Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19

AMARA

“Mommy! Water, please!” Fia calls from her little table, while I rush around the kitchen trying to find my phone.

Where the hell is the sitter?! I’m gonna be late for work.

“Mommy!” she screams.

I huff out a breath, brows furrowing with a smile at my sweet girl, her black strands curling at her ears. She’s so beautiful.

“Okay, one second, baby.” I grab her water bottle from the fridge, handing it to her.

She sips happily, swinging her little feet.

I wish I could afford preschool, but I can’t right now. The sitter I found in the area is a lot cheaper, and Fia loves her.

Finally finding my phone under one of Fia’s dishes, I glance at the screen, noticing a missed text from the sitter. When I open it, I clutch my chest. She’s in the hospital with a minor leg injury she got from a car accident earlier today.

I shoot back a reply, telling her not to worry and that I hope she’s okay, but now I’m out a sitter. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I scramble with what to do. It’s the weekend. Maybe Emily can sit for me.

When I call her, she answers immediately.

“Hey, Amara. What’s up?”

“Em, I need a favor. Is there any way you can watch Fia today? My sitter had an accident and canceled this morning, and I’m already late for work.”

“Oh no! I’m sorry. You know I would, but I’m at a job interview. They’re about to call me in.”

“I’m so sorry. I forgot! Good luck, okay? Let me know how it goes. And break a leg and all that.”

“Thanks! Hey, maybe Lilith or Patricia can help. Did you text them?”

“No, but I will.” My pulse races.

I can’t lose the job at the vet clinic. It has amazing health benefits. Though I hate leaving Fia with people who’ve never babysat her. Sure, both Patricia and Lilith have spent a lot of time with her, but they’ve never actually watched her.

“Let me know what they say! Love you,” Emily whispers. “I’ve gotta go. I’ll call you later.”

“Love you too. Good luck again.”

Dropping the call, I text both of the girls and get replies immediately. Patricia is busy helping her mom at her bakery, but Lilith is available.

Lilith

I can be there in fifteen.

Amara

You’re the best. Thank you!

Lilith

Of course. I love Fia.

Amara

You don’t know how much this means to me.

I text my boss and let her know that I’ve had an emergency, and she assures me that the other girl can cover until I’m in. Thankfully, she’s very understanding, having been a single mom herself. I’m very lucky, but I don’t want to push my luck either.

When there’s a knock not even fifteen minutes later, relief washes over me. As soon as I open the door, Lilith is grinning, holding a white paper bag.

“I brought my favorite girl some goodies for later.”

“Thank you.” Giving her a tight hug, I let her in. “Please make yourself at home. Grab whatever you want from the fridge.”

“Thanks. I’ll be fine.”

As soon as Fia sees her, she starts giggling.

“There’s my little giggle monster.” Lilith rushes for her, tickling her while my daughter laughs.

I’m so thankful Emily introduced me to these girls. It’s nice to have a village, and I’m grateful for it every day.

“Okay, Mommy has to go now.” I kiss Fia on the forehead and stare at her for a moment, my heart bursting.

I hate to leave her, but one day I hope she realizes how hard her mom had to work to give her the kind of life she has.

“Love you, Mommy.”

My heart swells. “Mama loves you too. Be good for Auntie Lilith.”

“Okay, Mama.” She grins, flashing some of her little teeth.

I turn to Lilith, who waves me off.

“Go! We’ll be fine, I promise. I’m used to babysitting. I have a lot of younger cousins.”

Blowing a breath, I grab my handbag. “Okay, thanks again. I owe you. I know it’s a long day.”

She’s going to be here until I return from the hotel tonight.

“No, you don’t. Have a good day at work.”

“Thanks.” I give them one last look before I’m in my car and rushing to the clinic, knowing I have to find a new sitter ASAP.

Once I’m done with the clinic, I check in with Lilith before arriving at the hotel, thankful I have this job. The pay isn’t all that great, but it’s work. I’m able to afford living on my own and supporting my daughter. That’s enough.

“Hey, Amara,” John, Lilith’s father, greets me.

“Hi, sir.” I smile timidly.

He’s a nice man. Treats everyone well.

He marches past me as I rush to change into my uniform, grabbing a cart filled with towels and supplies before heading for the top floor. I’ve been instructed to clean all the rooms that have no occupancies. We need them spotless for check-in tomorrow.

Opening the first door, I grab some towels and new sheets, pushing the cart down the hall before scanning the card and walking inside. Keeping the door propped, I make my way past the living area and toward the bedroom. The suites up here are much larger, and there’s more to clean. As soon as I rip off the stained sheets, the main door clicks shut.

“Damn it,” I mutter.

How the hell did it not stay open? It’s fine. Not as though anyone’s coming in here anyway.

As I continue, I wonder if this is all my life will be. The dream of one day going to college, working as a paralegal, is still something I envision. Maybe it’s ridiculous to think a woman like me could ever attain something like that, but here I am dreaming anyway.

I want not only for Fia to one day be proud of me, but to prove to myself that I can do it. That I can go out there and chase my dreams.

