A Grand Design
Too Close For Comfort
Not knowing what else to do, Marlena started the engine and continued in the same direction along the road upon which they'd been travelling. She knew they had to keep moving. Stefano's men were probably hot on their trail. Not to mention the law enforcement personnel who were undoubtedly involved with the presumed kidnapping of an American doctor by a rogue Frenchman involved in that man's disreputable business dealings. Marlena fervently hoped John would reawaken within a reasonable period and let her know exactly where they were supposed to be going.
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Bo and Shane were becoming increasingly frustrated with the search. The sudden snowstorm, a wild one for this late in the season, was causing significant difficulty with visibility. The choppers were already heading back and the men in cars were talking about calling it a night or a day depending on how one looked at the situation. It was nearing dawn when they called off the search for the night, opting to take refuge in a small country inn along the stretch of highway where the Range Rover had reportedly been seen.
Taking a glance at the inn as they approached the entrance, Bo said without enthusiasm, "This place looks as good as any, Governor."
Nodding, Shane smiled wistfully and repeated the title, "Governor, haven't heard that one in a long time."
"Yea... it's been awhile. Shane, listen... about before... I'm...."
He held out his hand to stop the man mid-sentence, and said, "Hey, no apologies necessary, we're talking about Marlena here... and the man who is ultimately responsible for what's happening is the one who killed your brother. I completely understand your anger and frustration, Bo. "
"Thanks, Shane..."
Putting a hand on his friend's back for only a moment, Shane Donovan tried to sound assured that they would rescue the damsel in distress and apprehend the villains. "We'll get her back, Bo... and we'll get Dimera too... if it's the last thing I ever do, we're going to take that monster into custody."
"And Black.. or Stevens.. what happens to him?"
"Simple. If we can use him to get to Stefano... we might let him off easy... if he doesn't cooperate, he gets the full ride. Grand larceny, kidnapping, and whatever else we can charge him with based on the dossier Interpol is putting together."
The thought of it warmed his heart. They deserved whatever the law could throw at them, and then some, after the terror and grief they'd caused. "Sounds good, but first we have to find them."
Stifling a yawn, Shane nodded but said nothing further. That was the end of the conversation. It was time to check into the Inn and get some much needed shut eye.
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It was sheer happenstance that she was looking out the window at the precise moment two vehicles pulled up near the room where she and John were staying Having been a cop's wife, Marlena knew enough to hide the Range Rover. She'd managed to get John into the room under the last remaining cover of darkness and then left him asleep on the bed while she parked the monstrosity behind one of the out buildings on the property.
Her eyes flew open wide when she caught a glimpse of two of the three men. "Oh my God, it's Bo and Shane.. No, it just can't be!" she silently exclaimed. But then they turned and looked in her direction, and she saw them clearly in the light of some street lamps illuminating the parking area. It was them. "I can't believe it... Oh, maybe this is a good thing... Maybe, if I... tell them what happened, they might...." She stopped short, mentally reconsidering, 'Oh, come on Marlena... they think he kidnapped you... they won't listen to a word you say. They're going to haul him off to jail and grill him for information on Stefano. He's a valuable commodity, and once he's been arrested, he won't have a chance.'
Still uncertain how to handle the situation, she was muttering her thoughts out loud. "Marlena, what if you're wrong, what if this guy isn't what you think he is? What if he's nothing more than Stefano's right hand man?"
"So, you uh...you like talking to yourself, Doc?"
She jumped at the sound of his voice. "Uh, no I uh... well, I guess. What did I say?"
"Well, I didn't catch it all but you seem pretty worked up to me... what's going on?"
"I saw some men outside and I uh... wondered if maybe they were looking for us."
Despite his injury, he practically leaped off the bed and was at the window before she could even attempt to provide some assistance. When he got there, he held onto the wooden frame for stability, hissing out a moan in the form of a curse word that served two purposes, "Damn... I should known they would find a way to track us."
"John, they don't know we're here, I'm certain of it."
"How, how can you be so sure? The Rover's right...." He stopped when he peered cautiously around the curtain and failed to locate it through slightly blurry vision.
"Because I hid the truck."
That was a shocker. He turned immediately. "You hid it?"
She nodded and smiled somewhat proudly, "Yes, call it instinct. Call it whatever you like, but I knew we shouldn't leave it in plain sight, so it's a ways away from here and we're registered as Joanne and Joshua Grant. I paid cash for the room, told the clerk you were sleeping in the car."
He was speechless. This woman was incredible, taking him by surprise at every turn. Every time he thought he knew who she was and what she was about, she did something that confused the heck out of him. After watching the four men head into their own rooms, apparently unaware and unsuspecting, John smiled and headed back toward the bed, not even flinching when he felt her arms go around his waist to lend support to his efforts. There was something about being with this stunning beauty that seemed so familiar, so good, so right. He sighed as she tucked him under the covers, so exhausted he barely noticed the slight sting he felt in his left arm.
