The Complete Inferno Series, page 18
part #1 of Inferno Series
Twenty more minutes go by before Jocelyn reappears, clearing her throat in the doorway of the dining room. I lean over and give Darbs a kiss on the cheek, before getting up and walking past my oldest.
She follows closely behind me without me having to tell her to do so and I can’t help but be proud of her right now for that little show of submission. It seems like my girl is starting to remember the law of the land and that’s something I can definitely appreciate.
Once we enter the kitchen, I take a quick walk around to make sure that everything is as it should be—to my liking.
“You did a good job, kid,” I say with a nod as I inspect the sink. “Very nice. Why don’t you grab some pie and come back into the dining room? I’m sure Darby would like to get to know more about you.”
“Thank you, Pater,” she says softly as I walk past her on the way back into the dining room. I stop for a moment, my eyes lingering on her and grin. It’s enough for her to know that I acknowledge her and yet, by not verbally saying anything in return, reminds her that I’m the one in charge here.
Darby is peeking out the window when I walk into the dining room. With a sigh, I walk over, pull her hand off the curtain, and spin her back toward her chair.
“Sit down. Be a good girl for me,” I say to her quietly.
She gives me her infamous “I’m a big girl” pout before she finally does as she’s told. I can always counter that look with a stare and that’s when she knows I mean business.
She climbs into her chair and crosses her arms over her chest, pout still prominent, and a humph noise to punctuate it.
I can’t help but laugh because I’ve seen that same face and gesture done by her momma plenty of times before.
“Hey, I have an idea,” I say to her as I sit down at the head of the table. “Why don’t you ask the lady what her name is when she comes back? I’m sure that would make her smile.”
“I don’t wanna,” she huffs.
“Darby, that’s one,” I say to her holding up a warning finger.
She bounces her arms against her chest one more time before she drops her hands to the table. I watch as she picks up her fork and begins poking at her pie.
Who’s bright idea was it to have kids? I think, rolling my eyes. If I’m being honest, I think I would have been perfectly happy living my entire life alone, but shit happens, and some pussy is too good to pass up. I turn my eyes toward Jocelyn when she renters the room with a small plate in her hand.
She takes a seat across from Darby, who I’m now watching. She knows better than to not do as I tell her, and even though I don’t want to have to spank her over something so trivial, I will.
Darby steals a glance in my direction before she sighs and puts her fork down, dropping her chin in her hands and looks at Jocelyn.
“So what’s your name?” she asks her.
I nod and take a sip of wine. Maybe this parenting shit isn’t so bad after all.
Chapter 10
Darby looks at Jocelyn and tilts her head, then she looks at me with accusing eyes. I’m so angry right now that I can barely see straight, but I know exactly how to stop this little piece of information from fermenting in her brain.
“She’s a liar,” I reply simply. “Come on, baby. Do you really think that Daddy would be such a mean man that he would do something like keep you and your Momma apart?”
Darby turns her eyes back to Jocelyn, then to me again, before she shimmies off of her chair and walks over to where I’m sitting.
“I wanna go to my room,” she says, dangerously close to tears.
“That’s a good idea, baby. You go to your room and I’ll come get you as soon as I’m done talking to your sister.” I put emphasis on the last word so that she knows that she does share Jocelyn’s blood, but not in the way that she’s trying to tell her she does.
So what if it makes me the bad guy? I’ve been the bad guy since I fell from my mother’s womb—but hey, you teach what you’ve learned during your upbringing, and I’m just passing on the “good word” as it was taught to me.
I never did feel quite right sticking my dick in someone that wasn’t family after my mom died, but I got used to it for a while. Then Jocelyn came along and everything was right in my world again.
Once Darby is out of earshot, I get to my feet and walk over to Jocelyn, who’s now cowering in her chair. She knows that I’m pissed; she knows that she fucked up, and she damn well knows what that means.
“You little bitch,” I seethe at her. “I did my best to be a good man to you today, to bring you up to meet our child, and this is the thanks I get?”
I yank Joce out of her chair and pull her body against mine. Her lower lip is trembling and the fear in her eyes tell me that she’s not my baby girl anymore. My daughter would never act like this. If my daughter pulled a knife on me, she would have fucking used it. This is just a shell of the woman I loved and nothing more.
“Guess it’s time to take out the trash,” I say quietly, my lips grazing against hers.
“No, I’m sorry, Pater! I don’t know what came over me, I won’t do it again. Please!” she begs as I begin to drag her out of the dining room.
“It’s too late for this bullshit and to be quite honest with you, I’m done dealing with you. I’m done worrying if you’re alright and if you’re still alive. Everything will be better this way and I’ll never have to think about your miserable ass again after tonight.”
“Just one more chance, please,” she sobs as I drag her into the kitchen.
“You had your chance, now quit your fucking begging and clean your face. I’m gonna give you the chance to say good-bye to Darby, but not if you’re crying like a whiny little bitch,” I snap at her.
