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3rd POV
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After a soothing and relaxing bath, Annie left the bedroom to look for Jack. She had a dozen questions for him, making her mind feel like a garbage dump.
Why hadn't he reached out in the two months?
Why appear at the party?
But most importantly, how did he know about the cooperation between Dark Shadows and Angel's Heart?

Her mind was far clearer today than in the previous night. She could remember the woman calling him, honey.
He ought to explain that, as well as other confusing situations.

After enquiring about his whereabouts from Matt, Annie found herself walking in the woods behind the mansion. The dry twigs snapped under her feet, and the leaves cry crunched under her weight.
It had been a while since she walked into that part of the property, leaving her wondering why Jack would bring Zack into the isolated cells a few minutes from where she was.

The ashy gray structure came into sight, three men standing guard at the front door while two were busy walking around it.

She stopped for a moment to observe the strange security formation. After studying Jack's notes in the past weeks regarding his organization, Annie could identify a flaw in the way the guards were positioned.
Jack wasn't one to leave his men in the open like that.
Normally, they'd be positioned out of sight. That was one of the reasons he had named his organization, Shadows.

'Maybe it's a new strategy,' Annie consoled herself and continued moving closer to them.

They didn't block her path, which was a positive point in the book which was starting to fill with negatives about Jack.
One led her inside, taking her directly to the cell Zack was now locked in.

"How does it feel, brother? I have everything." Jack's voice asked in a cold and ruthless tone. It was followed by the smacks of hard punches which welcomed Annie before she could see the two brothers.

Upon walking past the steel door, she almost froze.
Hanging from the chains attached to the ceiling, a half-conscious Zack bled from his forehead and his mouth. His face was badly bruised, just like his naked upper half. Other than the purple whip marks left by Annie, Jack had added his own punch bruises as well as a cut from something sharp on Zack's waist.

The level of brutality Jack had used on Zack somehow scared her.

And when Zack raised his head weakly towards her, her heart almost froze.
His gaze was dim, crimson liquid running down his face, clinging his eyelashes together.
The dying look painted on his bloody appearance made her heart clench.

Pity.
Why was she feeling pity for the enemy?
She was supposed to be happy. Zack deserved the torture plus so much more.
He had successfully torn her and Jack apart twice, caused so many conflicts between them, and made them lose so much time that was supposed to be spent together.

"Annie?" Jack called surprised, picking a wet towel from the table holding a box of torture tools.
As he wiped the blood from his hands, he approached her smiling. "Why, why are you here?"

She shrugged, tearing her eyes from Zack and onto Jack. "To find you."

He chuckled. "Missed me already?"

"We haven't talked."

"Oh don't worry love. We have all the time to do that now that the scum is in our hands. I just couldn't wait to make his skin burn with pain."

Looking at Jack's expression, Annie felt the murderous aura and saw the vile darkness in his blue eyes. It felt as if she was looking at someone else, but one with a similar face as her Jack.
What had happened to him while he was away?

He leaned in, intending to kiss her, but she quickly dashed aside, her eyes swinging away. "You're dirty," she breathed feeling a bit disgusted by his behavior.
She wasn't a vampire.
Why would she want him kissing her with blood stains on his face and clothes?

He frowned and shot her a sharp glare, though he quickly adjusted his expression as he straightened.
"He'll be staying here from now on. Let him suffer for the rest of his days."

"What?" She almost squeaked in shock. "You, you want to...imprison him, for life?"

That sounded a bit extreme and tiring for Annie. How could she live in peace knowing that Zack was somewhere on their property?
Wasn't that equal to raising a tiger that would later on devour them?

No!
She wouldn't allow such an absurd situation to occur. A baby was on the way. It needed to be and feel safe in its home.

"Jack, this is something we need to talk ab-"

"My decision is final!" He suddenly hissed, his scowl breaking through and piercing Annie's round eyes.
She stared.
Stared at Jack like his hissing at her was an illusion.
His level of dominance frightened her, especially since Zack was their common enemy.

She dropped her gaze, reminding herself to breathe normally. And without a shade of remorse or sorry, Jack rushed past her, pushing the bloody towel on her chest. "I'll go take a bath. Don't keep me waiting."

His words carried no affection or naughtiness. They were plainly a strict order that she was expected to follow.

She remained frozen.
Her brain was about to explode.
Her legs were already numb.
And her heart was aching.

He was Jack, but, no longer Jack.

She could only enquire from Zack what happened that night. Where they took Jack and what they did to him.

"He...he's..."

Annie forced her teary eyes to gaze at the fragile man struggling to speak.
The tears formed fully and then rolled out of her eyes, falling on the towel she was holding.

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Her thoughts were scattered in the little world in her brain.
Her feet moved on their own accord, leading her inside the master bedroom.

Without paying any attention to her surroundings, Annie's body continued moving on its own like a zombie, heading for the bathroom door.

"Annie?!" Jack's voice called from somewhere, pulling her out of the thoughts drowning her mind.

She turned her head in the direction the voice had erupted from, only to spot a naked Jack sitting on the bed.
His dump hair hang casually from the left side, giving him an attractive aura that would have left Annie wetter than the ocean. But after what he had said in the cell, her horny demon was in a deep slumber.

"Take off your clothes."

His instruction was simple but the look in his eyes was complex. She just couldn't see through them, nor guess what he was thinking.

She didn't obey or respond at all, just stared at him blankly.

Jack frowned.
"I said, take, off, your, damn, clothes!"
A dangerous spark shot through his blue pair and a strange pressure suddenly filled her chest.

"No!" Annie retorted.

"No?!" Jack scoffed, his face lighting up with an odd desire. "No?" He repeated, a wickedly sexy smile painting his lips.
He rolled off the bed, and within three breaths, he stood right in front of an annoyed Annie.

He lifted her face by her chin and stared deeply into her eyes. "No?" He breathed, angry yet intrigued by Annie's defiance.
He smiled again.
"Nobody dares tell me no, love. Things never end well for such people."

She tried to slap his hand away but Jack quickly caught it.
Taking advantage of his height and his strength, he easily scooped her off her feet and carried her to the bed.

"Let go!" Annie ordered resisting him.

"Never!" Jack hissed pinning her beneath him. "I finally have you. I'll never let go."