After the events of Antonia Grazia, Maureen Epps grew restless, cold and finally succumbed into becoming a former shell of her old self. She was infamous due to the reports of her being the sole survivor of a tragic ship explosion.
It was how Maureen wanted all the rest of the public to perceive, it was better that way as she knew they wouldn't believe the true, twisted turn on events without any proof or evidence to what had happened. The fake story she sold to them was bought eagerly. She needn't worry about accusations and distrustful glances.
However, the emptiness she felt, the regrets she had only reminded her that surviving had turned out to become futile. Jack had won overall.
Other people who had faced blood spilling wreckages and haunting experiences would have moved far away and tried to start afresh but Epps wasn't like the others. She was unpredictable. Instead, out of pride, she stayed and let a man's advances become serious.
Adam Winters was a police officer who first approached her about the events. His almond coloured eyes, dirty blonde hair and flashing white smile reminded her of all things Dodge. Epps wasn't stupid; she knew she had no chance of another shot at her salvaging career. She needed support, for someone to care for her and love her. He took her in and she no longer worried about where to go.
After two months of being with him, she married the Winter family's golden boy. He was determined to have her and she didn't resist, hasty wasn't in her vocabulary these days and she had already decided from the first time she had met him that marrying for security wasn't wrong. Marrying a cop made her feel that little bit safer, like she was protected. It might help curb the nightmares, the flashbacks of horror that draining, deadly incident had brought her. When they made love, she forgot everything, when she was in his arms she could just think about him and nothing else. He was her rock.
No she didn't love him like she ought too. Her love for him was more the love a mother would have for a child. And no, she wasn't happy but Jack had ruined her life, she was just trying to pick up whatever pieces she could.
Besides, Adam had a well paid job, a wife to come home too. He was a physically good looking from head to toe with an all muscle physique and a sweet, innocent face those other women would batter their eyelashes for.
Since she met him, she never mentioned the events again. It was as if it never happened to them or that they met through her life wrecking incident. Epps did this to save it from polluting their perception of one another and to prevent him from showing his quick tempered, domineering side. The new, quiet Maureen was devoted to her home and husband being ever the housewife by cooking and cleaning. She had changed heavily, pushing her past behind her and settling into her routine and empty life. She only did it for those she had lost that night who memories had faded like old photographs of themselves.
A baby came along within a year, a son who Maureen insisted he be called Sean, after Murphy. It was the first time she had even mentioned his name since the day they met and because of her bitter tone, Adam let her have this one.
Two years later, a beautiful baby girl was born who they both agreed would be called Lily. Both babies grew up smart and pretty as ever.
Sean at 20 was the spitting image of his father with muscles, several girlfriends, top grades, a sports car and an interest in politics. Lily was her mother through and through with an exquisite hourglass figure and tumbling wavy, raven hair. She had Epps eyes, a brassy green and at 18 she was known as Miss Perfect.
Both were wild cards who balanced their party induced social lives well with their education and future plans. However, Lily was the one to watch out for Maureen decided as she was more headstrong and rebellious than her brother had ever been. Lily had her mind set on travelling the whole world and becoming independent as soon as possible. Both of her parents had showed their disapproval towards her decision and in response Lily often left the house at night and didn't return till dusk, partying at the bars lining the docks.
Her parents were oblivious to where she partied and decided to discuss it when the opportunity came. They were cold and stern parents but they told themselves it was for Lily's own good.
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"Hey Lily you're wasted!" One of Lily's many friends shouted at her from across the bar as she danced with a guy old enough to be her father.
Lily, drunk with mixtures of vodka, whiskey and cocktails simply laughed and waved in response, finding everything hilarious. She hiccupped and a hand holding a drink shot out at her in the shady dim of the bar light's. Grateful, she took it and sipped it quickly, diminishing the hiccups. The guy who had offered her the drink made a grab at her but with amusement plastered on her face she shook her head and escaped out the front exit to a silent, empty street.
