognized that tone anywhere. He was angry.

"He could have killed you, dammit!" Bo roared. Every fear and insecurity he'd ever had poured out of him.

Hope felt herself shrink. She felt small. Normally she would stand up and argue. This time was different. He was different. She stared at him, unable to read the situation. Her heart pounded.

"This is exactly why you were supposed to stay in Salem," Bo continued. He punched the wall, eager to get his rage out.

Hope felt the tears and she didn't even try to stop them, "So you can go out and get yourself killed?!"

Bo eyed her heatedly, "It's a hell of a lot better than putting you in the line of fire."

"Oh, speak for yourself!" Hope screamed, "You're so damn selfish!"

"I am?" Bo laughed sarcastically, "I'm not the one who filed for divorce so I could feel better about myself when I slept with another person."

His words wounded her and he visibly saw her stop breathing from the blow. She stared at him as if she'd been burned. The tears spilled over faster and she turned her back to him. She held herself and covered her mouth to keep in a sob.

He went to her, reaching for her shoulder with remorse, but she spun around so fast that he didn't have time to stop the sting her slap left behind on his cheek. He stared at her dumbfounded.

"How is this any different than our every day lives Bo?" Hope questioned, "We're cops. We're partners. Our lives are on the line every damn day! Why are you acting like this"

"This isn't Salem cops and robbers Hope!" Bo yelled, "This isn't a game. This is dangerous. There are no rules. These men capture and kill people every day! It's their job. Their ties and connections run deep. It's not safe. You are NOT SAFE."

Hope glared at him, "You knew that man."

Bo withdrew from her; turning his back to her and going back to the window.

"You knew him," Hope continued, "You knew him and he scared you. This isn't about me, it's about him."

"It's always about you Hope!" Bo screamed again, "Dammit…"

The tears fell in a slow and steady stream down her flushed cheeks, "I'm sorry if I scared you, but I never could have known that a man was going to attack me in a parking lot in broad daylight. Especially with you not very far away."

Bo turned towards her. His heart ached at her ignorance and vulnerability. She stared back at him with a tear stained face. He approached her slowly, his rage dissipating and his fear of losing her increasing with every step, "That's my whole point."

She closed her eyes when his hand grabbed her chin. It was gentle, but she wasn't prepared for him to be so close to her.

"I don't think you understand how close I've been to losing you," Bo whispered with a voice laced with emotion, "If it happens on this trip, I'll never forgive myself."

"I chose to be here," Hope opened her eyes, "I'm not going anywhere. I can handle it."

Bo prayed she was right. He was emotionally spent. He kissed her; tired of using words. The kiss was slow and emotionally charged.

"Bo, I miss you," Hope whispered when the kiss broke. He left her wanting more.

He half smiled at her and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and caressed her cheek. Her hand traveled up to rest on his as she searched his cloudy eyes.

"I'm right here," Bo whispered back.

Hope shook her head, "I want you… all of you."

Bo swallowed nervously. It had been three long miserable years of wanting her. Anxiety engulfed him. He didn't want to disappoint her.

She stuck her hand out and he nervously took it, letting her lead him over to the bed. She gently pushed his shoulders down, guiding him to sit on the edge of the mattress. She stood between his legs and let both hands cup his face. Her tear stained face gazed into his eyes once more before claiming his lips in another slow tantalizing kiss.

Bo felt his body coming alive. He forgot what it was like to be touched in certain ways. Her touch brought pleasure and longing. His skin relished in the feel of her, eagerly longing for more. His hands naturally went for her shirt, lifting it over her head. His breath caught in his throat as he exposed more of her to him. She smiled softly at his reaction. She kissed him again, and then reached for his t-shirt.

Bo's hands stopped her. He pulled away and placed distance between them.

"What's wrong?" Hope questioned. She looked down at his shirt and back at his face. He was hiding something from her.

"Nothing," Bo lied. He stood from the bed and gently brushed passed her. His mind raced as he panicked, "Maybe we should wait."

Confusion flooded her, "Wait for what?"

He could hear the hurt in her voice. The arousal inside of him screamed to go back. He turned around. She was reaching for her shirt.

