He walked into the garage like he owned it.
"Roark."
Damon kept working.
"Travis."
"You still fixing junk?"
"Mostly."
Travis smiled.
Then he looked at Tessa.
"Didn't know the mechanic had a daughter."
Damon's wrench stopped.
Tessa answered before he could.
"Now you know."
Travis laughed.
His friends laughed with him.
"She's got attitude."
Damon finally looked up.
"Do you need something repaired?"
"No."
"Then you're blocking the door."
Travis stared at him.
For several seconds, neither man moved.
Then Travis stepped aside.
But before leaving, he leaned toward Tessa.
"See you around."
Tessa watched him go.
Damon returned to the motorcycle.
"He's trouble," she said.
"I know."
"You're not going to do anything?"
Damon tightened a bolt.
"Not unless he gives me a reason."
Neither of them knew how quickly that reason would come.
The State Champion
Three days later, Tessa closed the garage at six.
Damon had already gone inside to wash his hands.
She was locking the side door when she heard laughter.
Travis.
Again.
He was standing beside his truck with two friends.
"Hey, mechanic's daughter."
Tessa ignored him.
"Didn't hear me?"
"I did."
"Then answer."
She turned.
"What?"
Travis smiled.
"Come to the lake tonight."
"No."
"You didn't even think about it."
"I didn't need to."
His friends laughed.
Travis walked closer.
"You know, my father says your dad used to be somebody."
Tessa's expression changed.
"What does that mean?"
"Nothing."
"Then why say it?"
Travis shrugged.
"Just heard stories."
Damon appeared in the garage doorway.
"Travis."
The teenager looked over.
"There he is."
Damon walked toward them.
"Go home."
Travis laughed.
"Or what?"
Damon stopped six feet away.
"Or nothing."
That answer confused Travis.
He had expected anger.
Instead, Damon simply stood there.
Travis stepped closer.
"You always talk tough when your daughter is watching?"
Damon said nothing.
Travis pointed at him.
"Your dad only acts tough when nobody's watching."
Tessa stepped forward.
"Leave him alone."
Travis turned toward her.
"What? You think your dad can protect you?"
Damon's voice became quiet.
"Enough."
Travis smiled.
"Make me."
One of Travis's friends pulled out his phone.
The camera began recording.
Travis stepped forward and reached toward Tessa's shoulder.
Damon moved.
It happened so quickly that the laughter died before anyone understood what they had seen.
Damon caught Travis's wrist.
Turned it.
Stepped beside him.
Applied pressure.
Travis dropped to one knee.
No punch.
No kick.
No dramatic movement.
Just control.
Travis's face went white.
"What the—"
"Stop."
Damon's voice was calm.
Travis tried to pull away.
The pressure increased.
"You're hurting my wrist!"
"I know."
Damon released him.
Travis stumbled backward.
His friends stared.
Tessa stared too.
Damon walked toward the garage.
Then he stopped.
He looked back at Travis.
"Take your friends and go."
For once, the state champion did not have a response.
The Watch
That night, Travis replayed the video twelve times.
Each time, he hated it more.
The problem wasn't the wrist lock.
The problem was the silence.