Cloudy blue eyes met dazzling hazel and no words were spoken. There were some meanings which needed none. John closed his eyes and let the soothing darkness of a drug induced slumber claim him.
It was quiet for awhile. John slept peacefully while she read from the paperback novel she'd found in her coat pocket. She figured she must have slipped it in there while they were at that basement apartment in the Vatican with the man he thought was a friend. Ironically, it was about a priest who fell in love and broke his vows to the church.
When John woke up, she was sitting at the vanity table and brushing her long silky hair. It was like spun gold. She heard him stirring and turned in his direction to see him leaning back against the headboard staring at her admiringly, and blushed a soft shade of pink.
"Your hair... it's so beautiful.... and so are you."
Her face flushed again, but she didn't say anything, afraid to ruin the moment. She looked down and didn't see him approach until his hands were on her shoulders. A shuddering breath escaped when he touched her and she slowly lifted her head and peered into smoldering eyes. Her own eyes were filled with a kind of longing she'd never known. There was something about this man, some quality he possessed which she couldn't name, that left her breathless just to look at him.
When she didn't pull away, he put his hands under her arms and gently brought her to her feet. Then his hands were back at shoulder level and drawing her closer. She stared into cool blue pools and thought she might faint for the power of his hold over her. He could do anything, ask anything of her now, and she would not refuse him.
His right hand reached for her cheek, his outstretched fingers resting there for a moment, while his left brought them closer still, their lips inches apart. He stood there waiting, wanting to make sure it was alright.
She sighed and he knew. His lips pressed lightly on the softness of hers, and he slid his tongue inside when she parted them. When they kissed, it was as if a spark had suddenly become a roaring inferno. She was moaning as desire burned inside her and he was panting with the need of her, his bullet wound all but forgotten.
Instinctively, they moved toward the bed, all the while tugging at their clothing. This was passion without forethought and they bowed to it, undressing in a matter of seconds. Breathless and controlled by desire, they continued kissing, hands roving on newly exposed skin, eyes pausing only briefly to take it all in.
"Oh, John... oh.."
Not thinking about his injury, she reached out for him, her hands pressing on his chest and right side, eliciting a soft moan of pain. Marlena reared back suddenly, as if she'd burned him.
The spell was broken. He was holding his side and there was fresh blood on the bandage.
Reality smacked her in the face, and she looked down at him with a physician's pair of eyes. "Oh my God... what were we thinking? John, we can't do this... you're hurt... we could have caused you further injury."
Still breathing hard with desire, his eyes a light with fire, he made a move toward her, "It'd be worth it to me, Doc."
Not sure whether she was more upset at him or herself, she snapped at him, "I *told* you to stop calling me that!"
"Okay, okay... don't be so touchy... " he said, his hands in the air as if to surrender. A moment later, he was almost doubled over with the pain.
"Lie down!" She was mad at both of them, him for having such a powerful affect on her, and her for becoming lost in his piercing blue eyes.
He choked out a reply as he sat down on the edge of the bed, his wishful thinking evident, "Now, that's what I like, a woman who knows exactly what she wants and goes right after it. No apologies."
"I meant so that I can take a good look at that wound again," she said, quickly buttoning up her blouse, making it clear that the fire was out as far as she was concerned.
Disappointed, he sighed, then fell silent and did as she ordered. She was right, the thing was hurting like a son of a gun. Despite his best efforts to maintain his tough exterior, John flinched and cried out when she touched a tender spot near the point of entry. "Ow..."
"Sorry... "
There was no response. Just that fast, he was out cold. "Smart move, Marlena... you brought him in here to get some rest, not reopen his wound." But she couldn't stop from thinking about what almost happened, 'Oh, but those eyes, those hands, that mouth... '
She shivered, merely thinking about how it felt when she was in his arms and being kissed. It was like nothing she'd ever experienced, the kind of hot passion that made all rational thought disappear from her mind. What did it mean?
An hour later, she was reading again when his eyelids began to flutter. Upon awakening, he laid there quietly for awhile, not uttering a word. After a brief glance in his direction, she went back to reading the paperback romance novel, scarcely making eye contact.
Finally, when she thought she couldn't take the silence for one second longer, he sat up gingerly and asked her a question. "Tell me something, lady..... why are you doing this? Why are you really here... with me ?"
"I told you that before, I'm a doctor, I took an oath."
"Yea, yea... first do no harm... I remember. Now, tell me another story. I think I deserve to know the truth."
Suddenly feeling defensive, she fired back at him, "Oh, you do.. you deserve the truth.... Alright, the truth is.. you came to my hotel room in the middle of the night and forced me to help you, and then you kidnapped me, John Stevens, or whoever the hell you are! You're a liar and a thief who worked for Stefano Dimera, a man I hate... No, make that the monster who *murdered* my husband and got away with it! For all I know you could be planning to take me to him in exchange for your lousy excuse for a life."
