Chapter Seventeen

Erin and Jack's P.O.V*

Erin adjusted her position slightly upon sensing her partner rising from the couch. However, she remained asleep, assuming that Soifon was merely going to fetch a drink. Consequently, she unconcernedly turned onto her side and placed her hands beneath her head in order to enhance her comfort. Unaware of the presence of an individual behind the couch, Erin remained in a state of slumber.

Jack positioned himself behind the couch, gazing down upon Erin with a smirk adorning his face. With a whisper, he apologetically uttered, 'I regret having to subject you to this, Miss Lindsay.' His hand deliberately descended upon her face, sensing a slight response from her. 'You may assign responsibility to my sister for the circumstances that have befallen you,' he asserted, as he retrieved a needle using his other hand.

Erin experienced a sharp pain in her neck and slowly opened her eyes to investigate. Despite feeling drowsy, she attempted to turn her head to understand the situation, but was hindered by the presence of a hand on her face. It was evident that the hand did not belong to Soifon, as her lover's touch was typically smaller and more gentle. A voice above her head urged her to relax, referring to her as Lindsay. Struggling to lift her gaze, Erin was met with a masked figure, causing her green eyes to widen in alarm.

She desperately tried to regain full consciousness, but was overcome by a numbing sensation in her body. Where was Soifon? Had she also been captured? Numerous questions raced through Erin's mind, yet before she could utter a word, Jack firmly placed his hand over her mouth.

Erin attempted to remove his hand from her mouth in order to loudly instruct Soifon to vacate the premises without making any noise. Jack issued a warning, emphasizing his blue eyes piercing into her green eyes, while simultaneously injecting a needle into her neck and releasing its contents. Erin fought against him, recognizing that she should have maintained her vigilance had she been fully awake and more attentive. However, exhaustion had rendered her vulnerable.

Jack observed Erin's struggle to prevent herself from losing consciousness, but ultimately failed. A subtle smirk appeared on his face as he circled the couch, enabling him to conveniently lift Erin. As he moved to the opposite side, he gently bent down to give the brunette a kiss before carrying her outside the apartment, leaving Thomas to handle his sister.

Upon reaching the truck, Jack carefully positioned Erin in the back seat and proceeded to close the door. He then assumed the role of the driver and patiently awaited Thomas' arrival, urging him with a slightly impatient remark, 'Hurry up, time is of the essence.' Annoyed, he removed his mask, as his task was successfully completed.

Leaning back in his seat, he turned on the radio, keeping the volume low to maintain his alertness. He gazed out the window, keeping an eye out for Thomas to appear. Swiftly, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes, extracted one, and placed it in his mouth, lighting it. As he inhaled the smoke, he briefly glanced at Erin and reassured her, 'Do not worry, my dear. We will soon reach our destination once we have acquired Soifon.' He extended his arm to caress her hair and whispered, 'Once we arrive, my superior will handle Soifon while I indulge in my own pleasures with you.' A smirk played on his face, driven by his intent to make Soifon suffer. However, it should be noted that his intention was not to harm Erin, but rather to claim her as his own.

After the passage of ten minutes, he maintained contact with Erin's cheek, moving his hand in circular motions. Upon hearing footsteps approaching the truck, he promptly withdrew his hand and shifted his attention towards the steering. As he glanced through the window, he observed Thomas carrying Soifon over his shoulder. Jack's demeanor altered as he exclaimed, 'Finally, it took him long enough.' He stepped out of the vehicle to assist Thomas in placing Soifon inside the truck.

Jack proceeded to open the doors, allowing Thomas to place Soifon in the back seat. The blonde individual expressed their impatience, questioning the delay. Thomas, in turn, swiftly closed the truck door and justified the delay by stating that Soifon put up some resistance initially, but he successfully managed to secure her. Subsequently, he took his place in the passenger seat.

Once both men had entered the truck and both women had joined them, Jack swiftly departed from the curb. 'Let us make our way back to the hideout,' Jack declared.

It took Jack and Thomas approximately one to two hours to return to the hideout, given that Ace was waiting outside alongside Brian. "How did it go?" Ace inquired as he approached the truck after Jack had parked it.

"It went exceedingly well, aside from Thomas encountering difficulties with your woman, but we managed to secure both of them," Jack replied, as he and Thomas assisted each other in opening the back doors upon exiting the truck.

Ace acknowledged with a nod before stating, 'Let us assist in transporting the women to their respective rooms.' Jack and Thomas then proceeded to lift Soifon and Erin onto their shoulders. 'Very well, show us the way,' Jack replied. Ace and Brian assumed the lead and headed towards the rooms.

Jack pursued Ace, while Brian walked alongside Thomas. Within a short span of time, they efficiently escorted the women to their respective rooms.

Once inside, Ace instructed Thomas to place Soifon on the coarse bed. He then restrained her wrists tightly by attaching handcuffs to the bedpost. Leaning towards her, he gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face, asserting, 'I will return shortly, and your punishment shall commence.' His words were accompanied by a self-satisfied smirk.

Once Soifon was taken to her room, they continued further down the hall. Upon reaching the next room, Jack gently placed Erin on the bed and secured her wrists with cuffs, ensuring they were tightly fastened above her head. It would be a few hours until both Soifon and Erin regained consciousness.

Ace suggested, 'Let's leave them be for now. Jack, you can attend to Miss Erin while I take care of Soifon. Afterward, we will bring them together in a few days.' With that, Ace walked out of Erin's room accompanied by Jack and two other men. Jack, wearing a victorious smirk, agreed, 'Sounds good to me.'

Upon closing the door behind them, Ace led the others to the kitchen. Ace then addressed Thomas and Brian in regards to guarding the hideout after their meal.

He specified that he wanted them to be stationed outside the women's rooms at all times. He allowed them to decide between themselves who they each wanted to guard. Inside the kitchen, Ace grabbed a beer and a TV dinner for himself. Thomas suggested he could guard Soifon while Brian could guard Erin.

Brian agreed with this arrangement. Thomas then asked Ace if they were responsible for feeding the women while they were there. Ace took a moment to consider and replied that they were not required to do so at the moment. Brian confirmed his understanding of the instructions, as he grabbed something for himself to eat while Jack and Thomas made sandwiches for themselves.