New to the Family

Protection

I am sure that Lindsay saw me eyeing the drawer full of knives. She had me sit across from her and Jenny as the two of us played some card game. I tried to get away from the table. I told her that I was tired and wanted to take a nap. Lindsay than gave me a lecture about how sleeping in the daytime is bad for your health.

While making dinner, Lindsay spent most of the time standing in front of that drawer. She had me fetch things for her out of the fridge or out of the pantry. She seemed reluctant to hand me one of the knives when she wanted me to cut the vegetables. I was dicing some carrots when the boys came back into the house.

I jumped when Jared put his cold hands on my waist. I tried to pull away from him, but he curled his fingers into my flesh.

I glanced up to see Lindsay had pulled Gabe over to the side of the kitchen. She got up on her toes and whispered something into his ear. Gabe's eyes darted over to us. I tried to keep my lips lifted in a fake smile when Jared kissed my neck.

"I missed you today," he said. "I thought about you all day."

I let out a deep breath as I continued to cut the carrots. I could turn around and plunge the knife into his stomach, but his family was surrounding me. They would kill me in seconds if I killed Jared.

"Thanks," I mumbled.

Jared chuckled before he kissed my cheek. He took his hands off of my waist. I looked over my shoulder as Jared head over to the staircase. I set the knife down beside the cutting board. Lindsay snatched it and tossed it into the sink. She piled plates over the knife to hide it.

"The boys are just washing up," she said. "They will be down in a minute. We better get this food on the table."

Lindsay passed me a bowl of mashed potatoes and I brought it over to the table. Jenny was sitting at the dining room table. Theo was sitting beside her with his hand covering hers. His eyes locked on the four scabbing slashes that Jared put on my forearm the other night.

"He's already punishing you?" Theo asked.

I held my arm against my chest. Jenny started shaking her head. Jenny popped in to put the roast on the table, but she soon left.

"I gave Jared the benefit of the doubt and I thought he would go easy on you," he said. "I should have never had that much faith in him."

"You have to get me out of this," I said. "He's awful to me."

"It would be just as much my funeral as yours," he said. "Don't do anything stupid."

I was going to continue to beg, but Jared walked into the dining room. Lindsay followed behind him with a plate of vegetables. Jared pulled out my chair, and motioned for me to sit down. I sat down. Theo's eyes were cast down on the table, and was avoiding my gaze. Gabe came in and sat at the head of the table.

Food was being passed around the table. Jared filled my plate with food before passing the bowls over to his father. I picked at the food on my plate.

"How are you liking it here so far, Leah?" Gabe asked.

I wanted to scream at him about how sick they are, but I managed to keep myself in check. If I told them how much I hated them, Jared was sure to start tearing into my arm again with his pocket knife.

"It's different," I said.

"A good different?" Gabe asked. I nodded my head, and his lips lifted into a smile. "Atta girl. I knew you were perfect for this family when I saw you. Do you know that I saw our poor Leah here stranded alone in a motel lobby at two in the morning?"