"No," Bo ran to her, stopping her hands and grabbing her shirt from her, "FancyFace."

Hope pulled her hands from his, but lost her shirt in the process.

"Hope," Bo begged. He felt vulnerable. His eyes pricked with tears, "I want you. Please, don't go."

Her eyes were full of hurt, "I don't think you do."

Bo reluctantly took his shirt off for her, revealing a torso of bruises, burns, and scars she'd never seen before. Her eyes stared in horror at each spot, as the reality of what he'd been through became more real.

"I wasn't ready for you to see me like this," Bo whispered. He hated the way he looked. It made him feel weak. It reminded him of pain and misery. A part of him was terrified she wouldn't want him like this.

"Brady," Hope gasped and shook her head. She went to him, letting her fingers caress each spot individually, "That man did this to you…"

Bo let his eyes fall down to meet hers, "He tortured me every day. A lot of times he was the only human I had contact with. He said the most vulgar things about you. He took… so much from me. When I saw him with you in the parking lot… I've never wanted to kill a man so bad in my life. I don't know what came over me. I couldn't let him win. Not after all this time."

She tenderly kissed each spot on his chest, exploring the many places he felt pain. It was hard for him, but he let her do it. Little, by little, she replaced the bitterness he felt towards each place with a soft kiss of love and acceptance.

"Hope, you don't have to do this," Bo protested. He secretly loved every second of it. Emotions ran deep. He'd dreamed so many nights of this moment.

"I want to," Hope replied as she busied herself with further exploration. Her hands were entwined with his. He was so used to pain being inflicted on his body, not pleasure. The slow build of arousal tortured him. He undid her bra, unable to hide the need to touch her breasts any longer. He held them, squeezed them, caressed them, and kissed them. Hope almost laughed. He was like a school boy with his first obsession. She didn't mind. It was like the first time all over again. Her heart was full.

Letting himself touch her fueled his desire for her and made him take control. He took off his pants and helped her take off hers. They stood together completely naked, looking each other up and down. He pulled her to him, getting lost in her lips once again. He could explore her mouth all day and never get bored, but his body craved more. His senses were more awake than they had been in years. He gained confidence with every kiss.

Hope let herself be pushed onto the bed. He crawled on top of her and hesitated, searching her eyes, before entering her slowly. He glided in effortlessly as he had many times before. She finally felt complete. Her pelvis met his with each sensual thrust. He stared into her eyes, loving every moment of holding her in his arms. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. He wanted to absorb every detail and memorize every second. He watched her face as his thrusts lost cadence. Her face contorted into a grimace of pleasure. She bit her lip to keep in her gasps of approval. Bo kissed her, unable to deny her lips any longer. His hand traveled down her thigh, raising it up to his hip. She was heaven. It was better than he ever could have dreamed.

His emotional turmoil of almost losing her made his arousal peak. He grunted as he released, wishing he could last longer. She clung to him, holding him close to her as she savored the moment. She'd missed him so dearly. Her release was sweet. It was needed. They held each other quietly for several moments. Neither of them wanted to separate.

"I don't want to leave this room," Hope whispered.

"Then we won't," Bo whispered back, "Let's stay here all night. Just like this."

Hope felt her heart swell. It was exactly what she wanted. Bo pulled the sheets over their naked bodies and moved to her side. She cuddled up beside him, feeling the euphoria of afterglow.

"I'm sorry that I got so angry," Bo confessed, "Today just really scared me."

Hope kissed his chest, "I'm sorry too."

Bo played with her fingers, "I killed a guy. Two guys. I might have to kill more. Can you still love me after that?"

Hope was silent for a moment as the memory of him snapping a man's neck in front of her fleeted through her mind, "Both times you were saving my life. How could I not love you after that?"

A wave of relief washed over him. They were silent as they both got lost in thought. He continued to play with her fingers, unwilling to give up their touch, "I almost forgot how easily you can make the world go away," Bo mumbled. It was true. He felt safe and happy. He felt like they'd never missed a beat. Being next to her, skin on skin, was the only distraction he needed from the dangerous reality that was their world. For a moment, he felt like everything was going to be okay.