"Why were you so concerned with finding Bond?"
Lily tried to keep a straight face. "I don't want to talk about Bond."
Duplin chuckled. "My flower, you were always terrible at keeping secrets. Tell me."
"I'm with you now. Isn't that enough for you? Forget about Bond."
The van they were riding in had stopped and he stood up.
"We have arrived at the dock."
"Dock?"
Duplin held her hand and stood her up. "You always dreamed of the sea. Now, we can see as we head home together."
The back of the van opened and they stepped out and onto the dock. The water was pitch black but reflected the moon.
"It's beautiful." she mumbled, in awe.
"Come, let us board our vessel." he said, leading her to a large ship.
It was white and brightly lit and well guarded. There were men with rifles at every corner. They boarded and the ship slowly set sail.
He led her to a room with a bathroom, bed, and large window with a view of the back of the boat.
"Have a seat. This is our private quarters." Duplin said, pouring some Scotch into two glasses.
Lily sat on the bed. "I don't drink, Bastian. Have you already forgotten?"
He chuckled. "I just thought you'd need to be drunk in order to answer my question."
He sat beside her, sipping his alcohol and eyeing her. "Why did you go looking for Bond?"
She rolled her eyes. "Are you jealous?"
His stare hardened. "No. I know your heart is mine. And, mine belongs to you."
She smiled. "You knew that."
He put his drink down and moved closer to her. "I did. But, you needed a reminder. Why did you run away from me?"
She swallowed. "I just felt confined when I was with you. I had heard of Bond and...I thought a little adventure would do me good."
He smirked. "I'm going to find out why you searched for him, and when I do, I'm going to male him bleed."
She shot her eyes at him. "You will not touch him. He's not a threat to you."
He threw his glass to the floor, breaking it. "I will decide who is a threat and who isn't!"
Lily cringed with fear as he called himself. "This is why I left."
She stood from the bed and walked towards the window. "You and your drinking. Your temper."
She felt his arms wrap around her waist from behind. He gently shushed her and rested his chin on her shoulder.
"Forgive me. How could I forget what I did?"
"You were drunk and I was only nine years old. You think I don't remember?"
"No, my little darling. I know you do, please. Forgive me and let's start over."
"Then, stop talking about Bond."
She turned to face him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "And, let's talk about us."
He stared down at her, hungrily. "For now."
She closed her eyes and rested her head on his chest. "I'm tired."
"Get some sleep. I'll be on the deck for a bit."
They pulled away and he left the room. Lily covered her eyes and felt like crying. But, she walled towards the window and tried to open it. Of course it had been locked.
She got an idea when she spotted a vase. Quickly, she dumped the water and flowers out and took a deep breath. Then, she threw the the base at the window, breaking it.
Men started yelling and she knew her timer had begun. She took a few steps back and kept her eyes on the water. Without another thought, she ran through the room and out the window. Her body splashed into the water and she swam for dear life.
Small jets of water flew past her as several bullets streamed into the water. She went deeper to avoid them but one grazed her right shoulder.
Her scream was muffled by the water and she had no choice but to go up for air. She burst to the surface as she heard more goons yelling and firing.
"Stop!" Duplin ordered. "You'll kill her, you idiots!"
The last thing she remembered was closing her eyes and letting herself sink into the water.