The moment stretched between us like a bridge, this strange connection forged in the quietest of gestures.I gently returned Mr.Hoppers to her waiting hands, and she clutched him close again, a half-smile ghosting across her face.
Then the spell broke when the very kind of man this little girl had been running from just walked into the Goddamned foyer.
“Let me in, you little bitches!I know she’s in there!”The male voice exploded from outside the main area but still inside the warehouse, followed by the sound of something hitting the front door hard enough to rattle the windows.I wasn’t certain how he’d gotten in but I knew at least two of the brothers wouldn’t be far behind him.
Still, the reaction inside was immediate.Mothers gathered children to them, some retreating down hallways, others frozen in place.The volunteer at the coffee station fumbled her pot, dark liquid splashing across the counter.A woman with a cast pressed herself against the wall, face drained of color.
“My husband,” she whispered, eyes wide with terror.“He found me.”Her whimper tore at my heart, but more, fueled my anger toward the man outside.
The shelter coordinator, a tall woman with short gray hair, moved swiftly toward the security office, her face hard, showing no signs of panic.She’d hit the panic button that not only notified the local sheriff’s office but would give them a live feed of our cameras so they could see what they were up against.This wasn’t the first angry ex to show up, but something in her expression told me this one was especially dangerous.This was the kind of man the women coming to Haven had run from.And I hated every Goddamned motherfucking one of ‘em.
“I just want to talk to her!”The voice outside rose again, followed by another impact against the door.“You can’t keep my wife from me!I have rights!”
Kira scurried back to her mother and sister, who had both risen to their feet.Penny’s face had gone chalk-white, her arm instinctively curving around Zelda’s shoulders.Not their problem, but they recognized the threat all too well.
I rose to my full height in one fluid motion, unfurling from my seated position like a dark promise.My protective instincts surged, not just for the woman with the cast but for all of them.For Penny and her girls, for every resident who’d found temporary safety behind these walls.But especially for those who hadn’t made it here.
“Stay here,” I said to no one in particular, my voice calm despite the anger swelling inside me.I rolled my shoulders and popped my neck.I felt the leather of my vest stretch across my back over my T-shirt.“I’ll handle this.”
As I moved toward the door, residents parted before me like I was Moses at the Red Sea.This time, the fear in their eyes didn’t pain me.This time, it had a purpose.Some men need to be feared.Others needed to fear.Those included men who think their fists give them rights over women and children.
I swiped my key card to open the heavy security door separating the common area from the lobby.The women all had their own cards to get in and out, but we opted for a swipe on both sides to open the door to prevent the children from accidentally opening up the door to danger.
The door swung outward, into the reception space.I was careful to keep myself between the opening and the bastard currently being blocked by Griffin and Inferno.Griffin was usually pretty good at redirecting and deescalating, but Inferno could sometimes be a bit of a hothead.No pun intended.Stepping into the small reception space, I didn’t open the door far and made sure it shut quickly.I braced myself in case the bastard got through my brothers.
The smell hit me first.Cheap cologne, mingling with the tang of cheaper alcohol.The man stood about five-ten, wearing a rumpled button-down and slacks that looked expensive despite the wrinkles.He was thickly built, kind of like someone who was athletic in college but hadn’t yet realized his muscle was slowly being replaced by fat.
The guy whipped his head around, and for a split second, I watched the calculations play across his face as he took in my size.I knew what he saw -- nearly seven feet of thick muscle wrapped in a leather vest with the Kiss of Death MC patch prominently displayed.His eyes widened, then narrowed with the stubborn bravado of a man too drunk and too entitled to recognize real danger.
In prison, I’d learned there are ways to end conflicts before they start.I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, centering myself.This wasn’t about me.This was about the women and children behind that door.About the woman with the cast on her arm who’d gone white as paper at the sound of his voice.About Penny and her girls who’d already fled one monster.
I stood perfectly still, hands loose at my sides, blocking the path to the door without making any aggressive moves.Waiting.
“Who the fuck are you?”he demanded, his voice slurred but still carrying the crisp consonants of someone who thought themselves important.“This is between me and my fucking wife.Get out of my Goddamned way.”
I didn’t answer immediately.Instead, I took one step forward, letting my shadow fall over him.Another prison lesson.Sometimes, silence unsettles more than words ever could.When I finally spoke, my voice was soft, almost gentle.“You need to leave.Now.”
He puffed up, indignation overriding his initial wariness.“You can’t tell me what to do, motherfucker.She’s my fucking wife.I have a right --”
I took another step forward, quicker this time, a threat there was no way he was too drunk to miss.The bastard instinctively backed up, though his face flushed with anger at his own retreat.His eyes flicked to my patch, recognition dawning.“You’re with that motorcycle gang.Heard every fucking one of you guys done time.You’re holding me against my will.Bet that’ll buy you a one-way ticket back to prison.”
“No.”I shook my head slowly, deliberately.“It won’t.”
His face contorted, and I could see the moment his anger overrode his caution.“You don’t know anything about my marriage!She’s lying about everything.She always does this, makes me out to be the bad guy when she’s the one --”
“Don’t care.”My voice remained calm but raised so I could be heard over him.“My job is to keep you out and them safe.Not to make judgments one way or the other.”
“Ain’t leaving without her.I’ll get the police down here and you’ll be on your way back to prison.”
“You’ll leave.And you won’t come back.”
“Or what?”He tried for bravado, but his voice wavered.
I smiled then, not a friendly expression.“Or you’ll regret it.For the rest of your natural life.However short that might be.”I leaned in slightly, just enough to let him feel how much bigger I was than him.“The sheriff’s already been called.And when they get here, they’ll find either an empty parking lot, or they’ll find whatever’s left of you.I might go back to prison, but you won’t be alive to gloat.”
Something in my eyes must have convinced him because the blood drained from his face.“You’re insane,” he whispered, but he was already stepping back.
“No,” I said softly.“I’m restrained.Stick around.I’ll show you what I’m like when I’m not restrained.”
