“Please don’t hurt my daddy!” the older girl said, running forward to put her tiny hand on Jack’s shoulder. “Please!”
Jack glanced at me, and I nodded, still struggling to breathe and hear through the whooshing in my head.
“No, sweet pea, I won’t hurt your daddy if he promises you guys are gonna go now,” Jack said in a kind voice I hadn’t heard from him before.
“Daddy, please!”
“Okay, okay,” the guy said, then let out another whine when Jack used his arm to push himself up and off him.
Then he moved to stand in front of me, between me and the family. “Go.”
The man scrambled and left his family in the dust as he dashed out the front door. Then he yelped, and we could hear growls and barking.
“Settle!” Jack called out, and the dogs went quiet.
The car started, and doors slammed. Then it peeled out of the parking lot, and I felt lucky to know the dogs were smart enough not to get in the way.
Suddenly Jack was in my space, cupping my face and towering over me. I waited to feel scared, but I only felt safe sandwiched between him and the doorframe.
“You okay?” he asked, and I nodded as much as I could. “Come on, breathe.” He took my hand and put it on his chest.
Bucky wandered inside, and came to sit next to me, then leaned to my leg.
“Door,” I gasped. “Kittens.”
“Shit, right.” Jack went to close the door and looked around. “Where are they?”
I shook my head, continuing to try and…exist.
Jack hummed, then said, “Bucky, where are the kitties?”
Bucky got to his feet and immediately sniffed the air, then started toward the couch. I watched him go, feeling confused, because the cats weren’t in their nest.
Instead of going on the couch, Bucky dropped his front end and peered under it, then wagged his tail like crazy. An angry hiss sounded from the hidey place.
“Good boy!” I wheezed. The sound must’ve been enough for him to get worried again, because he quickly came back to my side.
“Let’s go on the couch.” Jack hovered, making sure I was able to walk on my own. Bucky went ahead of us, and the hissing sound intensified. Jack laughed. “The other one, maybe.”
I let out a wet sounding laugh, then let him guide until we were seated next to each other, with Bucky pressed to my other side.
“Now let’s try that breathing thing again.” Jack promptly pulled me against his side and put my arm against his chest.
I closed my eyes and shuddered. The whooshing was going away little by little, but my heart was still on overdrive. Concentrating on his chest moving, I took comfort in the way he seemed content to just sit there.
The front door opened.
“Guys?” Sierra sounded worried.
“It’s okay. Blacklist that family, okay?” Jack said firmly.
I kept my eyes closed, but I could feel Jack gesturing to her.
“Okay, I’ll…go do that.” The door opened and closed again.
“Can you t-talk to me?” I whispered, feeling unable to be any louder right then.
Bucky cuddled against my side and put his head over my thigh where I was curled toward Jack.
