*****JACK*****

Her voice slipped through the door left ajar. The mere sound of it knocked my heart out of place. Why had she come today of all days? I was breaking down after Pattie's visit. Now, now Annie had shown up as well? Was fate trying to suppress me through depression?

     I didn't bother to sit, just pocketed my hands while standing in front of the desk and faced the door. It swung inwards as a slender frame emerged from the outside.
She had her hair tied up in a ponytail, leaving no hindrance to her face.
Dear gawd! She looked so beautiful.

   Why wasn't she the one pregnant instead of Pattie? I'd cross the world just to satisfy her cravings.

The thought sent me in a trance. It dug up memories from the past. I missed the innocent and naive Annie, but I respected the mature and conscious version she was at the moment. People change, eh?

       Annie pushed the door shut using her left heel as her eyes fell on the mess on the floor to my far right, which she ignored almost immediately and made contact with my gaze.

My shameless vision fell on her tits, the blue dress she was wearing was tight, particularly around her chest area. Was it the weather or was she thrilled to come here? I couldn't tell, but the hardness of her nipples sent waves of confusion inside my lustful demon.

    She walked over under my keen observation, then dumped her coat on the desk behind me, all while holding my gaze.

         "It's warm in here," she finally spoke.

I nodded, "Mm!" Trying to remain indifferent.

Her hand brushed along my right thigh as she withdrew her arm. Clearly she had deliberately touched me.
     "Sorry," Annie made a pretense apology while straightening before me.

The little devil ran her eyes from my face and down to my feet. And without asking for permission, she reached out and adjusted my tie. No! She was loosening it.

   "What are you-"

"Shh!"
She undid the tie and threw it behind me then got back to my shirt. After undoing two buttons, my hand flew out of the pocket to grip her wrist, stopping any further provocation.

    Annie's brown eyes floated to mine, questioning me in a manner I had never seen before. I could feel her unvoiced words, stop trying to act all dominant.

  Thus I obediently let go and gave way to her actions.

She unbuttoned to the third one, the pulled the lapels of the shirt outwards, creating an opening to my bare chest. Her eyes lingered there for a few seconds, and then she grinned, probably satisfied with her art.

    "There! You won't feel uncomfortable with the heat."

  I gazed down at the unbuttoned section. She hadn't done it for my own benefit. The little devil just wanted to toy with me.

     "You could have just turned down the hea-"

   A finger was quickly pressed on my lips. "Shh! I know what I'm doing Jack."

At that moment, with that slight contact, my wall of defense shook a little. I found myself staring deep in her lovely eyes, silently craving for a tight embrace to comfort my broken emotions.

     My free hand slowly moved an inch towards Annie without her knowledge but stopped. No, I could not afford to draw any comfort from her. If I involved her in my problems, the light relationship between us would twist to something dark. I knew her all too well, she would not handle knowing that Pattie was carrying my child.

If I was being honest, I was terrified what she would do when she the time came.

       Other than Pattie, I still had my enemies watching me. Powerful enemies.

The last thing I wanted to see happen was putting her in danger. She was too dear to me to let anything happen to her. Even know I wanted to act formal and cold towards her, in the deepest part of my heart, I was very aware of my true feelings for her. I still, loved her.
   But she may never get to know that.

Sometimes, letting go is the safest option.

    And I was slowly coming to terms with it.
Regardless of the promises we made five years ago, I still had to find the strength to let go.
People like me never had a happy ending, no.

  
  I used the free hand to push down Annie's hand, "You came unannounced."

She snapped out of the stare we had just shared and cleared her throat. "Um, I...I sure did," answered the female with a flicker of embarrassment in her eyes that now escaped mine.
  
    "Spill it, what do you want?" My tone was flat, flat as the expression I had pulled on.

   "Oh Jack!" Annie gasped in such pretense, "do I only come to you when I'm in need of something? Can't I just-"

    "Annie?" I cut her short and bent over a little to level our faces. "I know you well enough to feel that you need something from me."

Without denying it, she giggled softly. "Okay, you win."

That giggle.
That closeness.
That look in her eyes.

Gawd!

I hurriedly retreated to stand upright, lest I fall into temptations.

   "I do need something from you."

Still watching her watch me, I sat back on the edge of the desk.

    "Project Beta."
Two words. Those two words brought my soul to a standstill and my heartbeat to nonexistent.

  My curiosity was piqued, but I hid it so well that it made me feel like a bloody villain who was up to no good.

    "What about it?"

"I'm willing to cooperate with Shadows under three conditions."

Good girl. She now knew how to negotiate and lay out terms to her liking.

   "I'm all ears."

Annie smiled and started taking short and precise steps towards the wall. She spun around, raised her index finger, "One; I need protection against all other forces government and all."
    She paused, waiting for my response.
I nodded. That condition was no problem.
Besides, the government didn't restrict the invention of weapons as long as it wasn't anything nuclear.

They were only irritated due to Annie's intended market, overseas, instead of the USA.

      "Two-" she added her middle finger, "-Shadows will support me in gaining full control over Black Blood."

Nod.

Annie grinned while adding her ring finger.
 
   A chill crawled over my skin. I had a bad feeling about it. A really bad feeling.

"I move in with you."

I sprung on my feet in a jiffy, taken aback by the bizarre condition. Moving in with me?
    What sin did I commit to fate that it was punishing me so cruelly?
   
   Had I not given up on my feelings towards her for safety purposes? So why had the devil instilled the wild idea of her living under the same roof as me?

     "I decline," I heard myself speak up.
My words wiped away Annie's delight, leaving a deep frown.

   Her hand slowly fell to her side, as her eyes stared up at me, full of questions.
"Why?"

   Fuck!

I took a sharp inhale of air, sending my eyes up at the ceiling then back down on her.

    Shit!
She was giving me the manipulative gaze, weakening my masculinity and dominance.
   
    "Because...because..."

"Are you dating?" Her question knocked the air out of my lungs, almost choking me.

  "Da-dating?" I echoed in a laugh. "Who else on earth would I date?" I murmured to myself.

    "What did you say?"

"Nothing. Nothing... Can we change the third condition?"

Annie shook her head, her arms crossing below her perky breasts.

     She wanted me to live with those twins again and not assault them? Hell no!

*****This chapter is dedicated to a faithful reader gaslaybish... Happy, happy, haaaaaaappppy birthday love... Life is hell if you let the negative side of it win, so don't. I celebrate this special day/night with you wherever you are in the world. ❤️❤️***