Obey: 13. The Messenger

The man lay on the loft floor, wrists bound, rainwater dripping from his soaked jacket. His eyes darted around the room but kept skittering back to Marcus, who stood over him like a shadow carved from iron.

Clara stayed close to the wall, her breath shallow. The photograph of her mother lay forgotten on the table. Everything about the stranger screamed warning — the bruises on his knuckles, the way he smirked despite the ropes biting into his skin.

Marcus crouched, one knee down, voice low. “You’ve got thirty seconds to explain why you were crawling through my window.”

The man spat rainwater onto the floor. “I’m just a messenger.”

Clara’s heart jolted.

Marcus’s expression didn’t change. “Then speak.”

The messenger’s smirk faltered. “We know who she is. We know what she’s worth. And we know you’re hiding her.” His eyes flicked to Clara. “You can’t keep her forever.”

A cold shiver ran down her spine. Marcus’s hand brushed hers, grounding her e