She gulped in the fresh oxygen that the stuffy, humid bar couldn't supply and fiddled in her ripped jean's pocket for her packet of cigarettes and her lighter. She fumbled at one and plopped it in her mouth, swaying dangerously side to side as she lit it.
Lily inhaled deeply and then exhaled, feeling better. As she inhaled once more, she caught the toxic smoke in her throat and coughed hard, her eyes tightly shut with her nose scrunched up.
"Whoa there, you okay?"
An unfamiliar voice sounded from next to her and stopped coughing and instead swallowed to calm the harshness inside her now irritated throat. She turned to face a man she had never seen in her entire life living at this small shipping town where everyone knew everyone.
The first thing she noticed was that he was very good looking with an air of confidence about him. Mystery man had short dark hair, pale skin and a strong stature. He wore a navy blue jacket on top of his light green shirt. It was paired with simple grey trousers and black boots. He was handsome, no doubt about it. His engaging cheek bones and dark eyes were haunting but so striking it became attractive. He looked like he was in his later 20's.
"I'm fine thanks, I'm fine" Lily flashed him a grin and gave her cigarette another go, this time, taking a drag without entering a coughing fit.
"Well that's great" He replied creepily, a sick smirk accentuating his facial features.
She furrowed her eyebrows, opened her mouth and was about to give a smart arse remark. Until he smacked her expertly so she'd fall into the world of unconsciousness but before she could hit the hard concrete like her cigarette, he caught her in his arms only so he wouldn't have to deal with a bleeding head to nurse.
Looking at her sweet shut lids and plump lips, Jack Ferriman felt the surge of victory course through him.
"Hello sweet, sweet revenge"
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It was 3 in the morning when Adam left Maureen for his unexpected night shift. She nodded sleepily as he told her he had to go. As he crept out of the house, trying hard to not wake anyone the room became extremely cold. An eerie atmosphere crept in and Maureen woke from her slumber in a sweaty fright. She wasn't alone.
In panic mode, she sat up straight and at the end of the bed was her worst nightmare; her tormentor, the man who had ruined her previous life. She couldn't move in terror and her throat became as dry as the Sahara desert preventing speech or a fighting scream to erupt.
There was Jack Ferriman, looking the same as that night where he and his slaved souls slaughtered her friends. He was handsome and obviously, age had not touched him due to his predicament. Jack's dark eyes unleashed the fear that she had felt but did her best to suppress throughout her new and worthless life. The memories came flooding back and tears rolled down her cheeks like a waterfall. He leered at her and she felt dizzy, unable to breath.
"What's wrong Epps? Jack got your tongue?" He cackled manically and gripped the bed's end headboard like an animal. Jack loved her distress, her fear and the lack of confidence she now had. She wanted to sob, shout out for help but she just couldn't. His power was overwhelming much like his presence.
"How does it feel Epps? Knowing that I've come back into your life again?"
Epps opened her mouth and he noted the heavy dark circles under her eyes, the wrinkles of age on her face. His damage from 20 years ago had taken its toll on her. A few words escaped but there were in hushed, brittle tones.
"W-what are...y-you doing here?" She stuttered as a result of being unable to control her weakness.
"We've cut straight to the point now hey? Oh Epps look at yourself, you're nothing now are you?" His voice was deep and full of anger. It tortured her.
"Well if you must know I've come back for revenge. I'm going to get even with you after all these years." He walked towards her and she gasped for air, strained and cold to the bone.
"Oh don't worry Epps, I won't hurt you directly. It's too predictable. I'm going to take something from you which will cut you up inside more than I could with single knife."
"Get away from ME" She hissed, her shaking hands grabbing at the bed sheets.
Gracefully, he sat on the bed, edging closer and closer to her.
"After what you did, management was angry. Really angry. But after winning them over, I got back into the game and like you saw, I got that cruise ship under my hands with the gold and your friend's souls. Didn't you read the news about how it mysteriously disappeared?"
She shook her head, her lips quivering.
