Greg shoved him again.
This time Marcus caught his forearm and guided it away.
"Enough."
Greg pulled back, breathing heavily.
"You think you're some kind of hero?"
"No."
"Then why are you doing this?"
Marcus glanced at Emma.
"Because she's scared."
A store employee named Denise appeared at the far end of the aisle.
"Sir, the manager is coming. We've called security."
Greg turned sharply.
"You called security?"
Denise hesitated.
Marcus answered for her.
"Good."
Greg's eyes flicked toward the exit.
He reached into his pocket.
Marcus watched carefully.
Greg pulled out his phone and pretended to check a message.
"Fine. I'll call her mother myself."
"Go ahead."
Greg stared at the screen.
His thumb moved, but he never placed a call.
Instead, he looked past Marcus toward Emma.
"Sweetheart, tell this man we're going home."
Emma shook her head.
"No."
"Emma."
His tone became dangerously quiet.
"You know what happens when you don't listen."
The girl immediately began trembling.
Marcus's expression hardened.
"Don't threaten her."
Greg stepped forward again.
"Stay out of this!"
He lunged toward Emma.
Marcus reacted instantly.
He caught Greg's wrist in a firm grip, preventing him from reaching the child.
Greg twisted and struggled.
"Let go of me!"
"Stop trying to grab her."
"You're assaulting me!"
Marcus did not tighten his grip unnecessarily.
He simply held Greg's wrist away from Emma.
The store manager, a middle-aged man named Robert Collins, arrived with a security guard.
"What is happening here?"
Greg shouted first.
"This lunatic grabbed me! I want him arrested!"
Robert looked from Greg to Marcus.
Then he saw Emma.
She was crouched behind Marcus, crying silently.
"Sir," Robert said carefully, "is the child all right?"
Marcus answered.
"She says this man took her from a park without her mother's permission."
Greg exploded.
"That's a lie!"
Emma screamed.
"He took me! He said Mommy was hurt!"
Robert immediately turned toward the security guard.
"Call the police again. Tell them we may have an abducted child."
"They're already on their way."
Greg suddenly stopped struggling.
His expression changed.
For several seconds, he stared at the front of the store.
Then he spoke quietly.
"Marcus, right?"
The biker said nothing.
"Listen. We can work something out."
Marcus looked at him.
"What do you mean?"
Greg lowered his voice.
"I've got money in my truck. You let me walk out with the girl, and I'll make it worth your while."
Marcus felt disgust rise in his chest.
"You're offering me money to hand over a terrified child?"
"Five thousand dollars."
Marcus stared at him.
"Ten thousand," Greg whispered urgently.
A woman nearby began recording the conversation on her phone.
Greg noticed.
"Put that away!"
Marcus spoke slowly.
"You couldn't pay me enough."
Greg's breathing became ragged.
"You're making a mistake."
"No," Marcus replied. "The mistake was yours."
The security guard moved closer.
Robert guided several customers away from the aisle.
Marcus released Greg's wrist only after the guard had positioned himself between Greg and the exit.
Greg backed against a shelf.
Boxes of cereal fell to the floor.
Then, from somewhere outside, a siren sounded.
Emma lifted her head.
"Is that the police?"
Marcus crouched beside her.
"Sounds like it."
"Will they take Greg away?"
"They'll find out what happened."
She looked at him with enormous, exhausted eyes.
"Will you stay until Mommy comes?"
For a moment, Marcus could not speak.
A memory struck him so suddenly that the supermarket seemed to disappear.
Another little girl.
Another frightened voice.