Jack wasn't on the ship. He had left for shore once more for Lily's benefit. And now he was roaming the streets of a large commercial city near her home town, buying cigarettes and sipping on a cup of black coffee. With aviators and a heavy parka coat, he was unrecognizable if he came across Maureen which he knew wouldn't happen anyway.

The weather was gloomy and dull, the shaded by grey clouds and the lack of people evident to Jack. As he brought some several bottles of liquor for general use and some food for Lily which he would heat later, he came across a jewellery store which was lavish yet popular with those who could afford the extensive mix of gold and diamonds that it offered.

He popped in and lifted the aviators that shielded his dark eyes onto his head. As soon as the assistants of the store noticed their fifth customer for that day, they ushered a middle aged woman to him to state their deals and 'cheap' prices ranging from ruby necklaces to sapphire earrings.

Jack held up a hand to stop her and instead inquired her to show him the most expensive jewellery they had in store. He delved his hand into his pocket to pull out a platinum credit card that was linked to a confidential Swiss bank awarded to Jack by the 'management'. The heavy eyed woman who smelt of designer perfume ran off to consult the manager who insisted her would serve the strange man who no doubt had a lot of money to spend.

"If you would follow me please sir." The manager was around fifty with a suited five' o clock shadow and a pinstripe suit with expensive cuff links. His bulging hand decorated with gold signet rings pushed against a door behind a jewellery counter. And he forcibly grinned at Jack making a cue that he should follow him. Jack surveyed the room as soon as he entered and he wasn't surprised that this back room was spacious with a small set apart leather chairs that he could tell were newly ordered.

There were no windows but it was well lit due to a large, valuable chandelier that only complimented the array of jewels in three glass cabinets that winked at him in the artificial light. This was where the real buyers came.

"Would you like any champagne sir?"

Jack shook his head and dropped his empty coffee cup on a glass table and set his bags on one of the leather chairs. He walked over superiorly to the glass cabinets, hands in his jeans while his eyes gazed at the unbelievable collection in front of him.

"Are you looking for anything in particular sir?" The manager moved towards him and craned his neck to look what the mysterious man was looking at in the cabinet. Jack turned round and looked at the store's manager square in the eyes.

"I want the best ring you have."

Immediately, the manager came to the third cabinet and opened up one side to pull out a ring displayed in a blue velvet box. He offered it towards Jack, studying Jack's facial expression to see whether his willing customer would approve. Jack took it from his hands and studied the overwhelming diamond held by a heavy gold ring base.

"It's a 15 carat diamond imbedded in a Swiss produced gold ring."

"How much?"

"$1 million dollars sir...with the case of course."

Jack gave the jeweller a brief nod and set the ring in its case on the glass cabinet. He delved into his right jean pocket to pull out his unlimited credit card that with evident markings was connected to a confidential Swiss bank account. The manager's eyes were wide as Jack handed the card to him.

"You handle the card, I collect the ring." Without another word, the manager excused himself to use the cashier machine in the main store. Jack felt no inclination to watch him and simply perched himself on a leather seat, his eyes set on the velvet box holding the glittering diamond that he knew any woman in the world would pine for.

After a short wait, the manager re-entered with a grin that could only be compared to the Cheshire cat in Alice in Wonderland.

"The process has been completed sir, if there is anything else-"

"I would like the box placed inside a long thin box in white and silver wrapping with a bow. It's a surprise." Jack smiled curtly and the manager bowed his head returned his card with a reluctant hold. He hurried over to take the velvet box to one of his employee's to wrap.

Jack pocketed the card and waited manger returned for the last time with a thin long box that was so elegantly wrapped it was as if it the task has been carried out by fairies. Jack didn't waste his time as he took the box from the manager's grasping hands, gave him a stiff nod and walked past him and out of the store without a glance at the gushing employee's. He knew the manager was so star struck with this enigmatic million dollar sale that he had forgotten to rehearse his stammering gratitude and Jack was glad as he reluctant to maintain his civil facade in front of the manager. The pompous manager and his employees all thought he was a disguised socialite, celebrity or millionaire.

He smiled like the devil himself as he slipped his aviators back on. His chiselled features and white toothed smile caused a seventeen year old girl to choke on her milkshake as he walked past her. Her gaze never left his back until he turned round the corner and out of her sight.

Jack simply laughed.

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Lily had found herself roaming the hallways, smoking and bored out of mind. Even after an hour nap she forced herself to take; she felt rather tired for no reason and instead decided to call on Jack, caving into her needs.

