Cognati: An Inferno World Novel
Page 13
If he stays, I’ll kill him.
It’s inevitable.
“You can call me. We can visit from time to time. The girls need this.”
His blue eyes fill with tears. “And that one?”
“That one stays with me.”
He lets out a sharp breath of relief. “Really?”
“You’re a good father, but you don’t connect with that one. You don’t even call her by the name her mother gave her.”
His lip curls up in disgust. He turns his head away. He can’t even look at her.
I reach over and ruffle her soft blond hair. My heart rate picks up as I realize this may work. I may be a father soon. I could explode from happiness.
“I’m afraid I might hurt her,” he whispers. “If I stay.”
“Which is why you must take the twins and go.”
Tears streak down his cheeks. “What happens when they grow up to look just like her? What will I do, Luke?” His bottom lip trembles.
I grin at him. “You do what needs to be done. You’ll know when the time comes. Make sure you raise them well. So they are good wives one day.”
“So this is goodbye then?”
“Until another day.”
Two months later…
“Dada.”
My little girl tries to kiss me, but it’s slobbery.
“No,” I gently remind her. “Pater. Not Dada. Pater.”
She starts blowing raspberries and it’s the cutest thing ever. When she sees a bird, she squeals. “Bir.”
“Bird. Pretty bird.”
We keep walking in the woods. I pick a wildflower and tickle her nose with it.
“Flower.”
“Fower.”
“Good girl,” I praise.
She grins at me, her blue eyes twinkling.
I walk to the edge of the hole. It’ll need to have some sort of barrier built eventually. Possibly even a cover. I’ll need to make a ladder too.
In due time.
My hands have been full with my baby girl.
“Howe,” she says, pointing at the hole.
“Oubliette.”
The wind howls and she jolts in my arms. My sweet girl tucks her face against my neck and grips my shirt.
“Nana.”
“You want a banana?”
She nods.
“What’s my name?”
“Dada.”
“No, sweetie. It’s Pater.”
She sighs grumpily. In time, she’ll learn. I have so much to teach her. I’m going to be one incredible father.
I’m a good man. A family man. No longer a boy. All the promises I made my mother came true. I’m no liar.
I carry my sweet girl back into the house. She wants a banana, but that must wait. With the way she rubs her eyes and fidgets, I know it’s well past her nap time. We walk through the house. I step over discarded toys and miss Karen for a brief moment. She was always good at picking up things. Karen was even better at removing stains. Karen will definitely be missed. My daughter is nearly asleep by the time we reach the basement. It reeks of bleach. Cleaning up blood is a bitch. I walk over the stained concrete to the white room. The black door is open and light shines, beckoning us closer.
Rather than crying, my girl sighs.
She’s used to it.
She likes it.
It’s peaceful in there.
I squat down and lower her into the hole.
“Hot,” I remind her, pointing at the lightbulb.
She whines. That lesson was a hard one learned and she still has the whelp to remember it by.
“Get in your bed, sweetie.”
She crawls over to a pile of blankets, including one that was on her parents’ bed. I stare at my precious little cherub as her eyelids grow heavy. She sucks on her thumb, already drifting to sleep. I close the lid to the white room and secure the lock.
Perfect.
Now, to get to those chores.
A man’s work is never done when it comes to taking care of his family. It’s one that requires serious dedication. It’s a lifelong commitment.
I whistle Mom’s favorite song as I clomp up the steps. I wonder what she would do if she could see me now. Probably run her fingers through my dark hair and gift me with a motherly smile.
My dick stiffens and I let out a defeated sigh.
God, I miss her.
Muffled cries make me perk back up. Looks like I have more work to do upstairs. I take the steps up to the second floor two at a time. Annette and Paul both whimper through their gags upon seeing me. If only Maude could see her parents now…
“I can tell by the way your dick’s standing at attention, you missed me, pal.” I let out a deep chuckle that makes him piss himself. “Who’s down for a little lesson?”
Paul’s eyes roll back in his head, still clearly traumatized by his last lesson, and he passes out.
Fucking pussy.
