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I unlocked the shop and flipped on the “Open” sign, the faint chime of the bell slicing through the quiet. The air smelled like disinfectant and fresh ink. Machines hummed softly from the back as the girls started setting up their stations.
I said hello to everyone and tried to focus on the ordinary–wiping down the counter, sorting paperwork – pretending I wasn’t being babysat by bikers.
Through the big front window, I could see them. Three bikes lined up along the curb across the street, gleaming in the noon
sun.
Logan, River, and Monty lounged near them like they were just hanging out. Cigarettes, coffee cups, lazy postures – but I knew better. Every one of them was coiled tight under the surface.
Every time a car slowed in front of the shop, Logan’s head would tilt slightly, eyes narrowing behind his sunglasses. If it were anyone else, it would’ve been suffocating. But instead, I felt… safe. Tethered.
“You sure know how to attract attention,” Stella teased as she walked by, her long white–blonde hair twisted up into a messy knot on top of her head. She was tall and sharp–edged, with a voice that could cut through anything. “Your bodyguards gonna be here all day? Who are they?”
“They’re not bodyguards,” I said, my cheeks getting warm. “They’re just… friends.”
“Mm–hmm.” Stella smirked, leaning against her station. “Wish my friends looked like that.”
I laughed under my breath, shaking my head. “They’re harmless.”
Outside, Logan looked up at that exact second and met my eyes through the glass. A slow, wolfish smirk spread across his face and my heart skipped.
―
“Yeah,” Stella murmured, watching the exchange. “Totally harmless.”
By early afternoon, the rhythm of the day had taken over. The steady buzz of tattoo machines, the low thump of music, the smell of coffee and Bactine. For a while, I managed to forget the knot in my stomach.
A few clients came and went. Stella worked on a floral piece for a walk–in, chatting easily about music festivals and bad exes. I handled the desk, answering calls, sorting receipts, feeling almost normal.
Every now and then, I’d glance out the window. Logan, River, and Monty had drifted a little apart – River was flirting shamelessly with a woman passing by, Monty was eating something out of a paper bag, and Logan was leaning against his bike, cigarette dangling from his fingers, watching everything. Always watching.
I texted him a GIF of Lorelai Gilmore singing “did you ever know that you’re my hero?”
A second later, his reply came through:
-Try me.-
I giggled despite myself. The tension in my chest loosened. For the first time, I started to believe maybe today would pass without incident,
It didn’t.
The door chime went off, soft and innocent, and the world tilted.
I didn’t see him at first
—
I smelled his cologne. Then a voice I hadn’t heard in days.
13:02
Mon, Dec 22
Chapter 14
“Hey, sweetheart.”
My whole body went cold.
Matt.
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He looked the same, but different–black jacket, stubble, that too–easy smirk that used to melt me and now made my stomach turn.
But he had a black eye, a bruised jaw, and he was covered in big, angry scabs… courtesy of Logan.
His gaze swept the shop, then landed on me behind the counter.
“Didn’t answer my calls,” he said casually, taking a slow step forward. “Your phone broken?”
“Matt,” I said quietly, fighting to keep my voice steady. “You need to leave.”
The girls in the shop froze. Stella straightened in her chair, her tattoo machine going silent. The client she’d been working on blinked, looking between us, uneasy.
Matt gave a little laugh, spreading his hands. “Relax, baby. I just wanna talk.”
“I don’t,” I said. “You should go.”
He tilted his head. “Don’t be like that, Hailey. You owe me a conversation.”
My heartbeat thundered, drowning out everything else. Through the glass, I saw movement – Logan. His body tensed, the cigarette dropping from his hand. River was already pushing off his bike, Monty following behind him.
They were coming.
Matt must’ve seen the shift in my eyes, because his smile faltered. “What, you call your new boyfriend for backup?” he sneered. “That how it is now?”
Before I could respond, Matt’s hand dipped into his jacket and my blood turned to ice. The glint of metal caught the light, and suddenly I was staring down the barrel of a gun.
Everything froze – the air, the room, time itself.
“Matt” My voice came out shaky, barely more than a whisper.
His eyes were wide, his jaw tight as he leveled the gun at me. “You think I’m just gonna let some biker trash take what’s mine?” he spat, his voice full of venom. “If I can’t have you, no one can.”
