"I...I need to get back," I say, hoping he won't pester me with his insane request.

Before he can stop me from getting back in the house, I slip away fast, almost bumping into the closed balcony door.
When I walk into the dimly lit empty room, someone grabs and pulls me to the side as their hand comes covering my mouth to suppress the scream about to erupt.

My back is pushed against the wall before everything...settles.

The hand on my mouth slowly lowers as Jack leans in closer till our gazes meet. The light from outside illuminates his face more than the dim light in the room.
His eyes seem furious, but why?

"I've been looking for you."

"You clearly haven't been looking harder," I snap back, still irritated by what he did earlier. How could he just abandon Ms for Pattie? And he just gave her my room without asking.

Jack frowns.
"What's with the attitude missy?"

The fury only grows. Why does he act as if he isn't aware of why I'm mad at him?
"What's with your attitude S-"
Jack's hand quickly grips my face by my cheeks.

"Are you angry with me?" His whisper lands on my face.

I can only shake my head, glaring up at his eyes even though he might miss it due to the lack of enough lighting.

"You sure?"
I nod to answer.
"Very well then. Let's go eat."

And with that, he takes my hand and leads me outside the room, forgetting about Paul who is still out on the balcony.

************************
3rd POV
***********************

They both sit opposite each other, occasionally glancing at each other as they pretend to eat.
For five minutes, each has managed to eat only a few spoons of their food.

Annie's chest burns with so many questions. Especially about his line of work and why he is being targeted by the people who attacked his mansion. But the courage to ask is nonexistent.
Jack can feel and see the confusion and anger hiding in her brown eyes, yet decides to wait till she speaks up first.

Six more minutes of deafening silence pass by. All they can hear are the vibrations of their hearts beating since their hands have ceased moving.
Jack's jaw clenches hard as his eyes stab Annie's face.
Why is she still quiet?

"Go to bed," he says, angry at her for holding in her own anger.

"Hm? Bed?"

They glance into each other, both wearing frowns.
"Yes. It's late. Unless you have some unfinished business you'd like to-"

"No. None." Annie beams rising in one motion. The napkin drops on the floor but she doesn't care. She's feeling even more enraged at him treating her like a child.

She quickens her steps as she heads for the door. Her breaths are held and her heartbeats are regulated.
Suddenly, a chair behind her rattles before Jack rushes at her.

He cups her left shoulder and spins her around to face him.
With a slight gasp, Annie quickly adjusts her breathing and reclaims the scowl she had before for Jack.
"What? Don't you want me gone anymore?"

"Jesus Annie! What is wrong with you this evening?"

"Oh I don't know, you tell me."

Jack inhales sharply, calming his rage. He chooses to be the first one to lower his ego and try to solve the tension between them.
Like the gentleman he is and isn't, he gently pulls Annie back to the table. And without any warning, he picks her up and sits her on the table before sliding between her thighs.

Her heart freezes just like her breaths.
And when Jack cups her face, she forgets about her rage for a moment and melts in his palms.
"Talk to me. What did I do that has you so upset till now?"
His tone is as soft as it can be, warming up her heart as usual.

A feeling of embarrassment crosses her eyes and she sends them to the side.
How can she say to his face that she is super jealous and wants his attention all to herself?

"Annie?" Jack coos caressing her lips with his thumbs before sending his right hand in her hair. "Is it because of what happened?"

Her eyes dart up to his.
Does he now know why she is mad?
Will he apologize?

"I promise you, I'd rather die than let them harm you again."

Nope.
Her frowns deepens and she casts her glare elsewhere. She doesn't need him dying for her. She just needs him to apologize for leaving her standing in the hallway like they hadn't shared a kiss just seconds before Pattie showed up.

"Who said anything about dying?" She mumbles and Jack chuckles, unable to hold it in.
She looks adorable when throwing a tantrum.

His hand tries to force her to look at him just once more, but she holds on to her mad posture.
He had received a call earlier, his men were narrowing in on Zack thanks to the clean sweep he had ordered hours ago.

He wants to be there in person as they arrest the damn bastard. He wants to make him suffer for involving Annie in this silly dispute.
And most importantly, he wants Zack to give him the codes to crack the damn microchip in Annie's brain.

Tonight's mission matters a lot, especially for Annie.
If she manages to get her memories back, she can break the contract with The Order of Lucifer and, once and for all, unify all organizations in the US under Black Blood or Shadows... She will have all the power she has been fighting for ever since she took over Black Blood.

For her dreams, Jack is willing to go to any lengths and fight her war till she's back to her old self.

"Let me take you to bed at least."

She says nothing, even when he picks her up. Torn between adoration and anger, Annie chooses to hold back her feelings till the morning. Maybe he'll understand better why she has been angry at him after some self-reflection over the night.

She smiles to herself, resting her temple against Jack's chest. The sound of his heartbeats is calming.
Soothing to listen to.

And when he tucks her into his bed, her heart swells with love for Jack. How could such a doting man exist in her world?
He's the perfect combination of all types of personalities; cold yet warm, serious yet playful when around her, tough yet gentle with her, protective, assuring, caring, and damn good at fucking and pleasing her.

As her mind drowns in the pool of wonderful memories she has made with Jack, sleep slowly steals her consciousness and transports it into the dream realm where anything is possible.

Jack moves his lips till they press on her forehead.
He clears the strands of hair from her face, and smiles warmly rising from the bed.  "Warm the bed for me, love. I'll be back before you wake up."