I shrug and whip off my belt, smiling at Annette as I curl it around my fist. “Looks like you’re up to bat, fire crotch. You ready for Pater?”
She screams and screams and screams.
Oh, she’s ready.
“I’ll either break your mind or I’ll break your spirit,” I tell her, swinging my arm up in the air, “but rest assured that I will fucking break you.”
The End
If you survived Cognati and thirst for more Pater,
make sure to grab Inferno by Yolanda Olson.
* * *
Yolanda Olson’s Original Series
Inferno
Cinere
Sparks
Embers
Inferno World (Standalones)
Volume I
Verboten by A.A. Davies
Malignus by Dani René
Iniquity by Emery LeeAnn
Burned by Jennifer Bene
Obloquy by Murphy Wallace
Volume II
Flagrant by Ally Vance
Cognati by K Webster/Elizabeth Gray
Desiccate by Charity B.
Simmer by Measha Stone
Scorched by Yolanda Olson and Jennifer Bene
* * *
Listen on Spotify here.
“Ave Maria (Schubert)” by The Cathedral Singers, Richard Proulx
“Mad World” from Donnie Darko Soundtrack
“Lightning Crashes” by Live
“Hallelujah” by Jeff Buckley
“Nothing Else Matters” by Metallica
“Bitter Sweet Symphony” by The Verve
“Crimson and Clover” by Tommy James & The Shondells
“Tainted Love” by Marilyn Manson
“Crown of Thorns” by Mother Love Bone
“(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” by Blue Öyster Cult
“Afraid” by The Neighborhood
“How Soon Is Now?” by The Smiths
“Everything in its Right Place” by Radiohead
“Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper
“Mother” by Pink Floyd
“Come Together” by The Beatles
“White Room” by Cream
“When Doves Cry” by Prince
“Bad Moon Rising” by Creedence Clearwater Revival
“Alive” by Pearl Jam
“Disarm” by The Smashing Pumpkins
“Heaven Beside You” by Alice in Chains
“Shadow Boxing” by Parkway Drive
* * *
Thank you to my husband for being there for me in all ways. I love you!
Thanks so much to Yolanda Olson for inviting me into your Inferno World. I fell in love with Pater (because villains make my heart beat so hard) in Inferno and was thrilled when you allowed me to write more of him. It was so much fun and I loved getting inside his twisted head. You’re a great friend and an awesome person in this industry. So happy our dark hearts found each other!
A huge thank you to my Krazy for K Webster’s Books reader group. You all are insanely supportive, and I can’t thank you enough.
A gigantic thank you to those who always help me out behind the scenes. Elizabeth Clinton, Ella Stewart, Misty Walker, Holly Sparks, Jillian Ruize, Gina Behrends, Wendy Rinebold, Ker Dukey, J.D. Hollyfield, Nicole Blanchard, and Nikki Ash—you ladies are my rock!
Misty—you’re my people. Love you, boo.
A big thank you to my author friends who have given me your friendship and your support. You have no idea how much that means to me.
Thank you to all of my blogger friends both big and small that go above and beyond to always share my stuff. You all rock! #AllBlogsMatter
Emily A. Lawrence, thank you so much for editing this book. You’re a star!!
Thank you, Stacey Blake, for always making my books so pretty! You’re an angel and I love you!
A big thanks to Nicole Blanchard with Indie Sage PR for being there for me every step of the ways! Love ya, lady!
Lastly but certainly not least of all, thank you to all of the wonderful readers out there who are willing to hear my story and enjoy my characters like I do. It means the world to me!
* * *
K Webster is a USA Today Bestselling author. Her titles have claimed many bestseller tags in numerous categories, are translated in multiple languages, and have been adapted into audiobooks. She lives in “Tornado Alley” with her husband, two children, and her baby dog named Blue. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, drinking copious amounts of coffee, and researching aliens.
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* * *
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2 Lovers Series:
Text 2 Lovers (Book 1)
Hate 2 Lovers (Book 2)
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Pretty Little Dolls Series:
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The Becoming Her Series:
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Alpha & Omega Duet:
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