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What started as a simple fuel stop on my Harley turned into a moment that could have ended in tragedy. I’d been on the road for most of my forty-three years, and I’ve learned to trust the tension in the air before the mind catches up to it. That’s exactly what happened when I heard a quiet, trembling voice behind me — the kind you don’t forget once you’ve heard it.
A young woman stood by a beat-up Honda, tears streaking down her cheeks, clutching a handful of coins as though they were everything she owned. “Please… don’t fill it up. If he sees, he’ll think I begged you.” Her voice cracked on every word. I didn’t know her name yet, but the fear in her eyes told me more than she realized.
“He’s going to lose it,” she choked out, eyes darting toward the store entrance. That’s when I noticed the bruises — fingerprint-shaped, yellow and purple, climbing up her arms.
Then she froze.
He was coming.
A young man stepped out of the convenience store with the swagger of someone who survives on intimidation. Tank top, cheap tattoos, a posture built entirely on control. The moment he saw the full tank — and me standing beside her — his expression twisted into fury. He grabbed her arm hard enough to make her gasp and accused her of begging strangers for help. She sobbed, trying to explain. I stepped forward, calm and steady, telling him the gas was on me.
That only made it worse.
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