Kent's POV...
Hotel explodes in front of my eyes. Hope, where's Hope? "Hope! Hope?"
Hope Hope Hope Hope Hope Hope Hope Hope Hope Hope Hope Hope Hope Hope.
I stand up from asphalt as I pull out glass from my arm. My legs force me to run as fast as I can to find her. "Hope!" I shout but freeze in the place.
She's alive. Oh god, she's alive.
It's impossible to describe joy and relief I'm feeling. She's been hit hard by wave of blast. Hair's messiness covers her shoulders and face that's scratched. Cut on forehead and lip and chin and arm which's visible through her torn clothes.
Hope walks towards me as momentary shudder and twitches run in her body. She takes deadly slow and heavy steps as if she's lost sensation of her legs.
And her gaze... says nothing. Her eyes are absolutely empty when they stare at something right in front of her.
I run to her and grab her shoulders. Almost burned, dusted, devastated clothes remain in my hands when I pull her in embrace. "You're alright." Finally I let out relaxed deep breath I was holding for so long.
She doesn't answer. She doesn't move, doesn't even push me away. Hope just stands there petrified, cold as stone. I wrap my arm around her waist, my hand holds back of her head as I bury face in crack of her neck.
My eyes slowly close when I feel her closeness. I thought I lost her.
"You're okay. I was so scared." I hold her tighter. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I'll never leave you alone again. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." I whisper again and again. "Are you hurt? Do you feel alright?"
I pull away just a little to see her face. She's frozen, her eyes are half-blinking and they're tired, life drained out of it. She stares at my collar bone, right at her height.
Another half-blink and tears fall from her eyes unexpectedly. One two three tears one by one splash on the ground. "Hope, say something."
I cup side of her head. And I stop breathing, I stop thinking.
My hand gets wet and I don't want to see it. Tears keep rolling down on her cheeks but she still doesn't shift. I withdraw my hand from her head to see palm of mine covered in blood.
Abruptly she loses last strength in knees and sinks in my arms. I catch her head before her whole body meets ground. "No, no, no, no, no, no," Liquid fills my eyes. "Don't do this. Please. I'm begging you."
I swipe my hand on her pale face, putting hair away. "No, no, no, no, no." Her eyes are closed. "Please, my beautiful." Tear rolls down on my cheek. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. I'm sorry."
Head of her rests on my lap as I push her closer and kiss her cheek. My forehead presses hers and my tears drop on her face. "Open those brown eyes, I'm begging you. Please. Please. Open your eyes and yell at me, be angry, be mad, hate me as much as you want, but please, stay with me."
Her blood is on my shirt. "Stay with me. I can't let you go." I whisper, not believing in my own words but also being 100% confident in them. "Don't go." I can't let go woman I'm hopelessly falling in love with.
Already pale skin starts to freeze. She's so cold and her breath becomes heavier. She's struggling and I have to help her while she's still fighting, gripping on her life.
I look around to see someone's burning limb on the ground, hotel on fire, scared survivors running away, complete chaos. I lift Hope and carry her to the car. Her seatbelt is buckled quickly as I slide in driver's seat.
Vehicle starts moving and I dial Alice. "Kent? Is everything alright?"
"No, no, it's not. Grab everything you need and be at my place in ten minutes."
"What happened? I'm in pajamas, give me—"
"I don't care!" I was too rude. "Did you hear exploding sound?"
"Yes— oh lord, Kent are you alright? You need help? Liam!"
"Yes, I'm okay, be here in ten." Police and emergency car's lights and sounds are everywhere. Despite the paved road I fly to house. Alice and Liam are already here.
"What happened? Are you alright?" She runs to me immediately after I step out of car.
"Everything's alright with me." I make my way to Hope's side.
"Then what hap— oh my goodness!" I pick Hope up and throw house key at Liam. He opens the door and I rush upstairs.
"What happened to her?" I glance at Liam for a second. "He's reliable." Alice opens her case.
"We were on mission and bomb exploded, then her head was bleeding." I say. "She will be okay right? Everything is going to be fine."
"I don't know Kent. I have to remove her clothes, leave for two minutes." Liam waits for me to the door. I'm loosing my pace when I leave room.
