This was beyond humiliating.
'My' closet was full of suits, mostly black and dark blue. As if she was expecting me to do laundry while wearing a damned suit.

I tried resisting her dominance, but, only received more electric shocks which were now rendering my muscles half-useful after every round of punishment.
The first two days turned out to be a walk through hell as Annie 'trained' me. But all she was doing was taking out her frustrations on me in the name of punishing me for whatever crimes I had committed in the past.

In my presence, she wore a tough aura, building a wall to shield herself from facing the world, but broke down behind her locked door.
She'd wake up with bags under her eyes, betraying the messed up sleep patterns she was experiencing.

Every time I caught a glimpse of her sadness from secrecy, my heart would clench, as if I was hurting as well.

As our stay hit the first week, I had pretty much given up on trying to escape. After all, it was stupid of me to think I could walk past the numerous CCTV cameras positioned all over the building. Not forgetting that her men were occupying almost all the apartments in the building.

Sigh!

Well, at least she wasn't trying to dissect me or cut me into tiny pieces as she had sworn.
The doctor who had monitored me during my bed rest would show up at least once every two days to carry a check-up on both of us.
While I didn't have anything against him, it was starting to irritate me just how casually he'd show up and how long he would stay even after the checkups were done.

What was wrong with me?

I had known Annie for only a month. More than half of that time had been spent in either a basement or a cell being tortured. So why was I annoyed seeing a man around her?

******************
******************

"Here."
I handed her a bottle of water after her morning jog, which of course, I had been accompanying her.
Even with freedom so close, there wasn't a damn thing I could do. Not when I had a collar around my neck.

The last bit of my dignity was hanging by a thread, threatening to snap anytime soon. Not like Annie cared.
Heck!
She wasn't even paying much attention to me in the one week we had been living together.

She grabbed the bottle from my hand before tossing herself on the couch.
I got down on one knee and gently picked up her left foot.
Her soft panting was the only sound in the room, for the pounding of my heart was inaudible.

Without any communication from WSG, I still had no idea if my original mission was still on. But I had to do whatever it'd take for me to survive. Even if it meant...sleeping with her.
Not like I had anyone holding me back.
And also the tiny fact that my body had been lusting over hers.

She suddenly jerked her leg up, but my hand grabbed onto it firmly yet gently.
The little caress on the sensitive part of her foot had been intentional.
I had started teasing her here and there, with deliberate touches when taking her shoes off, more touches when covering her as she fell asleep on the couch, and even walking around in nothing but a towel around my waist after a shower.

I was being shameless.
So shameless.
And yet, the thought of teasing her had been turning me on like a sexually starved beast.
It was so much fun playing around with my prey.
Not like I had anything better to do since I was nothing but a prisoner.
I was very much aware that she was keeping me around till I could provide some useful information, or simply to break me down by making me serve her like a slave since there was no pay.

"What?" I asked, pretending to be innocent while my hands proceeded to take off the other shoe.

She was glaring at her.
Her brown eyes sparkled with rage, making them appear so attractive. I was growing an odd fetish. One that had been gnawing on my senses whenever my eyes met hers.
I wondered what she looked like when crying. Not from emotional pain like the one her fucking lover was causing her.
I wanted to see her cry as a result of sexual mischief, maybe from a spanking or a denied orgasm.

The way she had moaned in that cell had sounded so magical. I wanted more.
Yes. I was greedy for more.

My unholy lust had had me jerk off in the bathroom to that single intimate encounter that had left me starving for her body.

*********************
ANNIE'S POV
*********************

What...what was I doing?
Why was I caging myself in this apartment with the man who had ruined my whole life?

Oh, Luke!
He had remembered my desire to live in an apartment on my to-do list. I had grown up too fast. The underworld had forced me to give up college and fight for my survival.
I was about to turn twenty-four. Most people my age were busy graduating and looking for jobs. And here I was, with the weight of the whole world on my shoulders.
Why?
Why was I trying to save the world?
No.
I was not saving it.
I was stealing it from the enemy.
I had no interest in what the people were or would do once the war was over.

And the bastard kneeling before me.
What was he trying to do?

I had unconsciously noticed him making moves on me. I hated him. But the hate I had for him had resided in my heart for months and it had evolved into nothingness.
The sight of him no longer disgusted me. But it didn't please me either.
And yet his touch felt different from the Zack I had encountered a while back.

Just like Jack, Zack felt like a different person.
It was as if they had exchanged souls or consciousness. Not like that was possible. Maybe they had altered their personalities.
But again, was that possible?

"Would you like a bath or a shower?" Zack asked as he took care of the other shoe.

I scowled down at him. But, there was no darkness in his green eyes. The only strong emotion they possessed was possibly lust.
The collar felt a bit too much, but it was my only way to keep him in check.
Besides, not like anyone cared.

A week of living with the bastard had somehow eased the pain in my heart.
All the times I had used the collar on him had somehow lifted the burden in my soul.
At least I wasn't being inhumane...yet.
Had the heartbreak changed me, or was my pregnancy throwing my emotions off track?

Whatever it was, it felt like salvation.
I no longer wanted to cling to the strong hate for either him or his brother.
I just wanted to dwell in the peace I had to create for both Abel and my coming baby.

He ran his fingers around my ankle, pushing me to deliver a kick to his chest.
Zack chuckled as he stumbled backward, his butt hitting the floor. Yet with that humiliation, he still laughed.

"A little feisty eh?" He teased and bit his lower lip erotically.

"Don't make me do it."

"I haven't done anything wrong. Or do I not have freedom of speech, mighty-" he pushed himself back on his knees and grasped my left hand before I could react, "-Queen, Annie," he whispered, planting a kiss on my knuckles.
I almost squealed from the sudden attack, but also wanted to explode in a burst of heavy laughter.

He looked like a gentleman from the medieval ages asking for permission to court me.
Bloody bastard.
But, at least the little act made me smile on the inside.