After what almost happened between them, it hurt to hear her say that, even if most of it was true. John tried to get off the bed to face off with her but the pain stopped him. His reply, however, was sharp and equally confrontational, "Oh, so what was that before... What.. you thought you'd get a cheap thrill by sleeping with the enemy... is that it?" he added, finally managing to reach a standing position.
"No... no, that was... it was..." She was flustered, unnerved by her visceral response to this strikingly handsome and sexy man, whom she knew she should loathe as much as Stefano.
He could barely stand but he put a hand on her arm, wanting her to look him in the eye when she denied it meant anything to her. "What, what was it? You could have said no, you could have pushed me away. I wasn't forcing you to kiss me! Just like I didn't force you to stay with me. You chose that!"
Still, she wouldn't look at him. Dammit... she owed him that much. Didn't she?
His anger took control and he wanted to hurt her like she'd just hurt him, so he said what he knew would get a strong reaction. "Or were you planning to tell them I tried to rape you too?"
She closed the distance between them and slapped him across the face. Hard. There was no conscious thought involved--it was purely an emotional reaction. No one had ever gotten to her this way and it frightened her to the depths of her soul. She took it out on him.
John turned away, fighting the urge to rub at the stinging red flesh of his left cheek. He was surprised to feel another burning sensation, as trace amounts of salty moisture began to well up behind his eyes. It was unfamiliar and definitely unexpected, and he wondered if she noticed, but said nothing to her. The slap marked the end of it as far as he was concerned.
"I'm sorry... I didn't mean..."
He just shook his head, then laid back down on the bed, pulled the covers up, and closed his eyes. Whatever he thought might happen with her was all over now. In anger, she showed him how she really felt about him, which was basically that he was little better than the pond scum Dimera was to her. She was right and he'd been a fool to even begin to think there could ever be anything between them. Marlena Evans was way out of his league.
He should have known that he was never going to be allowed any true happiness. Everyone he'd ever felt remotely close to had been taken from him, for whatever reason he never understood. Maybe it was some kind of punishment, some elemental recompense for the darkness in his soul. First his parents died, then his brother went away too. In the beginning, when he first came to live with the man who sought to raise him, he thought Stefano Dimera actually cared about him. But John soon learned that he was nothing more than a tool to be used by that two faced bastard.
Besides the constant physical abuse, which he called discipline, the man had lied to him, manipulated him, and messed with his head. For a long time John made himself cold and hard--unfeeling. He did what he had to do to stay in the Old Man's good graces, believing he had no choice. Having seen others try to escape, only to be brought back and tortured to death, John knew there was no way out and he had to make the best of it.
And then at last, there was Gina. Beautiful dark haired Gina. Stefano brought her in to be John's partner in crime, a confidante, and nothing more. But, the unexpected happened--they fell in love. Behind his back, they made plans to have a life together, a life far removed from Stefano Dimera and his world of darkness.
As he fought the sleep that would bring further healing, John spoke to her, believing more than ever that she was his one chance at love, and he'd lost her too. It had been a few days now, and the pain was beginning to penetrate his finely crafted emotional shield, one created from an innate sense of self preservation. "Oh, Gina... you left me too.... why, Gina... why'd you have to leave me?" Tears overflowed their confines against his will, making a light trail of moisture on his cheeks, and dropping soundlessly onto the white pillowcase.
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Marlena felt horrible about hitting him, and about what she'd said. But there was apparently no going back. John was shutting down. The next move was completely hers.
Standing inside the bathroom, she didn't hear him at first, but the second time she was sure of what the soft sounds meant. Having been there herself only a few short months ago, Marlena had known it would come sooner or later. The slightly protective fog of shock was dissipating--John was beginning to mourn.
This tough guy, who rarely complained of pain, suddenly looked and sounded so forlorn, and it was obvious that he was hardly aware that she was in the room with him. It was as if his mind had taken him back to the traumatic experience of his lover's death. Marlena's heart went out to him and she wished he would talk to her about it. She presumed that Gina's demise marked yet another in a long line of significant losses he'd suffered. Her professional instincts told her that he'd been hurt so many times he learned to stop feeling anything for people. But somehow Gina must have found a way to break through his defenses, and then tragically he'd lost her too.
'He must be completely devastated by her death, but he's been keeping it all locked up. Oh, I wish I could help him.'
She shook her head to clear it. Her reaction to him made no sense. One minute she was kissing him, in the next slapping his face and intimating that he was as evil as Stefano. And five minutes after that she was worried about how he was feeling. 'What is WRONG with me?'
The answer came via her conscience, or maybe her heart, which she too had been closing off because of her own grief over losing Roman. 'You care, you try to tell yourself that you don't, but you DO care about him. You're attracted to him, you know he's hurting and you want to help him, and not just because you're a doctor. Now, why don't you make it easier on everybody and just admit it?'
A noise emanating from outside the motel interrupted her disconcerting self-examination, and the cold chill of panic seized her heart, leaving her frozen to the chair. What if Bo and Shane had found the Range Rover? And much worse, what if it was Stefano's men who had discovered their whereabouts?