First thing I think about is that I have to change my clothes. "Where are you going Kent?" Liam follows me in my room.
I remove everything I had on and put something else. "I have to burn these." With clothes I clean my hands from Hope's blood hysterically.
"Kent, Kent calm down. She's going to be okay." Guy behind me says.
"How do you know?! Maybe she won't make it tonight, maybe she's injured seriously. It was my fault, I left her alone." I say, my voice higher than ever. "I didn't answer my goddamn earbud when she fucking needed me." Guiltiness lowers my voice.
"I wasn't able to answer, I couldn't. I- I didn't think this- this could happen in such short time." My voice is willing to break. "If I'd answer her when she found bomb, if I'd demand her to get out of there and not go back to party none of this would happen."
I can't get that goddamn blood off my hands. "Now she's dying and- and I can't do anything, I can't assist her." My hands are working with uncontrollable speed. "Can you bring me her clothes, please?"
When Liam returns with her clothes I ball everything and run downstairs. I pull my hip flask as I approach back yard. Drink is what'll help me, so I drink from flask, then pour alcohol on fabrics and drop lit match on it.
After everything burned I return upstairs, step in the room. Alice is packing medical equipment and I kneel next to Hope.
She looks so vulnerable, pale and exhausted. "How is she?"
"Critically stable."
"Will she be okay?"
"I don't know." I quickly look up at Alice. "Either she'll be perfectly fine tomorrow or we'll need to take her to hospital." My eyes run to Hope again. "She's very strong, she'll make it. I hope so."
I nod. I know she'll make it, I just feel that she won't give up that easily. "There's robe in Hope's closet, I surmise she won't mind if you put it on." I say to Alice, who's standing in her nightgown front of Liam.
"Before that, can I have word with you?" Alice asks and opens door.
"I'll stay with her." Liam tilts his head at sleeping girl.
My cousin leads me on terrace. "I was warning you about this. I was telling you something would happen. Why can't you just listen to me?"
"Please Alice, stop."
"No, you'll talk to me." She takes little pause and deep breath as her hands rest on hips. "Do you love her?"
"What? No, of course not."
"Stop this bullshit right now. Maybe you don't love her but you're starting to catch feelings for her." She smiles. "And that's beautiful. Don't put her in danger again, and you know what danger I'm talking about."
"She's protected from him," I say on my low voice, "trust me."
"What did you do?"
I let deep breath out. "Made a deal with devil."
"Are you even listening what you're talking about?" She's flabbergasted and digested by decision I made. "Look who it is, the grand hero with big goals to save god forbidden girl."
"Look who it is, the dumb girl who's tongue is long enough to read me a lecture while carrying truly god forbidden man's child. How about that Alice?" She's speechless and scoffs. "Don't lecture me about something when you have so much to learn about this life." I smile at her after dead serious face. "Just trust me."
"I don't know if I should trust you after you made deal with your father."
"You know he can't do anything to me."
"But he can hurt her." Voice of her raises.
"That's why I accepted to obey him while we're here." I say, much more saddened. "I destroy everything, I have no mercy. He can't put a finger on you or her." Hatred for fact that I'm toy of my father's is awful. I'm marionette now.
She grins so wide my face is forced to drop in annoyance. "Don't do that face."
"What face?" She chuckles. "I remember last time I saw that sparkles in your eyes."
"I have to go back." I turn on my way. "And put something on."
I sigh as I approach Hope's weak frame, softly laying on bed. Her chest raises and falls as she breathes. Her face is slowly gaining the color she lost and I'm oddly, unbelievable happy.
"Wake up m'lady." I whisper when my lips softly brush her hand, holding it while kneeling next to her. "I believe in you."
. . .
I wake up next to Hope, still holding her hand. I watch her inhaling relaxed, calm breaths, how she sleeps peacefully. How can this innocent human hurt anyone? And then I think, how did she upturn my whole world with a simple kiss?
I'm not ashamed to express my feelings but I'm not sure what I feel. Whatever feeling I feel for her is disgusting and so beautiful, it's gripping on my soul and heart I'm afraid it's too late. I like it or not I'm feeling something for her.
All I know is that I want to wrap her in my arms and hold forever, I want to give her my heart and never expect it back, I want to be called hers.
