Chapter 10
Mercy
“Just so we’re clear, you’re volunteering so you can protect the children, not me,” I said, eyeballing the paperwork Landon was filling out. “You said you want to protect all of us, but you’re really going to be there for the children.”
“I think I can manage to watch over you, Mom, the teachers, and the kids.”
“Right, but keeping the children safe is the priority.”
“It’s a preschool, Mercy, how many threats do you think it’s going to face?”
His questions provoked all sorts of thoughts that made me uneasy.
“What?” he asked, no doubt reading my expression. “What’s going on in that mind of yours?”
That was the million-dollar question. “I—” Unexpected tears stung the back of my eyes and I tried to blink them away, turning back toward the television.
Landon didn’t miss a beat. He scooped up the remote and paused the movie. “Talk to me, Mercy.”
I took a deep, steadying breath, trying to get my thoughts together enough to voice them. “Up until today, an outbreak of chickenpox or a nasty virus epidemic was my biggest fear for the school. I know we live in a rough neighborhood and some of the parents aren’t exactly upstanding citizens, but I never expected anyone to bring a gun into a preschool. This isn’t the first time I’ve had to call CPS and have a child taken away, but I’ve never had to deal with parents acting so rashly. The board is going to flip out when I make my report to them.”
“How are you doing with it all?” he asked. “You’ve talked about the kids and the board, but how areyouholding up?”
“Holding up?” I snorted. “I’m trying not to think about it. Having the Dead Presidents there giving away presents was a great after-the-fact distraction. Got my mind off it for a while.”
“And now?” he prodded.
Still staring at the paused screen, I asked, “Can we just watch the movie? Maybe talk about this later? Or never?”
“No.”
Turning to gape at him, I asked, “What do you mean, ‘No’?”
“Exactly what I said. You are a strong, independent woman, and I don’t think you should let this shit turn you into a pussy.”
I blinked, trying to let that set in. “Just when I start to think you’re a pretty cool guy, you find a way to remind me that you’re really an asshole.”
He smirked. “Yep. A wise asshole who knows you shouldn’t let this shit stew unless you want to end up just like me.”
He had a point.
“Talking about it will help, Mercy.”
“He had a gun, Landon. In the preschool.” The tears were trying to come back. I took another deep breath and pushed through them. “I knew he was reaching for something, but when I saw the pistol, I just let him have it. I was so scared he was going to hurt someone.” My mind kept serving up the memory of Larry, his beady little eyes wild as he brought the gun around and aimed it at me.
He’d aimed it at me.
Yes, I was afraid for my employees, but I was also afraid for myself.
“I thought I was going to die,” I finally admitted.
“And how did you feel about it?” he asked.
I got the feeling someone else had asked him these same questions. “Scared. Confused. Unprepared.”
He cocked an eyebrow at me. “Unprepared?”
“Yes. There’s a lot more I want to do before I die.”