But as nice as that sounds, I need to work. With a deep sigh, I ignore my dreams and focus on the task at hand. A few more hours until I get to go home and cuddle my sweet girl.

As I start for the bathroom to give it a good scrub, I jump back, my heart racing when I hear voices. Men’s voices. Coming from the living room.

“Get him inside.” A deep tone laces up my skin, the familiar sound causing every cell in my body to awaken.

Because for a moment, it sounded like…like Fionn.

No. Obviously that’s not possible. Of course he isn’t here. Why would he be?

My mind is playing tricks because I haven’t been able to forget him. Not for a moment.

A chill prickles up my back, because it only just hits me. Whoever is out there isn’t supposed to be.

Fear clutches around my throat. They could be dangerous. They could hurt me.

Oh my God.

As soon as I tiptoe toward the door to find out who’s out there, a man’s muffled scream stops me dead in my tracks. My eyes pop wide, body trembling in bathed terror.

“Shut the fuck up,” another voice demands, and I swallow past the lump in my throat.

“I told you what would happen if you didn’t pay me what’s owed, right?” The sinister tone in the first man’s voice sends a cold shudder down my spine.

And the more that man speaks, the more it sounds like Fionn. Except he’s different. Cold. More sinister. Not like the man I remember.

It’s not him. It can’t be!

He was sweet and kind. He took care of me. Left me money. He’s not this evil guy who’s clearly hurting someone else.

I refuse to accept it. I refuse to accept that the possible father of my daughter is a monster.

But the more I listen, the more it sounds like him.

Could it really be him?

My legs refuse to move anymore. I don’t want to know. Because once I do, there’s no going back. Not ever.

But I have to look. I need to prove to myself that it isn’t him.

Sucking in a quiet breath, panic pummeling in my gut, I advance toward the bedroom door, only a crack opened just like I left it. My entire body’s riddled with mind-crushing panic, goose bumps spreading across my arms as I pray the floor doesn’t make a sound.

Taking slow, easy steps, I make it to the door, finding four men. Yet I only see the faces of three: two with white dress shirts, while another is on a chair, face bloody, eyes swollen.

The one who sounded like Fionn, whose face I can’t yet see, grabs the injured guy’s t-shirt.

“Where’s my money?” he snaps, like he’s ready to kill him.

Oh my God . I cup my mouth, afraid they’ll hear my exploding exhales.

“I—I don’t have it.” The man’s body shudders.

Please turn around. Let me see you. Prove to me that you’re not him. You’re not Fionn. You can’t be him.

“That’s a shame.” He straightens to full height, and even the way he walks is just like Fionn.

He turns slowly, almost facing my way.

“This is your final chance,” he says, and that’s when I see him.

Nonono!

My pulse bangs in my temples, faster now.

There’s no denying it.

“Fionn,” I whisper, steadying a hand over my erratic heartbeats.

There’s no way.

How can this be? How can he be this man? This awful man, hurting another over money.

Did I ever know him? Of course not!

Oh my God. I can’t let him or those other men see me. Sweat coats my brow the walls closing in on me until I find it hard to breathe.

He still looks the same. But instead of attraction, I’m catapulted into terror.

There’s blood on his knuckles, darkness slicing through his icy gaze. He’s ready to kill this man. But there’s no way he would. Not here.

Right?

He returns his attention to the man on the chair, and before I can fathom what he’s about to do, he lines a blade across his throat.

Oh no! I can’t watch him do this!

“Gonna send a message to your family. They pay your debt, or this will happen to them.”

With a jerk of his hand, Fionn slices across his throat.

I choke on my inhale as the man gurgles up blood. My feet want to move, to run, but it’s like I’ve been cemented to the floor, unable to do anything except watch the man I once really liked—the man who could be my daughter’s father—kill someone.

“Clean this up.”

“Yes, sir.”

I sniffle, letting out a small cry.

And that’s when one of the men zeroes in his glare at the door.

My throat goes dry, my body doused with something hot and cold all at once.

“Sir, I think there’s someone there.”

Oh no! He saw me.

Go! You have to run! Now!

But I don’t. I can’t move. Shit, I’m gonna die.

Cunning eyes land on mine, and my gaze expands. My lungs are on fire, heavy like bricks.

That’s when I finally snap out of it. Before I know it, I’m racing toward the door separating the room next to this one. It’s my only way out.

“Go find out who it is and bring him to me!” Fionn hollers, his tone scarier than even before.

“I think it was a woman.”

“I don’t give a fuck. She could’ve seen everything. Get her. Now!” he whisper-shouts.

Shit, shit, shit. I need to get out of here!

Not caring if they’ll hear me, I scan my card, running into the adjacent bedroom and placing a chair against the door to help delay their entry.

I register their movements on the other side, and more terror fills my veins. Without wasting any more time, I rush out of the room and into the hallway, praying there’s no one there.

I refuse to look back. Refuse to know if they’re about to kill me. My footfalls are casual as I step out and dart toward the left, taking the stairs down.