I let her go to check screaming sound I heard. When I exit my room and go in Hope's I see Liam and Alice tangled in each other. She's resting her head on his chest and he's holding her tight against himself.
I knock once on the door to wake them up. They struggle to open their eyes. "How's she?" Jumped up Alice asks, glancing at him.
"Better." I stare at Liam with death stare.
"Why were you two so cuddly?" I ask and touch my chin.
"We fall asleep and I was cold. He was trying to warm me up, don't be dramatic."
"We don't have blankets?" I ask and gasp. "Don't make me believe we don't have blankets."
"Kent—"
"I assume I could give you blanket or cup of tea if you were that cold—"
"It's not what it looks like."
"Isn't it?"
"I'm really sorry to interrupt—" Liam says, raising finger for consent.
"Then don't." Alice and I both say together.
"Something is happening outside." He says as he approaches window.
"What's going on?" Alice walks towards him. I roll my eyes and imitate her with annoyance.
"What the goddamn hell is happening here?" She asks again. I'm trying to come up with image I'm seeing, few people are willingly going into sea and drowning themselves while screaming at someone. "They're— they're calling someone." Alice gasps as she runs in living room to see what happened to lady who just stepped in water.
"No!" She yells as she watches that lady drowning herself too. She's crying and all I can do is to bury her face in my chest to cover horror view. My arms are wrapped around her as I overcome with agony.
Liam's eyes are as wide as mine. He runs to lock the door, no one knows what should we expect from hypnotized suicidal people. "Wait, Hope." She's first that came in my mind. I let go of Alice and run in room.
Whole room is filled with mist just like everything else. Hope sleeps peacefully but I can notice little smirk on her face. "Kent! Liam!" Alice yells. Only her voice is what wakes me up from my thoughts.
"What happened?" I approach her and look through the huge window in the living room. "Where did- everyone go?" I ask. There's no one, nothing, as if we didn't see people drowning here. Mist is gone. And everything happened in less than two minutes.
"What just happened?" Alice asks.
"I don't know, three of us couldn't hallucinate same thing at the same time. But it's impossible, those people couldn't disappear that quickly."
"So what are you saying? We hallucinated?" I just breathe, not having answer.
. . .
Hope's POV...
I open my eyes, feeling my head heavy and someone next to me. I see Kent, sleeping, looking like angel. Blonde curls of his falling on his face and soft, smooth skin gleaming in the slightest light of moon. His face is work of art, so gentle and beautiful but also handsome and masculine, majestic.
He immediately opens his eyes when I move and looks at me. His gaze is soft, careful, worried. Kent eyes my face and head and every part of my body quickly and returns to my eyes. "Are you feeling okay?"
"Why am I here?" I scan his room.
"I brought you here without thinking." I think about everything what happens last night.
"You saved me?" My voice is bit higher than whisper. He just clears his throat and looks down. I search his eyes, waiting for answer, denial. "You saved me." This time I say mostly to myself.
As I raise myself he stops me. "What are you doing?"
"I'm feeling alright." I notice that my left hand is warmer than right. "You were holding my hand?"
"I- um- I was—"
"Don't worry, I'm not mad." I have no idea why I meet his behavior kindly.
"I fall asleep next to you, I wanted to make sure you were alright." I nod and sit up. I'm confused why he cares about me. He stands up and slides his hands in pockets, gathering all composure he lost while his mask dropped.
"What happened last night? Why am I wearing your clothes?"
"Alice changed your clothes, don't worry, I haven't touched you." He smirks satisfied. "Nothing special, I just saved your miserable life from going to place of no returns."
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why did you save me?"
He sighs and his mask disappears, again. "Don't play this game Hope, you know very well why."
"You hate me." I utter.
"No," he says, "that's not true. I can't stand you." He breathes. "Get rest, it's 4am, go back to sleep."
Kent leaves my— his room, leaving me in complete uncertainty. What did he mean by that? Everything confuses me, I feel like I missed 3 episodes of my life and now I need to catch up with the show.
Of course I won't be me if I obey Kent's even sincere advice, so I head downstairs. I'm feeling quite well, it's not like I need rest.
I see him outside, sitting on the edge of terrace while facing the sea. The part of railing is off in case if someone decides to jump in the water.