I drop her hand and leave her crying on the kitchen floor, a sobbing mess of disappointment as I call out for Darby.
“No! I’m not coming out of my room!” she shouts back.
I sigh angrily. I’m not in the mood for this bullshit and I’m going to snap and beat her if she doesn’t come to me.
“Darby! Don’t make me come to collect you. Bring your little spoiled ass out here, right now!” I shout at the top of my lungs.
I’ve never yelled at her like that before so she knows I’m damn serious, and within the next minute or so, I can see her door open slightly, and her head pop out to look at me with wide eyes.
I run a hand over my face and do my best to swallow the anger that I’m feeling at both of them right now and sigh.
“Come to your Daddy, baby. I’m sorry I yelled at you. I’m not mad at you, I promise,” I say, crouching down and holding my arms out. She takes a timid step out of her room and bites her lower lip nervously.
“You know I wouldn’t hurt you, Darbs,” I say as gently as I can, through grit teeth. “I need you to help me say good-bye to Jocelyn now, cause she’s gotta go and then we can be together. Just the two of us.”
Darby finally begins to walk slowly down the hallway and lets me pick her up in my arms when she reaches me. She doesn’t snuggle into me like she always does when I pick her up, and I can understand why.
“It’ll be okay from now on. I promise,” I whisper to her, giving her a gentle kiss on the cheek. “Daddy loves you.”
Chapter 11
DARBY
"It’s a fucking shame it had to end like this again, but you knew the rules, so you have no one to blame but yourself,” Daddy says to Jocelyn as he reaches for the wooden gate he keeps on top of the well.
I can hear her at the bottom crying, telling him that she’s sorry, and that she’ll behave, but he just shakes his head and smiles like he always does.
I reach up and take his hand after he’s done nailing the gate shut and look up at him curiously. I’m not sure what’s going on and what she did that was so bad, but I think I remember now that she is my Momma after all. If she’s the same lady that lived in the well when I first started going over by it, then she has to be.
“Daddy?” I ask, giving his hand a tug. “Who’s that lady?”
He looks down at me and picks me up in his arms, giving my cheek a kiss.
“No one important, baby. I tried to give you a day that you would remember forever, and she fucked it up. But I want you to remember that it’s not your fault, okay? You didn’t do anything wrong.”
I can feel tears starting to spring to my eyes and I give him my best “but I love you” puppy dog look and try again.
“Is that my Momma?”
Daddy’s smile softens some, and he runs a hand back through my hair as he begins to carry me back toward our house.
“No. I would never do that to your Momma,” he promises, snuggling me close to him.
I believe him. Daddy’s never done anything bad to me before and he’s never lied to me either. Daddy is a good man and I’m happy with it being just me and him, anyway.
“Are we going to color some more?” I ask him, almost immediately forgetting about the bad lady in the well.
“Later. First, we’re gonna do a little something for me,” he whispers. It’s just like a secret, and I’m so happy that Daddy trusts me enough to tell me secret things—it makes me feel like a big girl.
He puts me down as soon as we’re inside and I wait for him while he closes the door and locks it. When he looks back down at me again, there’s something a little different about his eyes, but I’m not worried about it.
“Okay Daddy!” I say happily as I let him lead me upstairs. I don’t know where we’re going ‘cause usually Daddy just takes me to my room and leaves me there until he’s ready to talk to me again.
“I’ll race you,” he says with a smile.
I giggle and clap my hands. I’m so excited because Daddy never asked me to race before so I know that whatever happens is gonna be fun!
“On your mark ... get set ... go!” I shout, as I begin to run up the stairs as quickly as I can. He laughs and gives me a head start, then passes me two steps at a time, and holds his arms out when he gets to the top stair.
“That’s not fair! You’re bigger than me!” I shout, stomping my foot angrily.
He picks me up in his arms and spins me over his head and gives me a kiss on the mouth. I laugh and push him away ‘cause his whiskers feel funny and they tickle my face.
“I wanna walk,” I say pushing at him. He holds me for a moment longer, the smile leaving his face, and he nods. Once I’m on my feet, he holds a hand out and we start walking down the hallway.
It only takes me a couple of steps to realize where we’re going, and I can’t believe that he thinks I’m a big enough girl to finally see his room. Daddy’s never let me in there before because he told me that’s a place for grown-ups.
As soon as we’re both in the room, he closes the door behind him and clicks the lock in place. I turn around and smile at him, my hands behind my back, and he chuckles.
“Why don’t you get on the bed and we can play a little game,” he says, in a weird voice. “I’m gonna show you how much I love you, Darby.”
I raise an eyebrow at him, but then I shrug and get on the bed like he asks me to. Daddy would never hurt me, and I know that he loves me ‘cause he tells me so every day.
And now, I’ll get to find out how much he loves me ‘cause he promised me that one day he would show me.