A door opens from above.

“She’s running,” the same man tells Fionn.

“Oh God!” I whisper-cry, tears filling my eyes.

I can’t leave Fia. My baby would be alone.

My heart slices in two.

Mommy’s coming. I’m not leaving you.

There’s no other choice but to run. From how vicious Fionn sounded, he won’t care that it’s me. He’d kill me to protect himself. I know that. Whoever he once was is gone, and in his place is a monster.

And that monster wants me dead.

I’ll do everything to stop him. Because I have something to live for now.

As soon as I’m on the first level, I scan my card and sneak into a tiny, dark cleaning closet, my heart beating so fast, I grow lightheaded.

The men pass me. I can hear them right outside the door, wondering where I am.

“Find her!” Fionn snaps, and my chin trembles.

Don’t hurt me .

“Get the damn security tapes and find out who she is.” Icy fury laces through his words, making my tears fall even faster.

Because I still miss the man I remember.

Swiping away at the moisture, I gather some semblance of control. The only thing that matters is getting home to Fia and taking her somewhere safe. If he finds me on the cameras, he’ll know who I am and he’ll kill me.

Would he kill Fia too?

I choke on a cry, forcing myself to come up with a plan. If I can just get out of the closet and change into my regular clothes, and then get home, maybe I can beat them before they come to the house.

Waiting at least five minutes, I start to open the door, and don’t see any of the men. They don’t know what I look like. Not until they view the security video.

The hustle and bustle of people checking in makes it easier to split toward the locker room.

“Hey, Amara!” one of the other housekeepers calls from behind me, and my heart stills in my rib cage.

Pivoting, I force a smile. “Hey, Kathy. What’s up?”

She turns her gaze into slits. “Oh, nothing. I just saw you coming out of the closet and wondered why.”

Her mouth curls. She’s never liked me, especially after she found out I get paid more than her. She knows I’d have no good reason to be in there. That’s for the janitors.

Think!

“Um, I was looking for some Lysol. Ran out.”

“Oh…” Her face twists like I’m an idiot. “But you know we have some here, right?”

A nervous laugh bubbles out of me. “I swear, I can’t keep track of where everything is.”

“Mm-hmm.” She scoffs a laugh. “So, are you on a break?”

Oh God, shut up already.

I swear she keeps tabs on my schedule.

“Yeah, just going to grab some food from my lunch box. I’ll see you later, okay?”

“Yeah, sure, no problem.”

Waving goodbye, I strut past her toward the door leading to the lockers, my entire body trembling with the need to get the hell out of here.

When I’m inside, I keep eyes on her through the crack of the door, watching her walk away. Rushing toward my locker, I grab my clothes and start changing into them, checking my cell for any alarming texts from Lilith.

If I tell her that I’m coming home, she could call her dad. I can’t risk it. I don’t want anyone to know anything yet. Once I get home, I can tell her I felt ill or something. Doesn’t matter. All that matters is getting home.

Grabbing my handbag, I slip out from the employee exit, the cool air hitting my face as I jog toward the parking lot and get into my car. My fingers jitter as I start the engine. And when I’m finally on the road, I take a breath, emotions plaguing me at the same time.

Memories sweep through my mind like a gust of wind, sending my heart into chaos.

“Why are you being so nice to me?”

“Because someone has to be.”

His words echo, the gentleness in them.

Yet there was nothing gentle about the man I just saw. He was someone else.

But he was always that man, wasn’t he? He was just hiding it.

The way he grabbed Xander, how angry he looked… I should’ve seen it. He was dangerous even then. I didn’t think he was a murderer, though.

But things are much clearer now. Fionn is not a good man, and I have to do everything I can to keep my daughter away from him.

As soon as I make it back home, I slip the car into the driveway and rush up the cobblestone steps, barely able to get the key in the keyhole.

Lilith jumps up as soon as I step inside, shutting off the TV. “Hey, you’re early.” But as soon as she takes in my appearance, her face draws with concern. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh, nothing. Just felt super ill and they let me go home.” Grabbing some cash from my wallet, I hand it to her, my fingers visibly quivering.

“Amara, I don’t need money.” She grasps my fingers to steady my trembling. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Mm-hmm. Just need sleep.” I push down my emotions and try not to cry.

“Okay… If you’re sure.”

“I am. Thank you so much.”

“Do you need me tomorrow?”

“Uh…” My heart races, needing her to go. “No. I’m gonna take the day off, just in case I’m still sick. I have some days saved.”

Her brows draw tighter. “Okay. Well, if you need me any other day, just let me know. I’m always happy to help.”

“I know.” My arms curl around her. “Thank you.”

I barely sound like myself—small and broken.

“Okay…uh, no problem. You’re sure you’re okay, right?”

“Completely.”

“Alright.” She starts for the exit, hitting me with speculative glances. “I’ll call to check on you tomorrow.”

“Sounds good. Thanks again.”

“Have a good night.”

“You too.”

Shutting the door, I lock the double bolt, then hope like hell I can escape before they come for my daughter and me.