Chapter 3 - THE BIRTHDAY TEST
The Stranger stopped three feet away, his arm reaching out past Jack’s shoulder, his fingers extending toward Emma’s arm.
"Come on, sweetheart," the Stranger said, his tone turning slightly firmer, though he kept the artificial smile fixed on his face for the benefit of two mothers watching from the end of the aisle. "Let's go back to the car. Daddy bought you that toy you wanted."
Jack stood up.
The sheer physical transformation was terrifying. Jack rose to his full six-foot-five height, his massive shoulders entirely blocking the Stranger's line of sight to Emma. He stepped directly into the man’s path, placing his broad chest inches from the Stranger's extended hand.
The Stranger paused, his hand hovering in mid-air, his smile flickering for a fraction of a second as he looked up at the towering, tattooed biker and the Iron Ravens patch on his chest.
"I said she's my daughter, pal," the Stranger said, his voice dropping an octave, losing its warm suburban polish. "Step aside."
Jack crossed his thick, tattooed arms across his chest, staring down at the man with cold, unblinking intensity.
"When's her birthday?" Jack demanded, his gravelly voice cutting through the store's background music.
The Stranger hesitated. His eyes flicked briefly toward the purple backpack over his shoulder, then back to Jack’s face.
"September," the Stranger answered quickly.
May you like
"What day?" Jack asked, taking a half-step forward, tightening the distance between them.
The Stranger opened his mouth to answer, but no words came out. His jaw tightened, the artificial smile vanishing entirely from his face, replaced by a cold, sharp glare.
