Daddy Darkest
Page 33
She picked out fireflies in the semi-darkness, as she headed up the gravel driveway, punch-drunk with a newfound freedom. The same kind of freedom Cullen had now. Wherever he was. She’d given him that much at least. No more, no less than what she’d taken for herself. The delicate kind of freedom that’s as easily snapped as a wishbone. As false as that old dog collared to a long chain. No matter how fast it ran, it would always end up the same, throttled by the neck. A sad and sudden ache bloomed in her chest, slowing her steps until she realized and stopped cold.
The front door was cracked open—not the way she’d left it—just the screen rattling in the breeze. On the step, a yellow chrysanthemum and a note. She picked up the flower and brought it to her face, inhaling the crisp scent of it. A shiver, delicious and terrifying, slithered down her back. Her hands trembled. Blood rushed to her head like the swell of the ocean, and she held on for fear she might fall. With no one to hear her, she read the note in a hushed whisper anyway.
Clare, come find me.
Now that you’ve finished Daddy Darkest, please consider leaving a review. Reviews and star-ratings may not seem that important, but to an up-and-coming author, they are essential. They help readers like you discover my books! And they give an author a little "street cred" for those browsing for their next read. So what's the best way to feed an author? Leave a review, of course. You can find all the links to review Daddy Darkest on my website ellerykane.com.
COMING SOON
Daddy Darkest is the first in the Doctors of Darkness series of psychological thrillers by forensic psychologist and author, Ellery Kane. Look for the next book, The Hanging Tree, coming soon. If you want to be the first to know when new books are released, sign up for Ellery’s newsletter at ellerykane.com.
Acknowledgments
Daddy Darkest would not be so deliciously dark without the talents of the amazing AnnCastro Studio team—Ann Castro and Emily Dings—who provided all editing services for the book, including developmental editing, manuscript evaluation, line editing, copyediting, and proofing, and Giovanni Auriemma—who gave life to my imaginings and created a cover that nightmares are made of.
We all have a space inside us that we keep hidden from the world, a space we protect at all costs. So many people have allowed me a glimpse inside theirs—dark deeds, memories best unrecalled, pain that cracks from the inside out—without expectation of anything in return. I couldn’t have written this book without them.
And to all the shrewd, empathic, and insightful psychologists I know, the redeeming parts of Dr. Keely come from you.
About the Author
Forensic psychologist by day, novelist by night, Ellery Kane has been writing--professionally and creatively--for as long as she can remember. Just like many of her main characters, Ellery loves to ask why, which is the reason she became a psychologist in the first place. Real life really is stranger than fiction, and Ellery's writing is often inspired by her day job. Evaluating violent criminals and treating trauma victims, she has gained a unique perspective on the past and its indelible influence on the individual. And she's heard her fair share of real life thrillers. An avid short story writer as a teenager, Ellery recently began writing for enjoyment again, and she hasn't stopped since.
Ellery's debut novel, Legacy, has received several awards, including winning the Gold Medal in the Independent Publisher Book Awards, young adult, e-book category, and the Gold Medal in the Wishing Shelf Independent Book Awards, teenage category. In 2016, Ellery was selected as one of ten semifinalists in the MasterClass James Patterson Co-Author Competition. Daddy Darkest is her first novel for adults.