CHAPTER 10 — When the Knock Comes Again
867 Words
CHAPTER 10 — When the Knock Comes Again
The rain hadn’t stopped. It drummed against the windows in steady, relentless waves, turning the city into a blur of silver and shadow. Marcus sat on the couch, his breathing finally evening out, his eyes half‑closed but alert in the way a man never truly rests.
Lena sat beside him, her legs tucked under her, her shoulder brushing his. She didn’t speak. She didn’t need to. The quiet between them felt like a fragile truce — a moment borrowed from a world that didn’t allow softness.
Marcus’s hand rested on her thigh, heavy and warm. Not possessive. Not demanding. Just there. A promise.
“You should sleep,” she whispered.
He shook his head. “Not yet.”
“You’re exhausted.”
“I’ll sleep when I know you’re safe.”
She swallowed. “I’m safe with you.”
His jaw tightened. “Not if he comes back.”
Lena opened her mouth to argue — and froze.
A sound.
Soft.Slow.Wrong.
Marcus heard it too. His entire body went still, every muscle tightening like a wire pulled taut.
The hallway.
Footsteps.
Not hurried.Not hesitant.Measured.
Lena’s pulse spiked. She grabbed Marcus’s arm without thinking. He didn’t pull away.
He stood, wincing as pain shot through his ribs, but he didn’t let it slow him. He moved to the door, silent, controlled, every step a warning.
Lena followed — not behind him, but beside him.
Marcus shot her a look. “Stay back.”
“No.”
His eyes flashed — frustration, fear, something deeper. But he didn’t argue. He didn’t have time.
The footsteps stopped.
Right outside the door.
Lena’s breath caught.
Marcus lifted a finger — a silent command for stillness.
Then—
A knock.
Soft.Deliberate.The same rhythm as before.
Lena’s stomach dropped. Her fingers dug into Marcus’s arm.
The man’s voice came through the door, calm and almost polite.
“Marcus.”
Marcus didn’t answer.
The man continued, tone steady. “You didn’t come to the meeting.”
Marcus’s jaw flexed. “I had other priorities.”
A pause.Then a quiet laugh — low, amused, chilling.
“I see that.”
Lena felt Marcus shift, positioning himself between her and the door. She moved anyway, stepping closer, refusing to be hidden.
The man’s voice softened. “Is she with you?”
Marcus didn’t respond.
The man exhaled, slow and satisfied. “Good. That makes this easier.”
Marcus’s hand slid behind him, finding Lena’s hip, pulling her back just enough to shield her. “You’re not coming in.”
“I don’t need to come in,” the man said. “I just need you to listen.”
Marcus’s grip tightened.
Lena whispered, “Marcus…”
He didn’t look at her. His eyes stayed locked on the door. “I’m listening.”
The man’s tone shifted — no longer polite, no longer patient.
“You owe a debt. You walked away. You think you can hide behind her? You think she makes you untouchable?”
Marcus’s voice dropped to something cold. “Say her name again.”
Silence.
Then the man chuckled. “You care. That’s new.”
Lena felt Marcus’s entire body tense — not with fear, but with something sharper.
The man continued, voice almost gentle. “I’ll give you one chance. Come finish what you started. Tonight.”
Marcus didn’t move. “And if I don’t?”
The man’s answer was soft enough to make Lena’s skin crawl.
“Then I take something you care about.”
Marcus’s breath stopped.
Lena’s heart slammed against her ribs.
The man tapped the door once — a quiet, mocking farewell.
“I’ll be waiting.”
Footsteps retreated down the hall.
Slow.Unhurried.Confident.
Marcus didn’t move until the sound faded completely.
Then he turned to Lena.
His eyes were darker than she’d ever seen.
“We’re leaving,” he said.
She shook her head. “Marcus—”
“We’re leaving,” he repeated, voice low, dangerous, final. “Now.”
She stepped closer, her hand sliding up his chest, careful of the bruises. “I’m not running.”
He grabbed her face gently, his thumb brushing her cheek, his voice breaking with something raw. “I’m not letting him take you.”
“You won’t.”
“You don’t understand,” he whispered. “He doesn’t bluff.”
“Neither do you.”
Marcus closed his eyes, forehead pressing against hers, his breath shaking. “Lena… I can’t lose you.”
“You won’t.”
He opened his eyes — and she saw it.The fear.The fury.The love he hadn’t said out loud yet.
She lifted his hand and pressed it to her heart. “I’m not leaving your side.”
Marcus swallowed hard. “Then we fight.”
She nodded. “Together.”
He kissed her — not soft, not gentle, but desperate, claiming, terrified. His hands framed her face like she was the only thing anchoring him to the world.
When he pulled back, his voice was steady again.
“We move in ten minutes.”
Lena nodded.
Marcus looked at the door one last time.
“He’s not done,” he said.
Neither were they.
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