Heads turned simultaneously.
A dark touring motorcycle rolled into view, ridden by a broad-shouldered older man wearing a faded denim vest over cracked leather. His silver hair escaped beneath a worn helmet, and his posture carried the quiet heaviness of someone who had spent decades on long roads alone.
His name was Calvin “Cal” Mercer.
And within seconds, everything changed.
Seeing the boy lying ahead, Cal slammed his brakes. The bike fishtailed violently. Instead of swerving away, he deliberately dropped the motorcycle sideways, sending sparks spraying across the pavement as the heavy machine slid to a stop inches from Ethan’s body.