Page 33 of Unlocked

“How could you not?” Marley cries. “It’s my fault you were taken! They hurt you and tried to kill you.” I gape at her. Is that what she thinks? I shake my head, not believing what I’m hearing.

“Marley, none of this is your fault,” I say firmly, hoping she hears what I’m saying. Luke pats on her shoulder as if saying, ‘see I told you so’. “If anyone is to blame, other than those assholes who took us, it’s me.” Bo tenses at my side. “It’s my fault you were taken. You shouldn’t have been in the bathroom in the first place. If you weren’t in there comforting me, they wouldn’t have had the opportunity to take you. I’m sorry.” Marley leaps off Luke’s lap and runs to me, wrapping her arms around me.

“It’s not your fault,” she asserts. “None of this is on you.” She pulls back to look at me. “You really aren’t angry with me?” I shake my head, giving her an amused look. She hugs me again, and we just hold onto one another for a long while. At last, she pulls away. “How are you? Was anything broken?” I’m again shaking my head.

“I’m fine, Marley, truly. How are you? I was so worried about you. I didn’t know until this morning that you’d been freed, too.” She looks from me to Bo and back with a confused look.

“I’m okay, too,” she says after another hard look at Bo. “The doctor didn’t find any significant injuries on you?” I frown at her. Bo clears his throat before answering.

“No, like she said, she’s fine.” I glance at him. He looks guilty of something. I narrow my eyes at him and clench my fist. I’m sure I’m not going to like whatever it is he’s lied about. I turn back to Marley to give her a comforting smile.

“I really am okay, Marley. Don’t worry about me.” She nods, but she still looks uncertain. She clasps my hand briefly before going back to sit in Luke’s lap. I close my eyes to center myself before I broach the topic of the FBI interview. “So when is thisAgent Morris arriving?” I ask, turning to Bo. He scowls at me. The hand in his lap forms into a fist before he answers me.

“He should be here soon,” he answers, seeming aggravated. Good, the more I irritate him, the sooner he’ll be tired of me. I beam a megawatt smile at him.

“Excellent, the sooner the better,” I reply happily. Marley frowns at us. The rest of the room is looking perplexed as well. “Marley would you mind if I go up to the room where I was staying? I’d like to get my things together.” Bo is livid. I can feel him vibrating with fury next to me.

“Shelby,” he says in a threatening tone. I face him without any fear, but now I’m the one who’s annoyed.

“Yes,” I drawl. I can feel eyes on us as we have our showdown. My face flushes with discomfiture at being the center of attention, but I’m not backing down. Bo Robertson will not tell me what to do.

“You aren’t leaving.” His voice is hard, unyielding. My ire at his bossiness rises to a new level. How dare he tell me what to do? And in front of everyone?Oh, hell, no!

“You don’t have a say in whether or not I leave, Bo Robertson,” I sass. “I’m an adult. I decide what I do and when I do it.” His stern expression falls dramatically. I almost feel bad for him. Almost.

“Please, don’t leave me,” he implores quietly, sadness covering his handsome face. I rear back in shock. Of all the things I expected him to say or do, that wasn’t one of them. I expected him to argue, to be bossy Bo or aloof Bo. I can’t handle vulnerable Bo. I leap to my feet. Bo reaches for me, but I manage to dodge his grasp, batting at his hands. I flee for the stairs, determined to pack my things and get out of here. The FBI be damned.

I refuse to consider how his words make me feel. I don’t want to think about how much I want him to be sincere in what hesays. But he can’t be serious. He can’t really want me to stay for him. Can he? I’m not the kind of woman he should be with. Bo should be with a tall, slender, voluptuous woman with long, wavy, blonde hair that is never out of place. The perfect Ken and Barbie couple.

I reach the top of the stairs, not daring to look back to see if he is in pursuit. I make a break for the room I stayed in before I was taken. Bo’s room. Rushing inside, I’m assaulted with his scent. It still permeates the room. Briefly I close my eyes, taking a second to collect myself. I don’t linger long, because I don’t have time to wallow in the memories of our time together in this room nor all the things he has made me feel since I arrived. I must get away before I lose any more of myself.