As she knocked on his door and he didn't answer, she tried again and called out his name. A few seconds passed and sighing, she tried the handle to find that she could enter. Lily raised an eyebrow at the fact that it wasn't locked and stepped into the room to find it was empty. Jack was nowhere to be seen and anxiety immediately settled in. She wanted to rush forward and explore his hide out personally but she knew it was so wrong. Lily squeezed her eyes shut, intensified her grip on the door handle and walked backwards to shut the door but just as she turned to walk away, her eyes flicked back to the door handle.

Swearing under her breath at her curiosity, she re-opened the door and with an eagle's haughty vision, she moved forward and examined the soulless room full of empty glasses, full ashtrays and scattered bottles.

She turned to her left and noticed a lone white door which she guessed must lead into his bedroom but as she approached it, her heart fell when she noted the keyhole. Lily rattled at its door knob but to no avail, Jack had clearly remembered to lock this room. She breathed deep and sat herself down on the chair that he had sat in the first time she saw his quarters. Moving around in the chair to make herself comfortable while she thought of where the key was for his room, she felt a tiny bulge under the padding of the heavy chair that she only felt after some serious wriggling.

Lily raised an eyebrow and jumped up then brought herself to her knees, peering at the sedan chair in interest. She tugged at the heavy cushion and lifted it up to find a drilled thin square hole that held a small album that hit the surface of the chair so that the slightest bump could be detected.

Her heart was ferociously beating in her heart and she dismissed the need for the key to his room as stood now, eyeing the unlabelled black leather cover of the miniature album that she guessed held one photo each side of the page. Knowing that she was breaking a million of Jack's rules, she hesitated to open it but decided to nevertheless.

Lily was plunged into the first Polaroid photo with its all thick white border which provided space for annotation. But before she could read the scrawling, sharpie words under the photo, she saw herself in the photo.

With a glance she had identified where and when the photo was taken. She was attending a house party and was about seventeen, wearing a skin tight dress with high wedge heels. The photo was taken not too far from her but it appeared the old Lily had not sensed a camera presence as she talking to someone who was not captured in the Polaroid. Her eyes were alight, her smile seductive as she held a red plastic cup half full of whiskey. She was a little gone by then Lily remembered but it was not the photo that worried her the most. The annotation she forced her stunned, dilated eyes to read haunted her.

Lily – 17 and drunk at a house party talking to a pubescent boy.

Lily swallowed deep and with a deep self-hatred she turned the page to find on the back of the first page, another photo of her but this time she was nine years old and laughing openly with her older brother at a fair. She reminisced for a short time and could picture the scene and almost smell the tempting popcorn and hear the beckoning music.

The annotation mentioned everything she had so vividly depicted: Lily – 9 at a fair. Laughing with her 11 year old brother, Sean.

Lily's knees weakened as she saw the next picture and she herself down on an opposite chair slowly. Her head spun, her mouth became dry and her heart seemed to become stuck in her throat.

It was a photo of her outside a bar in a, hooker high heels, booty denim shorts and a revealing crop top. She was smoking and crying, alone and cold. Like the two previous photos before, she didn't see that someone was taking a photo of her.

Lily – 18, alone and drunk outside a bar. She's smoking to calm herself over a groping pervert.

Her hands trembled as she studied the third photo and the emotions she felt that lonesome night where life seemed so overbearing returned to her. She felt humiliated that he or someone else had caught that vulnerable moment without her knowledge.

Anger flooded her senses and before she was about to throw the album across the room in a mixture of fright and disgust, Jack's voice pierced through her.

"And what the fuck do you think you're doing?" His tone was beyond the warning stage and she felt her heart sink to her stomach now suffering as she lips parted but no words came. Her turbulent mood that half a second ago could have produced colourful language now failed her and left her speechless.

He had caught her in the act, caught her dumbfounded and red handed. She was ashamed and frustrated yet frightened and righteous. The invasion into her private life, the documented stalking shook her yet she didn't want to see how far Jack or his accomplice had gone and so shut the album.

There was a moment of electric silence that caused the hairs on the back of her neck to rise and then, she heard Jack drop heavy baggage to the floor and move behind her. Lily dropped the album to the floor and held her head high, staring at the wall as she searched for words.

Jack was in front of her now, looking down at her with his wild eyes. His fists were balled, his veins appearing on his tensed forehead. He was brewing up a temper storm and Lily was its victim.

"How fucking dare you enter my quarters without my say you little-"

"And what is that?!" Lily burst out her finger pointed at the violating insight into her private life that took itself in the form of the album. Jack knew she had seen the pictures but a belittled part of him refused to address it. However, her insolence and cheek infuriated Jack, he simply saw red now, his anger reaching boiling point.

