The battle instincts that had kept him alive through two tours overseas and thirty years in an outlaw motorcycle club snapped instantly into sharp, lethal focus. His eyes narrowed, his brow furrowing into a cold, predatory mask.
He glanced past the little girl toward the edge of the gas pumps.
Idling twenty yards away near the darkness of the road was an unmarked, dirty white passenger van. Sitting behind the steering wheel in the dim cabin was a man in a dark jacket. The man’s hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, his eyes fixed on the girl with a tense, suspicious glare.
Bear folded the note smoothly, tucking it into his leather vest pocket. He did not look directly at the van, ensuring the driver remained unaware of the discovery.
"Stay with me," Bear said, his deep, gravelly voice steady and low.
Chapter III: The Shield
Bear positioned his broad, leather-clad body directly between the child and the white van, forming an unbreakable human wall. He gently guided the girl by her shoulder toward the glass doors of the gas station convenience store.
As they reached the automatic doors, the girl looked up at the giant beside her, her chin trembling with tears she had held back for miles.