I grab my suitcase from the closet and toss it onto the bed, quickly unzipping it, flipping the top back. I pull open drawers and quickly snatch up my clothes, pitching them into the open case. I work like a woman possessed. I suppose I am. The intense need I feel to detach myself from Bo and the emotions he is causing in me drives me to move faster. In very little time, I have all of my clothes in the case. I rush into the bathroom to collect my toiletries.

As I exit the bathroom, the bedroom door opens. I can see Bo in my peripheral vision, but I chose to ignore him. He stands at the door, watching me, but makes no move to stop me. When I’m finished putting all of my things inside, I close the top of the suitcase and begin to zip it closed. It hits me. I’ve made a grave error in my escape plan. I don’t have my cell phone to call an Uber or to book a flight home. It had been lost when we had been taken. My eyes burn with my frustration. I blink my eyes several times. I’m determined not to let the tears of defeat fall, not in front of him.

I stand at the edge of the bed with my back to him, trying to formulate a plan, but I’m coming up blank. I have no wayof leaving here without some help. Another thing to consider, I have no idea when Marley will reschedule her wedding. I don’t want her to think I’m leaving because I’m upset with her over what happened to us. I meant what I said about it. I don’t blame her in any way.

Hands grip my shoulders that sag under his touch. “Please, sweet girl,” Bo begs. His voice in my ear. “Don’t leave. Stay here where I can take care of you. At least until you’ve had time to recover from…everything.” I begin to tremble as the adrenaline that fueled my rapid departure from downstairs leaves me. Bo wraps his arms around me from behind. “Shelby?”

I give up. I’m weak. I admit it, but I’ve been through hell in the last few days. I know that more hell is to come in the form of nightmares and flashbacks triggered by recent events. I begin to sob. Hard, racking sobs. The kind ugly crying is made of. I spin in his arms to bury my face in his chest. “Oh, my sweet girl,” Bo coos. “Everything will be okay.” He holds me for a long time not demanding anything further from me. He just lets me cry myself out. A knock at the door encourages me to regain control of myself. I take a deep breath and lift my head from his chest. I don’t look at him. I’m not yet ready to have the discussion I know is coming.

“Come in,” Bo calls. I glance toward the door to see Marley peeking in. Bo doesn’t release me. He keeps a tight hold around me but shifts us so we can see her.

“Shelby, are you okay?” she asks, quizzically. I nod not sure I can speak without my voice breaking. She twists her mouth to the side, biting her lower lip. “Are you sure?” I nod again and clear my throat.

“Yes, everything is okay,” I say. My voice stronger than I expected. “I’m sorry for the drama. I’m just having a bad day.” I finally spare Bo a glance. His scrutiny is intense. I know we have to have a heart to heart. I can’t keep fighting him, wondering andworrying about his words and actions. I’m going to drive myself and everyone else crazy.

“Marley could you us give a minute?” Bo asks, but his eyes never leave mine. Marley backs out of the room, closing the door behind her. I drop my head from the intensity of his gaze. “Shelby, we need to talk.” I grimace. No one wants to hear those words. I nod and try to step back, but he isn’t releasing me. Instead, he backs me up until my legs bump against the mattress. He reaches over me to push my suitcase out of the way. He sits on the bed, pulling me into his lap.

“Stop!” I demand. “I’m much too heavy to sit on your lap.” If looks could kill.

“Shelby, who has made you see yourself in such a negative light?” Bo’s tone is kinder than I’m expecting. My brows lower and face pinches as I attempt and fail to figure him out. “Someone has been unkind to you, made you feel like you are unworthy. I want to know who did it.” I war with myself. I want to just lay it all out, but can I trust him with my demons? Can I trust that he won’t use them against me in the future? Seconds tick by, but Bo waits patiently for me to answer. He seems to understand I need time to work this out in my head first.Has anyone ever been this perceptive to my needs?No,never.

If I have any hope of ever finding happiness, I have to be willing to take the leap. My therapist has told me many times over I’ll never have a chance at love if I don’t give someone the opportunity. Yes, it means I’ll be exposed. Yes, it means they will be able to hurt me, but it also means they will be able to love me, too. I’ll never know what could be if I don’t give him a chance.

Chapter 20

Bo

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