"I often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day." I approach him as he smiles, holding cigar between lips.
"Vincent Van Gogh quote. Of course you're here."
I sit on the floor next to him when I whisper. "Thank you." My eyes won't leave sea and pitch black sky, holed by stars.
"You're welcome." For a moment both of us are quiet. "What's your biggest regret?" He asks out of nowhere.
"From where did it come?" He looks at me first time with demanding gaze. "Alright, running away when I was supposed to stay." I bite my bottom lip. "What about you? What's your biggest regret?"
He releases smoke from his mouth. "You can't regret something you haven't done." He won't stop staring at me.
"What do you mean?"
"I don't have regrets." He smiles.
"Everyone has regrets."
"Not me. I don't do things I would regret and if do I leave it in past." He looks away.
"So you don't regret anything you have done? The murderers and other criminal acts?" I'm tripping over my own words. This time I stare at him and I feel how shyness sneaks in my actions when I look away.
"No." He says. "There's very little you know about my world, Hope, but you still decided to make assumptions about my character, trust me mostly the wrong ones."
"What's something other's done? You said you can't regret something you haven't done."
"What if you take the chance, what if you risk your heart, what if you crash it into someone who genuinely inspires you, and they choose you? What if they love you the way you always desired to be loved? What if they grow you, and encourage you, and teach you that love was always meant to be soft? What if they stay?" He finishes his word. "My one and only regret is that I let someone leave when she was supposed to stay."
"We have something in common." I chuckle out of pain. "So you like poetry."
"Poetry fills my soul. When you read something beautiful you find coexistence; it breaks walls down. I see poetry as spiritual medicine. Mahmoud Darwish said."
"You think your soul is empty? Lonely?" He snickers. "But you never let anyone come close to you, that's what you said," I remind him. "That you don't have friends."
He smiles and takes cigar from his mouth with index and middle fingers. "I want you to be my friend."
I'm completely perplexed. "I- I can't be you're friend. How can I?"
"Maybe you should just follow your feelings, listen what your heart says."
"You wouldn't like if I listen to it." He laughs this time and shakes his head.
"It suggests to throw me off the cliff again?"
"Wanna bet?" I narrow my eyes at him. "Also why do you want to be friends with me? I mean, I suck at friendships and I definitely am not someone you should go crazy about."
"Yes, you are."
"I'm your enemy."
"Keep a friend close, enemy even closer."
"And how close are we talking about?" He smirk and his eyes drop on my lips.
"You wouldn't like my answer." I stare at him, at boy who saved me, who took care of me and slept next to me to make sure I was okay. I can't understand what he's doing, one day he's my enemy and says that he can't stand me, and the other day he's asking me to be his friend and worries about me.
Maybe I'm wrong, maybe I shouldn't be mad at whole Kent family. That doesn't help my view of his character and also fact that we're rivals.
He grabs hip flask that I didn't see earlier and sips from it. What the weirdest part is, I know this flask. "From where do you have that?" I ask and I'm not sure I heard my faint, panicked voice.
"This?" He asks. "I don't really know. I have it for a while. Why?"
"Nothing, it just— it reminds me— can I see it?" He hands me his alcohol and I look at bottom. It's same bottle. It has initials S and K.
I give him back his flask. Doubts will suffocate me. My chest raises and falls as my heart goes wild. He shouldn't have this flask. "You do know from where you got it, don't you?"
"I do. Alright, let's make a deal, tell me why you hate me so much. Once and for all."
"And you'll tell me from where you have that flask."
"You'll accept my condition."
"You'll reveal every secret and lie you're hiding from me."
"Deal," he holds out a hand. "Partner." I look down and then shake his hand. OH MY GOODNESS, what did I just agree?
"Why do I hate you? Hmm, let's start with your cockiness, how can you be so douchebag? Literally most annoying person on earth. I'll continue with our past, you're my rival and keep stealing clients from me, you almost got me in jail!" I breath. "You lie to me all the time, also I've heard rumors about you, everyone heard, that you're two-faced scammer. I saw that too."
