"I'm not thirsty!" Sarah gasped, her eyes darting frantically between Tank's tattoos and the line of bikers standing watch behind him. "She can't take this. Please... just leave us alone."
Tank raised both hands in a calm, placating gesture, taking a half-step back to give her space.
"I'm not here to hurt anyone, ma'am," Tank said gently.
"What are you doing, then?" Sarah’s voice cracked with raw exhaustion, holding back tears of dread. "Why are you putting this kind of money on a child's table?"
Tank met her anxious gaze with steady resolve. "Paying back a debt."
Sarah looked down at the stacks of cash, bewildered. Before she could demand an explanation, Lily tugged gently on the hem of her mother’s jeans.
The little girl peered around Sarah's waist, tilting her pink cap back, studying the thick grey beard and the kind eyes behind Tank's rugged exterior.