Chapter 5 - The Shield of Iron
Through the heavy, smudged glass of the diner’s front door, framed by the dying amber light of the Oklahoma sunset, a shape materialized.
It was a tall, dark silhouette—an adult male standing on the gravel porch outside. The setting sun behind him rendered his face completely unreadable, transforming his figure into a sharp, menacing cutout against the red sky. He stood still for two seconds, his outline cast long across the concrete step.
Then, the chrome door handle on the outside of the glass door slowly began to depress.
Click.
Rhett Mercer stood up first.
He didn't move with haste; he rose with the slow, terrifying momentum of a falling mountain. His massive frame unfolded from the red vinyl booth, his long graying hair falling over his shoulders, his silver-streaked beard framing an expression of absolute, cold killer instinct.
In perfect unison, the other five Iron Hollow Riders rose with him.
The wooden chairs and vinyl seats scraped violently backward against the linoleum floor with a series of sharp, jagged sounds. Six massive, muscular men clad in black leather and heavy boots formed a solid line across the aisle, their broad backs bearing the Iron Hollow Riders patches creating an impenetrable wall of leather, denim, and steel.
May you like
Behind this wall, the Lead Biker smoothly shifted his position. He didn't stand up fully; instead, he rotated his massive body across the red cushion, stepping entirely in front of the nook where Mara sat. He tucked her small frame completely behind his back and shoulders, shielding her entirely from the front entrance.
Mara pressed herself tightly against the middle of the Lead Biker’s back, her hands gripping the lower hem of his leather vest. For the first time since she had walked into the diner, her rigid control cracked. Her small body began to tremble violently, her forehead resting against the hard leather of his spine.
