Chapter 2

My phone felt like a block of hot lead in my palm, I shoved it deep into my back pocket, staring up at the closed door of the attic guest room, It couldn't be him, it was a statistical impossibility, there were thousands of men in this state, thousands of profiles but the math didn't lie, and neither did the small white scar I had stared at in high-definition photos for three straight weeks.

"Hey! You coming down or what?" my father called out from the bottom of the stairs.

"Yeah! Coming!" I yelled back, my voice cracking slightly. I took a deep breath, forced my face into a neutral expression, and walked downstairs to the dining room.

My dad was already sitting at the head of the wooden table, popping the top off a glass beer bottle. Sitting to his right, perfectly relaxed, was the man from the attic. He had changed into a simple black t-shirt that hugged his massive chest and arms, making his broad frame look even more imposing in the small room.

"Sit down," my dad said, gesturing to the chair directly across from his friend. "You remember Marcus, don't you? Well, you were probably five the last time he visited the base, so maybe not."

Marcus turned his head slowly, his dark eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my breath catch in my throat. He just casually leaned back in his chair, resting his large, calloused hands on the table.

"He was just a little kid back then, John," Marcus said softly. His deep voice sent a jolt straight down my spine. "Looks like he grew up."

"Barely," my dad snorted, taking a gulp of beer. "Nineteen and still acts like he knows everything. Supposed to be heading off to community college in the fall, if he can keep his head straight."

I sat down in the chair across from Marcus, keeping my eyes fixed firmly on my plate, I couldn't look at his hands or his face, I had seen those same long fingers in videos, flexed and commanding, typing out commands that I had spent nights obeying.

"Nothing wrong with taking your time," Marcus said.

 "As long as he knows how to follow directions when it counts."

My eyes snapped up to meet his, Marcus wasn't looking at my dad anymore, he was staring straight at me, there was no obvious sign of recognition on his face, no smirk, no knowing wink, just a cool, dominant focus that felt like a heavy weight pressing down on my chest.

"So, Marcus," I choked out, trying to sound normal. "How long are you staying?"

"Just a few days," Marcus replied, resting his chin on his fist. "Got some business in the city, your dad was nice enough to offer me the spare room." He paused, his gaze dropping briefly to my mouth before rising back to my eyes. "It's quiet up in the attic, i like the privacy."

"It's loud enough," I muttered before I could stop myself. "The floorboards creak."

A tiny, almost imperceptible turn appeared at the corner of Marcus's mouth. "Do they? I'll have to make sure I move carefully, then. Don't want to keep you awake."

My dad slammed his beer down on the table, completely oblivious to the thick, suffocating tension filling the air between us. "Ah, don't worry about him! He sleeps like a log anyway, always locked in his room on that phone of his."

Underneath the table, my hand reflexively gripped my knee, the phone in my back pocket felt like it was burning through my jeans.

"Is that so?" Marcus murmured, his eyes narrowing just a fraction as he held my gaze. "Spending all night on a screen can be a bad habit, you never really know who's on the other side of it."

"I know what I'm doing," I said defensively, my temper flaring up to cover the sheer terror and excitement racing through my blood.

"Do you?" Marcus asked softly.

He reached out and picked up his water glass, his dark eyes fixed on mine over the rim as he took a slow sip. 

"Anyway," my dad interrupted, standing up from his chair. "I'm exhausted, got an early shift at the yard tomorrow, Marcus, show yourself around if you need anything. Don't let my kid hassle you."

"Will do, John, get some sleep," Marcus said smoothly.

My dad patted Marcus on the shoulder and walked out of the room, his heavy footsteps fading away as he headed down the hallway toward his bedroom on the ground floor.

Suddenly, the house was dead silent, it was just the two of us sitting in the dim light of the dining room, my heart was pounding so hard I was certain Marcus could hear it from across the table. I made a move to slide my chair back and stand up, desperate to escape to the safety of my room.

"Where are you going?" Marcus asked.

He hadn't raised his voice, but the sudden, absolute weight of authority in his tone pinned me to my seat instantly.

I swallowed, my hands trembling under the table. "To bed. It's late."

Marcus slowly leaned forward, placing his forearms on the table, the movement brought him closer, his broad shoulders blocking out the dim light of the hallway behind him, he reached into his front pocket, pulled out a dark smartphone, and set it flat on the wooden table between us, the screen was completely black.

He didn't unlock it, he just rested his hand beside it, his large fingers tapping a slow, steady rhythm on the polished wood.

"You seem nervous," Marcus said quietly, his voice dropping into a register that made my skin break out in goosebumps. "Your dad says you're straight, tough, independent but sitting right here... you look like you're waiting for someone to tell you what to do."

My throat locked up completely, i couldn't speak, i couldn't breathe.

Marcus raised his hand from the table and slowly reached across the short distance between us, i flinched, but I didn't pull away. 

"Go to your room," Marcus ordered softly, his eyes locking onto mine with absolute, undeniable control. "And don't delete anything."

I scrambled out of my chair so fast it screeched against the floorboards, i turned without saying a single word and sprinted up the stairs, closing and locking my bedroom door behind me.

I leaned against the hard wood, panting heavily in the dark, my whole body shaking.

A second later, the phone in my pocket vibrated violently.

I pulled it out with numb fingers and looked at the screen. A new message sat in the private chat.

I told you to be a good boy, why didn't you answer my text?