He growled; the noise a late warning to Lily who was now pressed against the chair by her shoulders. She struggled in the chair, trying to fight Jack's concrete hold. Lily wanted to stand up and walk away but his two hands pressing down on her with his full weight was too much to handle. Lily felt tears coming as she stared at Jack who didn't seem human anymore. He reminded her of a monster, his eyes penetrating hers, his mouth curled into a snare and his pressure on her shoulders increasing.

"Jack-please!"

And just like that Jack relinquished his hands and she was free to leave. Lily hung forward, her shoulders were aching as she inhaled deeply. Closing her eyes, she let tears slide down her cheeks as she decided she didn't want to look at Jack anymore, she couldn't bear to see that look in his eyes, the disappointment mixed with anger in his face.

"Look at me."

She did as he ordered her to do and with bleary eyes, she peered up at him. Jack's face was crumpled with emotion, his previous sneer was now a saddened grimace and his eyes were glassy and soft.

"I warned you Lily...for fuck sake, you know I warned you" Lily breathed deep once more and wiped the tear stains from her face. He had lied to her and hurt her and he was blaming her entirely.

"Jack...I was lonely, so lonely. You didn't lock the door, you didn't answer to my calls. I sat in your chair and then I felt it underneath me and I found it okay? I've seen three pictures, that's all. I know I broke the rules but you lied to me, you've hurt me and you've humiliated me with that album."

Jack stared at her, finding himself lost for words. He noted her pale face, her weary expression and her shaking hands clasping her neck in a form of weak defence. She was so...susceptible and even though she had done wrong, he had done more to her than she could ever know.

"Lily, you're...my prisoner, you must understand that-"

"You haven't been treating me like one till now. And I'm sure that this isn't the only...thing you have kept secret."

"And so what Lily?" Jack replied, his voice calm and steady, his demeanour emotionless in comparison to the sensitive Lily who felt the secret Jack slipping from her fingers. As she held his gaze, she pictured the images of her and Jack laughing, drinking and falling asleep together. It was a montage, a caution of what was too come. Jack would ignore her, show his contempt towards her over the next few days leaving her lonely once more and helplessly pining for him.

But she didn't relent.

"What's in your room then Jack? Why is it locked?"

"Because I don't use it." Jack hissed at her, his fury appearing once more. Lily pursed his lips and stood, ready to leave, ready to regret her actions. But she had to have the last say.

"Why not?!" Lily questioned him, her nostrils flared and her arms crossed in defiance. Jack said nothing. He simply crouched down and picked up the album, placed it back in its hidden compartment and re-arranged the chair so he could sit on it. A few seconds passed where he stared down at his thighs, trying to drum up an excuse, a lazy reason as to why he never slept. But he could find none as real as the truth.

He glanced at the emotional Lily and opened his mouth to speak, his eyes meeting hers, his black heart changing colour as he studied her bright emerald irises.

"I find it hard to sleep anymore...because I keep thinking about you."

With his words, his defeated attitude, her emotions broke. She walked towards him at a snail's pace and when she came to him, she fell to her knees and laid her head on his knee. Craving for his hold, Lily lifted her head, giving herself up to him once more.

"I-I just missed you"

With a swooping move, he pulled her up and onto his lap. She willingly lay across his lap, her fingers tugged affectionately at his collar, her warm breath hitting his cheek as her head fit almost too perfectly into the crook of his neck.

Lily was disappointed in herself for being so accepting of the secret she had discovered but losing him right now would be even worse. Pursing her plump lips, she inched forward and kissed his cheek and as soon as she did, Jack's face turned and Lily edged her face from his as she regarded his dark, bottomless eyes.

With a tough hand, he grabbed her chin and jerked her lips towards his. Lily was powerless and ashamedly eager to experience his intoxicating kiss. He was rough but he was so irresistible as his tongue pushed against her lips. She was so confused even though she knew his attention to her was what she craved for. Her hands held the sides of his head as she moved over him to straddle him readily. Jack's need for her was intensify, he wanted her so badly. He felt as though he could kiss away the unearthing of her dedicated photo album, of their fights or his flippant ways.

He found his way to her neck running hot with her blood and he tugged slightly on her hair as he ravished her skin. As if she was scared that she would die any moment, she held onto him for dear life, her eyes squeezed shut and her mouth now wide as his hand travelled past her navel to tease her with his hand.

But as he reached it, his desire heightening, he heard her give a small cry and felt her hands now push against his chest. He got the hint, she wanted him to stop and so his expert touch halted and he instead, he held her body to his.

Lily's was resting her head against his neck know, her heat for him calming as she listened to his barely audible breathing. She stroked his face softly and ignored the dampness of her underwear. With a gentle kiss from Jack on her exposed temple, she decided she didn't want to think about the album anymore or the morals of their current situation.

All she wanted to do was stay like this with him until the sun went down.