Beneath the Surface Storm

Previously

…Marcus’s words echoed in his mind, a siren’s song of comfort and control. He glanced at Jill. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with a fear that went beyond the immediate threat of Marcus. She looked lost, adrift in a sea of shadows, and he felt a surge of protectiveness, a desperate need to shield her from the storm that was gathering around them. But he knew, with a chilling certainty, that the storm was already inside them, and Marcus was only fanning the flames. The promise of Elena’s help felt like a distant star, its light too faint to penetrate the suffocating darkness Marcus had so carefully cultivated. The noose was tightening, and the air grew thinner with every passing mile.