Chapter 9 - The Reckoning in the Dark
"Don't touch me!" Julian screamed, suddenly pulling a small silver pocket knife from his dark trousers. He unfolded the two-inch blade with a shaky flick of his wrist, pointing it at Marcus's chest. "I have rights! This is my house! You're trespassing!"
Marcus didn't even blink at the sight of the blade.
Before Julian could thrust the knife forward, Marcus's left hand shot out like a striking viper, grabbing Julian’s wrist and twisting it upward with brutal leverage.
CRACK.
Julian let out a blood-curdling shriek as his wrist fractured. The silver knife slipped from his fingers, bouncing harmlessly across the concrete floor.
Marcus didn't stop there. He grabbed Julian by the lapels of his unbuttoned white shirt, lifting the younger man completely off his feet and slamming his back violently against the concrete wall.
"You like using leather, Julian?" Marcus growled, his face inches from Julian’s nose. "You like hitting someone who can't fight back?"
Julian choked, his eyes bulging as Marcus’s forearm pressed hard against his windpipe, cutting off his oxygen supply. "Please... Marcus... mercy..."
"Mercy is a concept for human beings," Marcus whispered into his ear. "You aren't one."
Marcus raised his right fist, pulling it back to deliver a strike that would have crushed Julian’s facial structure completely.
"Dad!"
A clear, ringing voice echoed down the concrete stairs.
Marcus froze. His fist hovered inches from Julian’s nose.
Standing at the top of the basement stairs was Clara, supported by Eleanor. Her eyes were still red from crying, but her posture had changed. She was no longer cowering. She walked down the concrete steps slowly, her heels tapping against the floor, until she stood at the entrance of the corridor.
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Marcus looked back at his daughter, his chest heaving, his fist still cocked.
"Don't do it, Dad," Clara said softly, her voice steady. "Don't ruin your life for him. He's not worth it."