I laugh. "Why did you expect that I would trust you? You keep something to yourself all the damn time and no, I'm not talking about personal issues, I'm talking about mission details and et cetera. And your shitty behavior towards me, it just drives me insane. Oh, and one more, I love jokes and shit, I'm not grumpy type, but when you mess with me on purpose I just want to," I bellow as I clench my fists. "Strangle you in an instant. That's all." Smile stretches on my lips.
"Wow, that's... a lot." He sips again, then laughs joyfully. "There's something else too."
"I— I just told you everything."
"Do I look like an idiot to you?" I shrug. "You hate me for something I'm not aware of. Enlighten me."
I gulp and fix my gaze on water with incomparable hatred. Am I ready to tell the story? "Your father is responsible for my mother's death."
"What?"
"What if I tell you I knew you before?"
"What do you mean?"
"We knew each other when we were kids." I try to smile. "Fifteen years ago, when I was five we met each other. My mother," my eyes slowly start to fill with tears. "Wasn't someone you could forecast. Out of nowhere she started visiting strange dangerous man. Your father. I thought they were friends, then she started taking me with her in your huge mansion. I don't remember much, but I remember two golden princes, your brother wasn't playing with us, it was just you and me, we even had our quote," I laugh again.
"What was it?"
"You and me against the world. It's actually hilarious. One day I saw my mom on her knees front of your father, begging him to not do something. He was threatening her, driving her insane. When they saw me they stopped. Third day after my birthday mom took me to the bridge. She told me these words: we're going for a swim sweetie, but promise me you won't be afraid. Trust me, okay? And then jumped in water with me."
Tear drops from my eye as I continue staring at sea. "She didn't make it, but I survived somehow. At the funeral I heard Rowan saying that it was better this way for his boys. That day I swore I'd hate whole Kent family untill I die. I blamed you everything and then you started getting on my nerves by stealing clients." I snivel. "Now you know what made me hate you this much."
He wraps me in his arms. "I'm sorry." He kisses top of my head and tightens his arms around me. "I'm so sorry."
"Let it out love. Cry, I'm here for you." As I hear his heartbeat I can't help but start crying. I let out my whole heart whilst shedding tears, making his whole shirt wet. My voice getting higher and I realize how hurt I am. I hate myself for what I'm doing.
My emotions are out and my heart is definitely more portable. "I'm okay!" I wipe tears. "I'm alright. I don't want you to feel sorry for me. I don't need pity."
"I'm not pitying you, I'm seeing burning eyes willing to tore him apart. And I want to help you to get your revenge." He says decisively.
"No."
"What? I don't understand, you don't want to get revenge?" He asks, caused by unfairness.
"Will revenge makes my mother come alive?" Brown is covering green in his eyes, he's getting angry.
"No, but it will pay him for what he did. You should fight back, you should use your title and your power against him. You can't just watch him rule while he ruined your life."
"You realize we're talking about your father, right?"
"He's everything but father to me." He sighs. "I left him after my car crash." Car crash? "Only reason that holds me back from destroying him completely is Alice. But you can do it, there's nothing that holds you back. Your power is more than enough to—"
"Kent, enough! I don't want to get revenge on your father." I shout out of frustration and stand up to leave him, but he gets on his feet and grabs my arm as he swings me.
My face is closer to his face than two inches. "You're most coward person I've ever seen." I might die. He squeezes my forearm tight as he whispers again. We're starring at each other but suddenly he drops his eyes to my lips. "I hate that in you."
His lips have never been this beautiful as it is in pale moonlight. My heartbeat is too loud while my skin feels hot breath of his.
"I'm not a—" He presses his lips on mine and holds back of my head.
Lustful lips of his releases all his anger on mine. My hair is tangled in his fingers. Our kiss is more animalistic than before, he takes shit out of my mouth.
I can stop him, I can push him away but I don't. I want him to kiss me. He can draw whatever response he wants from me. I hate that, and yet I want it, all at once.
"I hate you. I hate you. I hate you." He kisses me harder. Hot mouth of his covers mine.
"Liar" My back slams against the wall next to glass door, my head hitting purposely ready hand of his. His fingers are locked around my neck, I'm asking more from him when I pull his hair and turn us around. Our wild movements break few plant's pots.
Hands on my lower back slides down and turns us again. I squeeze his toned muscles because my back hurts from sudden hardness of wall, but before I cope with pain my wrist are locked above my head.