"Well it's under my command as well as the souls of those that were on it. For all these years I've filled my quota to the tee and I've been given more power as a result. I'm more dangerous than you can even dream of!" He slammed his curled up fist into the pillow next to her and she jumped out of bed and hard onto the wooden bedroom floor.
"You've got a beautiful daughter Epps, even more delectable than you ever were. I could use a personal soul of mine to control." Jack grinned at her and she backed away, her nails clawing on the floor boards.
"You stay away from her" Epps demanded, her voice returning to her.
"I can't Epps. She's going to be mine now." He laughed and moved from the other side of the bed to be nearer to her.
"LILY!" Epps screamed in desperation, thinking the worst.
"I caught her out at a late night bar, completely drunk and smoking outside. I got her Epps. I finally got her after 20 years of waiting in the shadows to get even"
"You- don't you dare-"
"Oh Epps, you shouldn't worry really. I'll make sure you daughter is catered to her every need. She'll be on my new ship, Avenger. Fitting don't you think?"
Epps sobbing grew louder and she scrambled for the door. In a flash he was in front of her once again, holding the door knob before her, preventing her escape. He crouched down; his face inches away from hers and without warning his hand shot out and held her neck, squeezing it.
She fought for breath and her desperate hands tried to scrabble at his.
"I can't wait for you to finally feel the wrath I had to face in hell." Just as she struggled, he let go and vanished, his wicked grin still etched on his face.
She lay on the floor crying her heart out. Sean woke to the cries of anguish and rushed to find his mother collapsed in her room.
"Mum? What's wrong? Where's dad?" He fell to his knees, confusion and worry apparent to his hysterical mother.
"Call your dad, now!"
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Lily woke to pounding, unforgivable headache. Her mouth was horribly parched and her body ached. Lily breathed deeply then felt all the events of last night come rushing towards her. She stroked her head delicately, tracing the sensitive skin that had been traumatised by the hit.
Shit.
She got hit.
Fearful and worried, like a deer in the headlights, she jumped up and out of the bed and started to pace around the room she was held in, in dread. She ran to the room door and pulled on the handle. It was locked. In a desperate attempt, she saw another door and opened it to reveal a lit bathroom with a beautiful large bath, a toilet and another mirror just above a sink. All the walls were a blinding white as well as the bathroom floor tiles and the utilities themselves. There were no windows. Lily knew she had to do something, find out where she was. And as she now turned to the lone wall next to the right side of her bed she found the first clue. There was a porthole, a steel, gold plated porthole emitting broad day light into the room to light it. She felt stupid only noticing it now.
She knew portholes were reserved for ships, spacecrafts and aircrafts.
Though it was too small to fit through, she ran up to it and peered out of it to see endless blue sea swirling round and crashing against rocks nearby. This confirmed her assumptions that she wasn't on land, she was at sea. Lily's breathing heightened dramatically as panic rose in her. Grabbing the porthole's hinge to pull it open, she tugged and tugged but came to no avail; it felt as though it had been screwed in tight to prevent its opening. She slumped against the wall and revered in some joy to see that her cigarettes and lighter were untouched. Lily pulled out a cigarette and lit it, taking a drag.
She then decided to absorb her surroundings. Loathing herself for it, she marvelled at how flawless the room was and how quickly she took a shine to it. The red carpet she now touched with her shoeless feet was soft and in a corner there was an oak wardrobe matched with a vanity table. A small sedan chair was placed across a small desk with nothing but a glass ashtray on it placed against the bed she had woke up in uncovered, which was made up of a soft mattress and white silken sheets.
She ran a shaking hand through her hair and tried to calm herself. Once more, she tended to her head and pressed her hand against it softly feeling the dull pain soar through it.
Down hearted, she stood and sat on the bed, bringing her knees to her chest in attempt to comfort herself. She took another drag of the cigarette then reached across, stubbing it out on the ashtray placed on the desk.
