Page 62 of Run to You
Engaging the safety on her gun, she tucked it in the back of her jeans and went to her knees to look them over.
Satisfied they were shaken but uninjured, she wrapped her arms around their waists. “Girls breathe with me. Ava, you’re so good at this. Breathe with me and help Emma. Help your sister, honey.”
It didn’t seem real to have her daughters so terrified with pigtails in their hair and cartoon characters on their t-shirts. Emma’s breath stuttered from her lips.
James lowered beside Nina to help. “Everything is okay now,” he said gently. “You’re safe.”
“Slow. Steady. That’s it. Deep breath in...”
It took a few minutes but the twins finally calmed. They gripped Nina as hard as they could and James hugged all three of them.
He leaned back and smiled. “You’re safe with Mommy. She doesn’t even get scared.”
“She could have died…”
“We wouldn’t have a mommy anymore…”
“Your mom is smart. She thinks fast. There are bad people in the world but they don’t have achanceagainst her.”
“Do you promise?”
“We won’t lose her…?”
Nina said quickly, “Let’s get you something to eat and you can play with Benji in Miss Rowan’s office. Doesn’t that sound nice?”
They nodded.
Nina and James each picked up one of their children and held them too tightly as Mary-Margaret made them a snack - chatting silliness while she trembled.
Benji was an almost three-year-old with an incrediblebalanceto him that was hard to reconcile with his age. He stood between the sisters while they ate cookies with shaking hands. The little boy patted their shoulders.
“They’ll keep us safe. Wanna train with me?”
Ava sniffed and scrubbed at her face. “T-train in what, Benji?”
“Uncle James trains me for an hour every day. When you don’t have school, you could train with me.” He shrugged. “It’s fun. I love it.”
Turning to look at their father, Emma asked, “Can we, Dad?”
“Yes, honey. We’ll go through some things tonight. I’ve been training Mommy for two years...she can help.”
Ava and Emma shared a look and said simultaneously, “Then we can protect Mommy.”
Nina knelt in front of the kids. “No. No, you don’t have to worry about me. It’sourjob to protectyou. Benji is learning to protect himself for when he grows up and it’s a good skill to have. You’re safe. We’llalwayskeep you safe.”
Ava nodded sagely. “You’d kill them...”
“Before you let anyone hurt us,” Emma added.
Nina swallowed hard, uncertain how to respond.
It was Rowan who saved the situation. “Your mommy and daddy are like lions. No one hurts their cubs. No matter what it takes, they’ll protect you. I think you’ll have fun training with Benji. He loves it and the two of you are so clever...such fast learners.”
The twins nodded. “They look like lions. You and Uncle Gage look like wolves.”
Rowan laughed and Nina loved her ability to do it. “I’ve always been a fan of wolves. Will you three hang out with Mary-Margaret while we talk?”
They nodded and Rowan’s assistant escorted the children to her fortified office and closed the door.