Chapter 10 - The Father's Wrath
Daniel burst through the broken doorway, the momentum carrying him into the center of the room. The scene before him froze in his mind like a horrific photograph.
Sofía was huddled in the corner, her small hands covering her face, sobbing uncontrollably. Mateo was standing directly in front of her, his arms spread wide, acting as a human shield. His face was streaked with tears, but his jaw was set in fierce determination.
And looming over them was Rebeca. Her wine-colored robe was flying open, her face distorted by rage. She had the heavy steel meat tenderizer raised above her head, prepared to bring it down on a ten-year-old boy.
"No!" Daniel roared, a sound of absolute, primal fury.
He didn't hesitate. He launched himself across the room, tackling Rebeca before the heavy tool could descend. The force of his impact knocked the wind out of her. He grabbed her wrist with a crushing, unrelenting grip, twisting it sharply until her fingers involuntarily opened.
The heavy steel tenderizer fell to the carpet with a dull, harmless thud.
Daniel shoved her away with immense force. Rebeca stumbled backward, her heels catching on the edge of the rug, and crashed violently against the far wall of the nursery. She slid to the floor, gasping for air, her elaborate facade entirely destroyed.
Daniel immediately spun around, dropping to his knees on the carpet. He pulled both Mateo and Sofía into his chest, wrapping his large arms around them, creating a physical fortress of safety. He could feel the violent, terrifying trembling of their small bodies against his own.
"I've got you," Daniel whispered fiercely, kissing the top of Mateo's head, then Sofía's. "I've got you. You're safe. I am right here."
He looked at his son, seeing the raw terror but also the undeniable bravery in Mateo's eyes. The boy had been prepared to take a lethal blow for his sister.
May you like
Slowly, Daniel turned his head to look at the woman crumpled against the wall. The grief that had blinded him for two years was instantly burned away by the fiery reality of what she had almost done.
"If you ever come near my children again," Daniel snarled, his voice vibrating with lethal promise, "I will kill you."