EMBERS
Dear Readers
Dear Readers,
Most of you have been with me since the inception of Inferno. A lot of you struggled with that story, but I appreciate you so much for putting on a brave face and continuing on with the Greene Family.
Most of you have gone through the Hell of Inferno World in anticipation for the end. Myself and my Inferno World authors thank you.
I know that a lot of you have mixed feelings about this finally being over, and I know you may be a little afraid of what Embers will bring, but I’ll promise you something right now.
This series concludes here the way it should. I hope it was worth the wait. I hope I make you all proud.
XoXo,
Yolanda
Playlist
Playlist
Butcher Babies - Gravemaker
To My Baby
My sweetest love,
I knew it wouldn't last, but I still dared to hope. You see, when he took me as his new wife he made a promise that no matter what happened between us, everything would be okay. Has he made the same promise to you? I'm sure he has.
I bet you're a girl. Did he make you bear his children? God, I hope he didn't; I pray that you were spared from having to become just like me. But if he did, watch them; keep them close to you because the moment you think it's safe—the very second everything seems to be normal, he'll snatch them away from you just like he did you to me. He'll make you believe that he loves them and that he'll never do to them what he's done to you, but he's a liar. Please don't fall for the words that slip from his silver tongue.
I love you. I love you so much. Remember that when things seem dark and whatever happens, I want you to know that I've never been more proud of anything in my life than the moment I felt you kick inside of me. That's when I knew that I had finally gotten something right. Even though I never got the chance to hold you, please remember me.
Love always,
Mom
Prologue
Mom died almost a year to the day that Dad put her back into the well. He stopped going to check on her when he realized that maybe I wasn't too young to take care of his needs after all. A little bit of training and easing me into the things he liked, and just like that, Jocelyn became a distant memory.
I had my first child when I was twelve, the second at thirteen, and the third one at fifteen. I’ve managed to keep them away from their father and they seem to be happy for the most part—and to be honest, so does he.
Time has taken a toll on the old man and I can tell he won’t last for much longer. Oh, but he’s stubborn; too stubborn and I know that he won’t leave until he’s good and ready.
Everything has to be on Dad’s terms because it’s the only way he knows how to function. He doesn’t seem to be bothered by the sands of time spilling over his head into the almost full end of the hourglass, if anything, he seems to be looking forward to it.
So am I.
Even though it will hurt me when he takes his last breath, I think it’ll hurt me even more if he continues to watch our children with the same intent that he watched me, and my mother before me, and her brothers along with her.
Dad lost his way a long time ago. I don’t know what happened to him to make him the monster that he became, but my heart hurts for the man he could have become. A loving husband, a doting father, an amazing grandfather—but his mind is rotten with ill intent and the need to taste each drop of dew from his family tree, and for that reason alone, if he doesn’t succumb to whatever illness is plaguing him this time, I’ll have to look the man that I love most of all in the eye, and send him on his way.
For my children.
For my mother.
For her brothers.
For the end.
Chapter 1
"Go outside and play,” I say softly to Cleo giving her a gentle shove toward the door. Her brother and sister are already outside picking wildflowers like I used to be so fond of doing when I was young. She has a habit of wandering around the house looking for Dad, but I always manage to get to her before she finds him.
He’s been good with them so far, and when he tucks them in at night, I’m standing in the doorway watching. It pisses him off, but not much doesn’t these days.
Dad has been sick more often than not lately, and we both know his end is near. It’s just a matter of when now.
Every time I offer to take him to see a doctor, or even to an emergency room, he declines and tells me that he’ll be alright.
“Don’t worry about me, baby. Daddy will be just fine as long as you’re by his side,” he always says.
Lately, he’s had more good days than bad and I would be lying if I didn’t say it brought me some comfort that he’s still here. Even with all that he’s put me through, I don’t know a life outside these walls and I’ll be completely lost when Dad dies, so I do my best to nurse him back to health each time he gets closer to death’s door.
“Darbs!”
His gruff voice echoes throughout the house and I quickly close the door, locking it so that the children can’t come back in before I call for them.
I move as quickly as I can because he doesn’t like to be kept waiting. My heart races with the impending thoughts of what he’ll require of me. Will it be a simple conversation? To just have me sit with him for a while? Or will he want something more—something I don’t want to give.
I run up the stairs and jog down the hall to his bedroom, pushing the door open and walking in slowly.
“Hey,” I greet him softly.
“Come here,” he says, holding a hand toward me. He’s leaning against the wall, watching the children play outside. Time has been kind to his appearance—his hair is still mostly black as is his beard, though there is more gray with each passing day. He keeps his body as strong as it will allow him, and that damn grin hasn’t faded away like most of his spirit has.
He’s still the same bastard that I remember when I was young, and he’ll never show any signs of slowing down. No matter how much his body wants to give out on him.
I walk over to him and take his hand, allowing him to pull him closer to where he’s standing. He rubs the top of my hand with this thumb before he lets it go and sucks his teeth.
