Chapter 3: Truth

When Amira woke up sheturned over in bed, expecting to find Samantha in bed with her. She sat up rapidly, looking around the empty room. "Samantha?" She yelled out, running over to the bathroom and finding it empty also.

She panicked and ran out of the room and down the hall, towards the lobby. Ami ran to where the reception area was. The man from the previous night looked at her from head to toe, eyeing her in her black boy shorts and white sports bra. "Did you see the little girl I was with last night?" She asked.

The man ignored her question and kept running his eyes up and down her toned legs. Amira huffed loudly and reached over the counter, grabbing the man by his collar and slamming his head against the counter top. "Let me repeat myself, did you see the little girl I was with last night?" She yelled into his ear.

The guy nodded and she let go of him. "There's a diner around the block. Her and the guy left like about twenty minutes ago," he muttered, grabbing on to his face. Amira nodded and headed back to her room to change.

Ten minutes later, she left the hotel dressed in a black tank top, jean miniskirt, and black flip flops. She stormed her way towards the diner, giving dirty looks to anyone that approached her. Ami threw the diner door open and stomped inside, giving the place a once over. She spotted Vince and Samantha sitting in a booth all the way in the back of the joint.

Amira flopped into the booth next to Samantha, glaring at Vince. "Pancakes are really good, mom," the girl said through a mouth full of pancakes. Ami nodded and placed her feet on the seat in front of her. "Do you want something to eat?" Vince asked, passing her a menu.

Ami smiled and grabbed the menu from his hands. A couple of seconds later, Vince groaned loudly, dropping his fork on the table. Samantha looked up at him, startled, while Amira just flipped through the menu. "Something the matter, Vincent?" Amira asked, a small smile on her face.

Vince shook his head and smiled. His gaze went from her to the foot that was currently pressing roughly into his lap. "I think I just lost my appetite," he muttered, pushing away his plate. Ami reached over the table and picked the plate up, placing it in front of her. "And I think I just found mine," she said, digging into the plate of waffles that was in front of her.

Ten minutes later, the trio stood up from their seats and exited the diner, heading towards the motel. As Samantha ran ahead, Vince stopped Amira in her tracks. "What the fuck was that all about?" He growled. Amira smiled sweetly and threw an arm around his waist. "Next time you take my daughter anywhere without my permission, I'll kill you," she said, pushing him towards the hotel.

"You're a tad over protective, don't you think?" He said sarcastically, following her into the hotel. She scoffed and let go of him, spotting Samantha down the hall, waiting in front of their room door. She stopped walking and faced Vince, who was a couple of steps behind her.

"When she was three, I started dating a guy and let's just say he got a little out of hand with her. Now he lives permanently in a wheelchair. So if you don't want to be the next guy that I put in a wheelchair, don't fuck with my daughter," she snarled and headed back to her daughter.

Vince frowned and followed her, realizing that he had missed out on a lot in the last six years.

--

Amira shifted the car into park and turned the car off. "That's it over there," Vince said, pointing to a small house across the street. She nodded and looked over at him. "So I guess you can give me my money and go," she said. He looked away, pensively.

"Vince," she said, in a soft voice. He shrugged and glanced over to her. "I sorta don't have the money right now. With everything that's going on, I have to figure out how to get my cut from the heists. That why I need to sit down and talk to Dom," he whispered. Amira took in a deep breath and got out of the car, being careful not to wake the sleeping girl in the backseat. Vince followed suit, standing underneath a shady tree behind the car.

"You lied, Vince, you lied!" She yelled, leaning against the tree. "Just stay for a couple of days and I'll get you your money," he said. Amira scoffed and shook her head. "Stay where Vince? In the Toretto household? So they can mock me while they sip on their Coronas?"

Vince shook his head and came face to face with her. "Don't leave. Stay a couple of days with me. You can stay in my room and I'll take care of everything. Don't pay attention to anything that they'll say," he said, running his hand up and down her arm.

Ami shook it off and pushed him away. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't just leave right now and forget that you ever walked back into my life," she said, walking over to her car and leaning against it. Vince followed her, getting into her face.

"Because of your daughter. Because you want her to have a father. Because you love me and because I still love you," he growled. Amira flipped her head up and stared into his eyes. She blinked rapidly, taking in a deep breath. She shook her head softly and rubbed her eyes. "I'm scared, V. I'm scared that I'll let you back into my life and it will hurt," she whispered.

Vince took her hands off her face and placed them against his chest. "I was young, stupid and angry Amira. I've changed. So yeah I'm still a prick but I sure as hell ain't as self destructive as I was before. I swear on my mother's grave I'll treat her like she should be treated, Ami, whether or not she is my daughter," he whispered, kissing her hands.

She nodded and took in a deep breath. "Get the bags from trunk and move it," she growled, heading into the car for Samantha. Vince smiled after her- it felt like old times. They would bitch around with each other for days before they got bored of it.

Samantha climbed out of the back seat, stretching out her body and yawning. "Are we there yet?" She mumbled, running her hands through her long curly hair. Amira crouched down to her daughter's level and smiled up at her. "Sam, we're going to stay with some good friends of mine and I want you to be on your best behavior. So don't do anything I would do when me and you are by ourselves, okay?"

Samantha frowned and glanced at the house across the street. "Does that mean no SpongeBob?" Ami laughed and rubbed the top of her head. She grabbed her hand and began to cross the street. "No, it means that you can watch the 'toons, but mommy has a rep to protect," she replied.

Vince caught up to them as soon as they hit the last step. He rang the doorbell and nodded to the girls, offering them a soft smile. They heard footsteps approach the door and seconds later it swung open. The trio came face to face with an array of different emotions.