FATHER ALWAYS SMILING

Chapter 40 ~~~~~

His grin grew only to falter briefly, for he expected to see the terror in her eyes. Instead; he saw anger in that little face. Even better! She wasn't the type to show fear. Even as her tiny body quaked it didn't show on her face, it was a shame, he didn't want to kill her now since he wanted to have more fun with her, but he had no choice at this point. He had to kill her before fleeing the country. Her expression gave him such a feeling of euphoria.

She was mad.

"Aw, are you mad at what I said, that I'd hurt your fwend?" he asked her childishly to demean her, but Amalie didn't answer. "It's your fault you know, if you had gone with me she would have been fine. But don't worry Amalie, when I'm done with you, I'll treat her real nice, I promise."

He expected to hear her shout, a tiny squeak demanding that he not hurt her if only she knew. But instead, what he saw was her little form stop shaking and followed with it was a look he never expected.

She was smiling.

Confident and almost mocking.

The little bitch was smiling at him.

"What the fuck are you smiling at?" he demanded in anger. This wasn't how it was supposed to be, not at all. She was supposed to quake in terror, in fear, to beg for her mommy and daddy as he laughed in her face like when he grabbed her. Not this. "Well?" he demanded again as he took a step forward. "What the fuck are you smiling at?"

"Me." Another growling voice hissed in his ear as he felt something rest on his shoulders, sending a chill down his spine as if he were hit with a bucket of ice water. Before his face exploded with pain and fell to the floor, when he had, he was greeted with more jabs from a steel-toed shoe that kicked him hard in the gullet, causing him to gasp for air. Out of his good eye, he could make out the form of another. It wasn't Elain. It was a man.

Amalie's father.

"Disgusting," He heard Alastor growl as he was grabbed by the throat and pulled up against the wall, surprised at the sheer brute strength of the lean, slender man to be able to drag a man of his weight. Through his one eye, which hadn't been good for long because he was punched there a mere few seconds later, he could only see the calm, composed anger in this man's eyes. His smile taught as if he were a ferocious animal containing his teeth from view.

The man gave him more blows to his face, as Nick was too incapacitated to fight back because each time he tried, he just got knocked down more. He could only feel his face swelling up and bruising all over. He wasn't too sure if his jaw and nose were still intact.

Suddenly, the punching stopped as the man dropped Nick, Alastor moved away from his now crumpled form to the little girl. Nick could just barely see through the swells around his eyes. He could make out the man had turned his full attention to the girl who had barely moved from where she stood. Alastor knelt to her level and gently, lovingly, cupped her tiny face with hands clad in black gloves as he softly whispered a question.

"Did he touch you?"

Dread filled Nick, if he got a beating from just threatening the stupid brat, God knows what else this man would do if she answered truthfully.

Nick caught her glancing at him, a worried expression clear on her face before Alastor tilted her head back towards him slowly.

"Sweetie," he says in an almost endearing tone. "I need you to be honest with your father now. You know I don't like it when you lie." When she remained silent, hands over her mouth as if to stop herself from saying anything, Alastor leaned forward, his forehead touching hers as he gently pulled her hands away from her mouth. "Now, please answer me. Did. He. Touch. You?"