He bites my lip and I gasp. "You have no idea what you're doing to me." Kent whispers. My pajama pants are off and his hands are responsible. By him my stomach and waist is grazed after he slipped his hand under my jacket.
His hands grab back of my thighs. "Jump."
I don't hesitate to warp my legs around his waist. I feel him hard beneath me. Quick movements reposition us again, I'm sitting on table and brake everything that was on it. "I'm giving you myself." His kiss is hard, strong, hungry, insatiable and his hands on every part of my body. "Is this what you want?"
"Yes," I let out breathlessly, feeling my core aching for him.
"Yes what?"
"Yes, I want it."
"Good girl." Husky in his voice tells and I feel him smile at my jaw. His lips are on my neck now, kissing length of my collar bone as he unzips my jacket. I'm melting after praise, after sick two words.
Whole body is moving down my figure as he lays me on table. Every vase, every decor accessory is broken. Suddenly I can't see him anymore, all I see is curve of his shoulders between my legs. "So you have whole list of reasons to hate me, hm?" Look in his eyes is dangerous. I'm not sure what he's going to do but I know for sure it was threat I'm very into. He yanks oversized fabric and kisses my throbbing stomach. "I guess I have to take your ability to walk in return."
Lightest brush of his lips runs on my lower torso. His lips trace inner thigh. "Why are you so sure you'll be in control?" I raise myself and find his mouth with mine.
"That's not how we play m'lady." He utters.
"Really?" Playful smirk wakes evil in him, I see it in his eyes. Whilst my lips are on his my hands make its way down to his pants. Quickly undo button and pull zipper down.
"Don't you dare." Hotness of his breath and my wrist tightly in his hands demoted me to being submissive.
He takes me inside in living room, possibly breaking few more decor. I jump down and follow his body with kisses until I'm kneeling front of him, say. "Is that how you imagined it'd be like seducing me? Me on my knees front of you, when you thought about me and hated it?"
"Yes, along begs and groveling in your part." Suddenly he kneels too. I straddle him. There's thousand kisses on my neck. He slowly approaches my back and then impatiently removes jacket, revealing me in thin, see-through inside-shirt.
He looks astonished as he sees my body almost naked and my nipples hard as stone. "You're so beautiful. So, so damn beautiful." Kisses and hickeys appear on my chest this time. Moves on my jaw when his hand reaches my underwear. "And dripping wet," he's smirking as I bite my lip to lock moans in my mouth. "I want to please you, I want to know where to touch you, I want to know how to touch you."
I can't breathe when his hands are moving on my back so softly. "You want to know what I'm into?" I push him and crawl a little with him. "What if I want to torture you?" He swiftly turns us over.
"What if I want same thing too?" He's on all fours top of me. "I want so many things. I want to kiss you until you can't breathe, I want to rip your clothes off until I reveal every inch of you, I want to learn your body with my lips," he takes pause and breaths heavily. "I want to fuck you until you can't remember your own name."
His fingers graze hem of shirt. "I want this up."And then slip under elastic band of only fabric that remained on my lower body. "I want these off."
"You never do anything without expecting benefit from it. What is benefit of pleasing me?"
"My name moaned by that sweet mouth of yours while I have my tongue inside your tight cunt." He whispers right at my mouth and kisses one of the hard kiss again. I raise my hands when he completely strips me. "Oh god—" is only reaction I'm getting after revealing my breasts.
"Lift you hips, love." Elastic bend of underwear trails down length of my leg along with his fingers. "Wow." I grab his shirt, removing it as I lift myself.
His body looks flawless.
"I want you to be sure about this." I run my fingers on his packs and approach V. I nod. "Words. Use your words."
"I want to see more." I'm blushing so bad. His unbuttoned pants pasts hips and I have no patience left, roughly I pull his boxers down too.
My stomach turns out by itself. He's too big.
I look up at him after staring at his length, whole nine inches.
I kiss his V as his breath hitches back of his throat. Kisses trail up on his body and faint moonlight shows me perfect view of his closed eyes.
_______________________________
This chapter was rollercoaster even for me to write. I wrote whole ass depressing part when I was super horny and then smut while "family line" was playing