My throat locked. My body forgot how to move. His eyes burned into me, but they didn’t look like the eyes I’d once known. They were wild… unhinged.
Before I could speak, the door burst open with a crash that shattered the silence.
Logan hit the threshold like a storm front. His boots thudded against the floor, every inch of him coiled and cold. River and Monty flanked him, silent and ready. The shop felt suddenly too small.
Matt whipped around, the gun swinging toward Logan. “Stay the fuck back!” he yelled, his voice cracking.
Logan didn’t stop. He took another step forward, his hands raised slightly, but his posture was anything but submissive.
“Put the gun down, dumbass,” he growled.
Matt’s gaze darted between Logan and me, his breathing ragged. “You think I’m scared of you?” he spat, but his voice
Mon,
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wavered. “You think I won’t shoot?”
Logan tilted his head, his smirk sharp and cold. “You think you’re the only one here with a gun? Man, you just don’t learn, do you? I think you’re too much of a coward to pull that trigger.”
My pulse roared in my ears, my legs trembling under me. I wanted to scream, to move, to do something. But I was frozen.
Matt’s finger twitched on the trigger, and my heart stopped.
“Logan,” I whispered.
He glanced at me for a split second, his expression softening. Then his eyes snapped back to Matt, his voice cutting through the silence.
“Last chance, douchebag. Put it down.”
Matt’s jaw clenched, his eyes wild. “Stay back!” he shouted again, backing up until he hit the counter. “I swear, I’ll-”
Before he could finish, Logan lunged.
It happened so fast I barely registered it. Logan’s hand shot out, gripping Matt’s wrist and forcing the gun upward. Matt screamed, struggled, but Logan twisted his arm until I heard it snap. The gun clattered to the floor, skidding across the tiles.
Matt swung his free hand, but Logan ducked it easily. He yanked Matt forward, his knee slamming into his gut. Matt doubled over with a groan, gasping for air.
Logan didn’t stop. He grabbed Matt by the collar, lifting him off the ground.
“You need me to spell it out? I thought I made it pretty clear, but you just keep askin‘ for more….” Logan’s voice was low calm, but lethal. “You walk in here again, you don’t walk out.”
“Logan-” I started, but he didn’t look at me.
–
He slammed Matt against the wall so hard a framed print rattled off its hook and crashed onto the floor next to the counter.
“Logan!” I stepped forward, grabbing his arm. “Stop, please… this isn’t the place-
He froze at my touch. His breathing was hard, shoulders rigid. For a second, he didn’t move.
Then, slowly, he released his grip and stepped back. Matt slid down the wall, gasping, eyes wide.
“Get out,” Logan said, voice like gravel. “Before I forget she asked me to let you walk.”
Matt scrambled up, clutching his jacket. “You’re fucking insane,” he spat backing toward the door. “You think this is over? You don’t know who you’re-”
Logan took one deliberate step toward him, and that was enough. Matt bolted, the door slamming behind him.
The bell chimed, mockingly cheerful.
For a second, no one moved. The sound of breathing filled the room–mine too fast, Logan’s too slow.
Stella slipped past us and locked the door. “Jesus,” she muttered, glancing at me, “What the fuck was that, Hailey? You okay?”
I nodded weakly, but my throat was tight. My hands wouldn’t stop shaking.
Logan turned to me, eyes still dark with fury. “He touch you?”
“No,” I whispered. “He didn’t.”
13:03 Mon, Dec 22
Chapter 14
He exhaled, the tension bleeding out of his shoulders. He stepped closer, voice dropping low. “You good?”
I nodded again, tears welling up. “I’m okay,” I said, but the words cracked in the middle.
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He pulled me into his arms. His touch was gentle, steady, and at the moment, it was the only thing keeping me upright.
“I’m Logan,” he said over the top of my head. “That’s River. Monty.”
“Stella,” I heard from behind me. “This is my shop. Thanks for, uh… coming to the rescue.”
Logan nodded. “Sorry ‘bout the mess.”
Silence pressed in, heavy and unreal.
Then, from the back of the room, Nikki’s voice cut through from her station. “I, uh… I called the cops,” she said sheepishly. “They’re on their way.”
田
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
