Richter convulses, his face darkening as his desperate grip on my arm weakens, and I just shake my head at the futility of always trying to make these damn kids see the truth. I should really learn to cut my losses, before they can do damage. Leaning in close, I make sure he can see me through whatever awareness he has left.
“Goodbye, Richter. Say hi to Stephanie for me,” I whisper, and then I shove him down into the black, letting go of his throat to grab his flailing legs and send them over the edge too. There’s a sickening crack just before he hits the bottom of the oubliette, and I lean over to try and find him down in the darkness, but I can’t. Tilting my head, I try to listen over the sound of screaming and crying coming from the porch. There’s… something. A gurgle in the depths that lets me know he’s not dead yet.
More time to think.
I hear someone moving through the snow, crunching their way toward me, and I stand upright to look at Skylar. Casey is close on her heels, but where she looks numb, empty, he’s got a hint of a smile on his lips.
Looks like I finally got a boy right.
“Richter?” she calls out, sounding so lost, and I back away from the oubliette so she can approach. Casey is shadowing her, hovering close, and I know he won’t let anything happen to the girl.
We’ll have to see if she decides to be a part of the family or not.
As I head back to the house, I see Cleo sitting on the porch, her legs half-tucked under her as she sobs, rocking back and forth while Sierra tries to soothe her. The younger kids are crying too, the sound traveling out the open door, and the older ones are all talking at once—and I can’t handle the fucking noise.
“Quiet!” I snap, and most of them go silent, but Cleo is still sobbing, hiccupping as she stares at the oubliette.
Ridiculous.
“Cleo, you need to get up,” I command, offering a hand down to her, but she slaps it away.
“NO! You’re not my daddy!” she screams, covering her face to continue sobbing.
“I’m not your daddy?” I ask, smiling as I crouch down in front of her, and she knows me well enough to sense the danger in my tone, but she can’t stop crying. Sniffling. It’s disgusting and dealing with Richter wore through the last of my patience. “Answer me, Cleo. Now.”
“NO! YOU LIED!” she shouts, trying to scoot away from me, but I grab her ankle in a hard grip.
“Who’s your daddy then, Cleo?” I ask, chuckling a little as I wave my arm at the chaos around us. “Who?”
“Richter said—”
“Richter went in the ground, Cleo, because he didn’t want to be a part of this family.” Shaking my head a little, I reach over to stroke her cheek, but she tries to turn her face away and I have to grab onto her chin to make her look at me. “Are you being ungrateful, Cleo?”
“Y-you’re not m-my daddy!” She sniffles again, whimpering as I dig my fingers into her jaw. “I d-don’t belong with you!”
“Really?” I ask, a grin spreading over my face as I lay my other hand on her belly. “I think you do, sweetheart.”
“NO!” Cleo shouts, shoving my hand off her stomach before she crosses her arms over it, like she can somehow keep me from my child. As if I would have ever let her go with Richter, to come here without me, without her family.
Not after everything I’ve done for her.
Luke left her with me.
Luke chose me to be her Daddy.
“I WANT RICHTER!” Cleo screams, and I switch my grip to her throat, cutting off her words as Sierra starts screaming instead.
“Richter is gone,” I say, and then I feel someone pulling at my shoulder.
“Daddy, please. Please, she’s confused!” Xoe begs, trying to stop me, and I let go of Cleo’s throat just to turn and look up at Xoe, who immediately backs away. “I-I’m sorry, Daddy. I just—”
“You just what?” I ask, shaking my head as another chuckle rolls out of me. “Has everyone lost their goddamn mind?”
Rising to my feet, I look around at all of them. The way Sierra has wrapped her arms around Cleo, holding onto her as Cleo drags air back in. Xoe’s crying too now, the girls in the doorway are wide-eyed, pale as ghosts, and Skylar is still by the oubliette. I run a hand over my face, trying to stay composed.
“What is my one fucking rule?” I ask, looking around at them. “Well?”
“Love everyone equally,” Heather says.
“That’s right!” I laugh again, grabbing my hair as I point out at the oubliette. “And Richter didn’t love any of us. You all saw how he treated Xoe.” Turning, I look at her, tilting my head. “Remember that?”
“Yes, Daddy,” Xoe whispers, her lip trembling, and I turn my eyes down to Cleo.
“Richter didn’t take care of you, he didn’t love you, he didn’t do anything for you except show up and try to take you away from your family.” I chuckle again, not believing I’m even having this goddamn conversation. “And you want him? You want to leave our family?”
“You’re n-not my daddy,” Cleo blubbers, rubbing her eyes, and I feel a cold sweep of rage run through me.
“Oh, I may not have fucked your mother, Cleo, but you can bet I’ve been your daddy for a long time.”
“No!” she shouts, looking up at
