Page 158 of Their Little Ghost

“Maybe because they have a conscience?” I suggest. “Unlike you.”

Dad isn’t stupid. He’s outnumbered, and fighting isn’t an option.

“I don’t know what these men have told you, but they’re lying,” Dad says, opting to manipulate his way out of the situation. “You can’t trust them, Erin.”

“No,” I say, rising to my feet. My legs are still a little shaky, but I refuse to have this conversation with him looking down at me. “The only person I can’t trust is you.”

“You don’t know what you’re saying,” Dad says. “I know you’re mad, but, Erin?—”

“Don’t you dare say her name,” I hiss. My voice is as cold as ice, but my boiling fury erupts to the surface. “Erin’s dead.”

Dad’s cheeks turn ashen gray as realization dawns on him. His act is up.

“I know everything,” I say.

“Whatever you think you know is wrong,” Dad says. His pathetic excuses won’t work. He can’t worm his way out of the corner he’s backed into. Perhaps he realizes that. “You don’t understand.”

Lex and Aiden grab his shoulders and haul him to the operating table. Dad thrashes to free himself, but it’s no use. The guys are strong and effortlessly bind his wrists and ankles to the table.

In the corner, Doctor Warner stirs and crawls into a seated position. He’s thoroughly disheveled with his glasses askew on his face.

“Warner, raise the alarm!” Dad orders. “They’re back!”

“I can do this without you, Warner,” Eli says, extending his hand. “But it’ll be quicker with your help.”

“I’m sorry, Magnus,” Doctor Warner mumbles, letting Eli pull him up.

“What are you doing?” Dad asks, watching in horror as Doctor Warner moves to the workbench. “Warner! I’ll fucking destroy you for this!”

Doctor Warner ignores him. His hands shake as he crushes various pills into powders, measures liquids in various glass containers, and starts mixing them together.

“Don’t even think about using a low dosage because I’ll know,” Eli warns as Doctor Warner carefully adds a few droplets to turn the clear liquid a lurid green. “If it doesn’t work, we’ll strap you to the table next.”

“Call for help, Erin!” Dad begs, still feeding his disillusion. “I’ll take you home. You’ll never come here again. You can play piano—even study music at college! That’s what you want, isn’t it, Erin?”

Pathetic.

“Too little, too late,” I mutter.

He controlled every aspect of our family’s life for years, but he never truly cared about us. We were just like his patients. He’s a psychopath with a superiority complex. It’s only fitting he meets his demise like this.

“This is your final warning,” Dad says. “If you don’t do as I say, Erin…”

Of course he’s resorting to threats because bribery didn’t work.

“Stop calling me Erin!” I scream. “I’m Sarah!”

Dad’s lips twist into a cruel sneer.

“You!” he spits, searing me with a look of pure hatred. “What have you done to her? My Erin would never do this.”

The inferno building inside me finally explodes.

“You killed Erin!” I scream. “She’s dead because of you!”

“I got her back,” he says coldly, with zero remorse. “You’re the one who killed her for good.”

Please, let me speak to him.