Chapter 14

(Amirah Pov)

The tension in the hall was thick, weighing heavy on my chest as I held Lani close to me. My arms tightened around her trembling frame, my heart aching at the sound of her sobs. I could still taste the metallic tang of blood in my mouth, but I didn't care. The only thing that mattered was the fragile little girl clinging to me as if I was her entire world.

I had tried so hard to keep her away from all this—from the chaos, the violence, the darkness inside of me. But no matter how much I tried to protect her, the ugliness always found a way to touch her life. And now, she had seen it firsthand. She had seen them hurt me.

"No, I saw it! They yelled at you and hit you in the face, Mama. They are bad people. They hurt you," Lani's voice cracked with pain, her small hands desperately trying to wipe the blood from my face. Her tears mixed with the warmth of my blood as she brushed her fingers against my cheek.

I swallowed hard, forcing back the rage bubbling inside me. I couldn't let her see me like this. I had already lost control once—unleashing my darkness. If I did it again, there was no telling what damage I might cause.

"Baby, it's not what you think," I said softly, hoping to soothe her fears. "Sometimes, grown-ups have disagreements, but I promise you, I'm okay. Nothing can hurt me as long as I have you."

Her wide, tear-filled eyes looked up at me, searching my face for truth. But even as I tried to comfort her, the weight of the four pairs of eyes behind me bore into my back. I could feel their mixed emotions—shock, guilt, anger, and maybe even a little fear. Good. Let them be afraid. They deserved it for scaring my baby.

"Amirah," Briyah's voice cut through the silence, careful and measured. "He wasn't going to hurt her. You know Mikeal loses control when he's angry, but he would never touch a kid. You need to breathe. You need to come back."

Come back? As if I had ever really left. They didn't understand. They didn't feel what I felt. The moment I saw that man walking toward my child, my instincts took over. I couldn't think. I could only react.

"You should have stopped him," I snapped, my voice sharp enough to make Briyah flinch. "All of you stood there and let him come near my daughter. What if I hadn't been fast enough? What if he had hurt her?"

Catalina stepped forward, her usual air of indifference replaced by something else—concern? Regret? I didn't care. "We made a mistake," she admitted quietly. "But you releasing your darkness like that? You know what it does to you, Amirah. What if you had lost control completely? What if you had hurt her yourself?"

That struck a nerve. My jaw clenched, and I pulled Lani closer. "I would never hurt my daughter," I spat. "Don't you dare suggest that."

Behind Catalina, Jackson and Mikeal stood in tense silence. Jackson, for once, had nothing sarcastic to say. And Mikeal... he wouldn't even look at me. Maybe he finally realized how far he'd crossed the line.

"Mama?" Lani's soft voice broke through the standoff. "Can we go? I don't want to be here anymore."

My heart shattered a little more. She shouldn't have to be surrounded by people who made her feel unsafe. I brushed her curls back gently and kissed her forehead. "Of course, baby. We're leaving."

I stood up slowly, my body aching from the hits I'd taken, but I refused to let the pain show. I had to be strong for her. With one last glance at the people who claimed to be my friends, I turned my back on them.

"If any of you come near her again," I warned coldly, "I won't hold back next time."

Without waiting for a response, I carried Lani down the hall, her small arms still wrapped tightly around my neck. Each step I took away from them felt like reclaiming a piece of my strength. I didn't know what came next, but one thing was clear:

No one would ever hurt my daughter again. Not while I was still breathing.