He came to keep me safe

He came to keep me safe
Serena
The drive to the courthouse felt strangely slow like every second was stretching longer than it should. I watched the world outside from the back of the police van, but my mind was not calm. Something inside me kept warning me that today was not going to be simple. Last few months were less than just simple. How could today be so? 
Jonathan had tried to reassure me. Agent Black had told me the route was safe.  The officers with us were trained and armed. But my heart knew something was coming.
The van turned onto a quiet road. 
I felt my breath catch. “Officer Steve?” I whispered.
He leaned forward from the front seat. “Stay down. Don’t move unless we tell you.”
My heart drummed so loudly I could barely hear anything else.

A black SUV shot out from the side like a shadow and smashed into the van. Metal screeched. The van flipped halfway before crashing against the railing. My head slammed into the wall and I tasted blood. Before I could even understand what happened, the back doors were ripped open.
Masked men with guns attacked. 
“Get the girl!” one of them shouted.
They weren’t here to kill me.  They wanted me alive. My skin went cold. Two police officers shot at the attackers, but they were outnumbered. One officer fell with a scream. The second one was shot straight through the chest. Blood splashed inside the van.
“SERENA, RUN!” someone yelled.
But before I could move, another group of masked men appear and began shooting the first group. They were differnet. I noticed something: They were certainly Romano men. While the enemies were being seized, the injured police men were put on stretcher by the first group and taken straight to hospital. 
A strong arm grabbed me by the waist. “Stay down!” Agent Black hissed, pulling me behind her just as bullets whizzed over my head.
Then another car screeched behind us.
It was Jonathan. He jumped out with two federal agents, firing back. It all happened so fast that I could not keep up with the pace. 
Jonathan rushed to me. “Are you hurt?”
“I… I’m okay,” I whispered, though my hands were trembling.
He took one quick look at the injured officers being taken to the hospital and then at the empty road.
“Black, take her. NOW. Hide her until we figure this out. This is not simple. Don’t take her back to facility or the courthouse. Find a safe place in the middle.”
Agent Black grabbed my arm. “Move.”
“Where are you taking me?” I asked, breathless.
“Somewhere safe.”
Her tone held no softness.  We got into her car and drove fast. Every time a car passed us, I flinched. Who were those men?
I didn’t know. But my heart whispered one horrifying clue: Josh hated that Nico bowed to the government for me. It was happening everything that he did not want. He wanted me to believe that only he cared for me, not Nico. Now that Josh knew that I would never fall for his words, he thought  he would rather steal me. Again this was just an assumption, not truth. But I couldn’t say it aloud. Not until I was sure.
After fifteen minutes of fast turns and long roads, Agent Black pulled into a wornout building in the middle of nowhere. There were houses around but it was such a quite neighbourhood.  She rushed me inside, up a narrow staircase, through a hallway, and then into a tight office.
“Sit,” She ordered.
I didn’t get to sit. Because the moment we stepped inside, a tiny girl sitting on a desk looked up, blinked, and then screamed—
“MOMMY!”
I stared at her.
Mommy?
Agent Black froze. The little girl squealed and ran toward her, arms raised.
I blinked, confused.
Mommy?
Agent Black was a mother?
Before I could question anything, a familiar voice floated from the next room.
“Ava, baby, don’t climb the desk—”
Mr Jackson Black walked out.
My lawyer.
Mr Black.
Except he wasn’t Mr Black.
He was Mrs Black’s husband.
And Agent Black… was Mr Black’s wife.
My jaw nearly hit the floor.
Jackson’s face went white when he saw me. “Why did you bring Serena here? This is our home!”
“It was close,” Agent Black muttered. “And safe.”
“Safe? SAFE?” Jackson snapped. “You brought a government target into our house—”
“She was almost kidnapped!” Agent Black yelled back.
They both froze, realizing their daughter was staring at them like it was a TV show.
She scooped the child up, hugging her tight. “Baby, mommy and daddy are just playing a game. Okay?” 
Ava, the little girl, smiled, “Okay, mommy.” 
Jackson whispered as he took his wife far, putting Ava in my lap,   “Can you… explain what happened, Alicia?”
Agent Black rubbed her forehead. “Someone tried to kidnap Serena before she could reach the court..”
Jackson turned to me. “Are you okay?”
I nodded, still shaken. “I—I didn’t know you two were married.”
Jackson gave a tired laugh.
“Yeah but it is not a big deal as we are seperating. Who wants to live with this dinosaur," He said. 
Agent Black said, “You are talking as if I am dying to stay with you?”
Their daughter left my lap and tugged on their sleeves. “No fight, Mommy. Daddy sad.”
My heart softened at the sight of her. Would my and Nico’s daughter be as cute and precious as her? 
Agent Black crouched in front of her daughter. “I am sorry, baby. Mommy will take care of it.”
Suddenly, a hard knock shook the door.
All three of us froze.
Agent Black reached for her gun while Jackson hid his daughter behind the desk. 
Footsteps. More footsteps.  Not one person. Many.
My heart thumped so loudly it felt like it broke through my ribs.
Agent Black whispered, “Stay behind me.”
The door creaked.
Swung open.
And a tall figure walked in followed by armed men, their faces expressionless and their guns pointed out.
My breath caught.
Nico.
His eyes were wild,  torn between fury and fear as he looked at me. Like he had run across the earth to get here, and seeing me alive was the first breath he had taken all day.
Behind him, the entire Romano security team filled the hallway.
I ran to hug him tightly. “Nico!”
“Serena…”
And for the first time since the attack, I finally felt safe. He came for me. He came to keep me safe.