Ellis POV
I knew her voice immediately. It was tattooed inside my skull, sometimes coming for me in the night, whispering sweet taunts in my ear. Even twisted by fresh insanity it was still her, in there somewhere.
“Did you miss me, Daddy?” Bethany cooed like she was an innocent person.
“Not, not at all.”
“Really? That makes me really sad,” she said, actually sounding like she might cry.
“Really,” I said, staying firm.
One of the scariest things about Bethany, despite her apparent skill with an ax, was her deft understanding of psychology. Not her own, obviously, but those she was trying to torment, going right for their weakest point.
With Livy, it was our kids, with me it was my general failure as a father, and my attempts to make good. I hadn’t been the best husband or father all my life, but I did always try to be a good person despite it all.
“That’s too bad because … I’ll tell you a little secret.”
“Okay,” I said gruffly.