Soldier instincts.They don’t fade.
Neither does the possessive fire burning low and hot in my chest.
I start walking, steady and unhurried.Each step is deliberate.
My boots hit the ground like punctuation marks.
The biker turns his head, that nasty grin still stretched across his face—until he sees me coming.
I don’t say a word.Don’t need to.
Micah steps aside just enough for me to pass, eyes cutting toward the biker in silent warning.Benji moves behind Bit, one hand resting near his belt—casual enough not to draw attention, ready enough if things go sideways.
The Heathen smirks, pretending he’s not rattled.
“Well now,” he says, looking between me and Bit, “I see I’ve found some new friends with my old lady here, and it looks like y’all are comfortable.”
I set the bottles down on the table—quietly, neatly—then straighten to my full height.
“Get the fuck out,” I say.
He laughs, but it’s nervous now, thin around the edges.
“Ain’t no harm meant, brother.My old lady and I got some catching up to do.”
“Not your old lady.Not your friend.And not your fucking brother,” I growl.“You’ve had your chance to catch up.Now get the fuck out.”
He shifts like he’s thinking of talking back, but when I take one slow step closer, he freezes.
I let him see it—all of it—the control, the warning, the promise that if he so much as looks at her wrong again, I’ll bury him myself.
The silence stretches.
The crowd around us starts to murmur.
The sound of sirens breaks through—someone already called the cops.
Finally, the biker spits to the side, forces a grin he doesn’t mean, and backs away toward the tent flaps.
“Ain’t worth the trouble,” he mutters.“Not tonight.”
When he’s gone, I don’t move right away.
I just stand there, jaw tight, staring at the spot where he’d been until I can breathe again.
Then I turn to her.
Bit’s trembling, her hand half-raised like she’s not sure what to do.
I reach for her, my voice low.
“You okay, Lil Bit?”
She nods, but I can see the tears she’s fighting, the way her breath shakes when she exhales.
I cup the back of her neck, leaning in close so only she can hear me.
“You’re safe.I got you.”