The sudden creaking of the bedroom door signified that it had been opened and her ears noted the chilling sound. She didn't want to look up or face whoever was there. But she did nevertheless, knowing there was no other option.
There, before her standing in the door way and leaning against its frame was a man that she surprisingly yet instantly recognized from last night. It was mystery man who had obviously smacked her one unconscious in her drunken state and had brought her out on a boat floating sea hopelessly.
Seeing him again in a sober light only made her realise how attractive he was. His smirk was cocky but suited him well and his dark eyes penetrating hers were entrancing.
"How's your head Lily?"
"What? How do you know my name? Who are you? What am I doing here?" Anger had replaced the fear and now she stood strong and tall, her eyes boring into his. He didn't falter and continued to match her criminal gaze.
"It's a very long story Lily that you'll become acquainted with soon as to explain all the simple and tiresome details that every prisoner would ask. But for now, you need to know is the facts."
Lily didn't reply, only studied him down to every last detail from the same clothes he had on from last night minus the coat and to his folded arms which tensed against the shirt. She could tell he had defined muscle underneath the thin flimsy cloth and she couldn't doubt that this guy was secretly strong.
"I'm Jack Ferriman the guy who'll you'll hate for the last week of your life. I'm keeping you on this empty ship in international waters until I'll kill you for personal revenge reasons and in the meanwhile, while you remain breathing you'll follow my rules if you don't want to get hurt."
Jack relished in his words that he had planned to say to Lily ever since the day he first saw her when she was just a charming, fragile baby in the cradle at the Winter's household. He had appeared when the entire household was asleep and night had its ruling over the day. Unknown to himself, he had stood over the cradle for at least half an hour, staring at her small hands, her tiny feet and closed eyelids occupied by a peaceful sleep.
"My dad is a cop."
He laughed darkly and openly at her, making her freeze in fright. Then moved forward after pushing himself of the door frame, walking around her as if he was a shark and she was his picked, defenceless prey. She could feel her body shake, the panic rising up in her again.
Without warning he grabbed her and she screamed weakly in protest. His hands held her waist over her arms as she was pulled against him, her back hitting his hard chest. She struggled automatically, as he pulled her closer against him. Her pert butt rubbed his manhood and she heard him smirk. Lily stopped, realising she was provoking him. She was right, he was astonishingly strong.
"That doesn't change things Lily. You're going to remain here under my watch." He spat the last words into her ears, his warm breath hitting the skin on her neck which made her tense against him unwillingly. She shut her eyes and breathed, strategically planning what to say and do next.
"Look Jack. I don't know what you want from me and why you want to kill me but I'm not going down without a fight. My parents will find me and you'll just end up in jail or preferably killed."
She opened her eyes but couldn't see that he had raised an eyebrow in response to her wilful words. Slowly, while one hand held her tightly against him, the other moved up to her neck which he traced disturbingly lightly. His feather touch descended down to the curve of her right breast and she bit her lip, her skin prickling to his contact.
He eventually reached her revealed skin due to the low sleeveless slit of the band top she had on. The fashionably low armhole slit stopped just above her hip and as he brushed past the black lace of the side of her exposed bra she felt her knees buck slightly. Even though Lily was a party girl with many boyfriends, she had remained a virgin out of choice and Jack knowing this, took advantage of her sensitivity to a man's advances.
Lily heard his smirk and she scowled, her lips pursing in distain. She hated how sneaky he was, how easily her body had responded to him.
"Lily you're optimism is almost pitiful." His voice was intimidating and low, this man was a dangerous maniac.
"Let me go for fuck sake." Impatient with the situation, her captor and herself, she hissed at him, venom seeping from her lips.
Jack, willing to be entertained by Epp's daughter, pushed her away from him so hard she had to hold her hands out to stop herself from hitting the floor. He had a nice view of her ass and relished in seeing her raise from her previous kneeling position. Her fists curled, her eyes narrowed and her feet dug into the carpet floor.
"You're a fucking arsehole you know that?"
