Page 7 of Razor
"The Green Goblin?Sure do.That's a classic."Razor stayed where he was, kneeling on the filthy carpet, making himself smaller for my son's comfort."Who else do you like?Any other heroes?"
"Iron Man," Dante said, the toy in his hand momentarily forgotten as he warmed to the subject."And Captain America.But Spider-Man is the best because he shoots webs."
I felt the tension in my shoulders ease slightly as I watched them talk.This wasn't what I'd expected.The bikers in my imagination had been rough, impatient, maybe even frightening to Dante.Not this man who knelt on a dirty floor to talk superheroes with a four-year-old.
"The webs are pretty cool," Razor agreed, his eyes flicking to me briefly before returning to Dante."You know what's the best thing about Spider-Man, though?He's just a regular guy who decided to help people.That's what makes a real hero."
I wasn't sure if the message was meant for Dante or for me.A reminder that appearances could be deceiving, that heroes didn't always look the part.Dante nodded solemnly, absorbing the wisdom as only children can.
The rigid fear that had kept me upright all night began to melt, replaced by a bone-deep exhaustion.I wasn't naive enough to fully trust this man yet, but Pretty Boy had sent him.And he was being kind to my son.For now, that would have to be enough.
"We should leave soon," I said, conscious of the time ticking away."Tyler will be looking for us."
Razor stood in one fluid movement, all business again."We've got eyes on the roads.If anyone's coming, we'll know.But you're right—we need to move."He paused, looking at Dante again."You hungry, little man?There's a diner about ten minutes from here.We can grab some breakfast before hitting the road."
Dante perked up at the mention of food, and my own stomach growled in response.When had we last eaten?Yesterday's lunch seemed a lifetime ago.
"Yes, please," Dante said, surprising me with his manners in the midst of all this chaos.
Razor nodded, and I caught the faintest hint of another smile."Good.Let's get your stuff together."
As he helped me gather our meager belongings, I found myself stealing glances at him.The tattooed arms that could probably break a man in half had just been gesturing animatedly about comic books.The hands that looked like they'd seen countless fights were now carefully zipping Dante's dinosaur into the side pocket of our duffel so it wouldn't get lost.
I'd opened the door expecting the worst.Instead, I'd found...what?Not safety, not yet.But maybe the first step toward it.
The fluorescent lights of the motel room buzzed overhead, casting harsh shadows across the rumpled bed where Dante now stood, his small body vibrating with the kind of energy only a four-year-old could muster after pancakes and chocolate milk.The diner had been a risk—being out in public where Tyler's connections might spot us—but Razor had positioned himself strategically, his back to the wall, eyes constantly scanning the entrance while I'd coaxed Dante to eat more than syrup.
After eating, Razor decided to move us to another motel under a different name.I assumed he wanted to make us harder to track and buy more time to form a plan.Or maybe he wanted to give Dante time to adjust to the sudden chaos in our lives.I leaned against the motel room wall, arms crossed over my chest, watching as Razor transformed from intimidating biker into a man who handled children with effortless patience.
"So, you think you're strong, huh?"Razor asked, his voice playfully challenging as he stood at the foot of the bed.He'd removed his leather cut, revealing a black t-shirt stretched across broad shoulders, the colorful edges of tattoos visible on his biceps.
Dante puffed out his chest, Spider-Man still clutched in one hand."I'm super strong!"
"I don't know..."Razor shook his head doubtfully."You look pretty small to me."
"I'm not small!"Dante protested, his indignation so genuine that I felt a smile threatening at the corners of my mouth."I'm big!"
"Well, there's only one way to find out," Razor said, climbing onto the bed with exaggerated movements.The ancient mattress sagged beneath his weight, springs protesting."We gotta wrestle."
My body tensed automatically.Wrestle?I'd seen Tyler rough-house with Dante before.It always started playful but inevitably ended with my son in tears, Tyler annoyed that a toddler couldn't "take a joke."I pushed away from the wall, ready to intervene.
But Razor caught my eye, the steady calm in his expression grounding me.He positioned himself on his knees, lowering his center of gravity and making himself less threatening."Alright, Spider-Man," he challenged."Show me what you got."
Dante dropped his toy and launched himself at Razor with a battle cry that was half giggle.Instead of blocking the attack or countering it, Razor let Dante's small body collide with his chest, falling backward onto the mattress with a dramatic "Oof!"as if the child had actually knocked him over.
"Whoa!You are strong!"Razor exclaimed, eyes wide with mock surprise as Dante scrambled to sit triumphantly on his chest.
"I got you!"Dante crowed, his face split with a grin I hadn't seen in months.
"You sure did, little man."Razor made a show of trying to get up, while carefully ensuring Dante remained securely on top."Man, I can't move.You've got me pinned."
I found my arms slowly uncrossing, the knot of tension between my shoulders loosening as I watched them.This wasn't the rough-housing I'd feared.Razor was letting himself be conquered by a preschooler, his movements carefully calibrated to make Dante feel strong without any risk of hurting him.
"Try again," Dante commanded, scrambling off to allow Razor to sit up.
"I don't know if I can handle another defeat," Razor said seriously, but he positioned himself for round two."Maybe I should—"
Dante charged again, this time grabbing Razor's arm.With theatrical timing, Razor spun and flopped onto his back, bringing Dante with him but ensuring the boy landed safely on his chest rather than the mattress.