Jack's once smug grin was wiped from his stony face and it was replaced with a foreboding glower. His nostrils were flared and his fists curled. He was going to fucking kill her. In one swift action, he pinned her to the floor, catching her off guard. Jack pressed down on her, straddling her with his dead weight and his hands was a firm force digging into her shoulders.
Lily helplessly tried to fight him off, her hands clawing into his legs and thumping them with what strength she had left. His hands then grabbed her neck and his squeezed her delicate swan like throat and she gasped for air, unable to breath, coughing furiously. He increased the pressure of his hold on her neck and watched Maureen's daughter squirm in agony, hitting his rock hard chest hopelessly.
"You're a stupid bitch if you think you can challenge me. If you do it again or dare to escape, I'll fuck you and slit your pretty little throat." His crazy grin, turned into a snarl as he spoke.
She was audibly choking now, her eyes rolling back and her once dusty pink cheeks turned a deep shade of red. Just as she was beginning to give up, her hits becoming weaker and less frequent, he let go.
Lily panted for air and flopped on the floor, much like a fish would struggle for water. She brought her hands to her neck and knew there would be bruises. She wheezed deeply and tried to crawl away from him but he grabbed her leg and cruelly pulled her to his knees. He was happy when he saw fear in her entrancing eyes and as a result, the look on his face was nothing but victorious and full of sick, twisted ego.
Jack brought his cold coarse hand to her chin and used it to tug her face close to his. "Do you understand me now?" He was defiant, drunk on power and pride. She feebly opened her mouth and spoke, her words croaky and weak as her eyes watered in pain.
"Yes...Jack." Lily glanced at him and felt hate coarse through her veins. She didn't care that he was lethal, she fucking hated him.
Lily's breathing rate increased as she maintained eye contact. She felt his eyes undress and her, look through her as if he was studying her soul. She hated it.
Jack hadn't forgotten to note how beautiful she truly was and he wasn't going to lie to himself on the matter. He had seen Lily before, watched her since she was a baby and monitored her growth. Before he had knocked her out and abducted her, he visited her the night before while she sleeping. She was stunningly gorgeous at all times.
She wasn't extremely tall but her legs were toned, her waist minuscule and her hips were big, adapted for childbirth. Her breasts were wonderfully full and large underneath her band top. Her collarbones were now exposed to him, along with flowing shoulders and black lace bra straps that peaked out at him. Lily's hair hung in loose curls from when she had curled it from yesterday while her nails were manicured and pristine. She wore a gold rings on most of her fingers and small diamond earrings that flashed underneath her veil of soft thick hair.
The fact was that her beauty was a plus for him in this long planned revenge of his.
Jack shifted his face closer to hers and the electric tension in the room caused Lily to shake slightly as she could no longer hide her trepidation. High school hadn't trained her for this shit. She parted her lips to speak as his nose was inches near hers.
"What are you going to do to me?" Her voice remained delicate from his rough man handling of her and Jack leered at her, lightly shoving her from him as he stood, towering over her, in control of her and the situation as he knew he would be. Lily scrambled up and coughed once more, still feeling the result of his actions radiate through her neck. Jack snorted, his face held no emotion as answered her pathetic question.
"The question is Lily, what am I not going to do to you?" He shoved past her as he marched to the doorway. She turned around and winced, remembering his show of ruthlessness. Jack, her triumphant captor twisted his head to meet her glassy emerald eyes.
"Aren't you coming?" Lily could tell he was amused by her and her reaction throughout their first 'acquaintance' of one another. Begrudgingly with her hands by her sides and her shoeless feet, she followed him out of the room a thousand thoughts running through her mind in such a small amount of time.
She felt as though it was one of her worst nightmares or that she was in this scary, thriller movie where the bad guy had the damsel in distress under his villainous clutch. But this was all real and there were no camera's, no directors screaming 'cut' after the hero saved the girl and they shared a passionate kiss.
Lily Winter's was well and truly screwed.