New to the Family

The End

Author's note: The end is finally published! Tell me all of your thoughts on this series :)

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 I was barely able to sleep since Jared made me kill that girl. Jared would have his arm around my waist and would be snoring throughout the night. I lied awake and thought about how the girl screamed and begged for her life. I would put my hand on my belly and think about how it was done to protect my child.

I was at the stove cooking breakfast one morning and was struggling to keep my eyes open. I planned on taking a nap while Jared was outside working with Taylor. Jared was leaning against the kitchen counter with a note in his hands. He was reading it, and I could see a smile growing on his lips. I wanted to ask him what it was, but I knew that I could not ask any questions.

"We're going on a little vacation," Jared said.

"A vacation?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Yeah, this is a letter from Jimmy," he said. "We're going to help him and Julie out."

I raised an eyebrow and he chuckled.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked.

"I thought you hated Julie," I said. "You were so mad when I found her books, and now you want to help her."

"I'm not helping her. I'm helping Jimmy. Julie screwed up raising Hunter."

I turned off the stove and dumped the eggs onto Jared and I's plate. I never got to finish the book, but I knew that Jimmy and Julie had a son. That must be who Hunter is.

"Jimmy has finally gotten out of jail," he said. "Of course Julie did not teach him any of our traditions. She should have never moved back into the outside world. That was way too dangerous for her and Hunter. She should have moved in with Dad or Taylor."

"How old is Hunter?" I asked.

"He's like seventeen," he said. "He's a little too young to get a wife, but Jimmy says he already found a girl. They want us to come and help."

I handed Jared his plate and we walked over to the dining room table. The strong smell of bleach filled my nose as we passed the hooks and drain. I had spent hours scrubbing the tiles for the past few days. We sat down and I picked at my eggs.

"We're going to need your help," Jared said.

"Me?" I asked.

"Yes, Emme is not reliable enough to talk to Hunter and this girl," he said. "I can barely have her over here and I trust you."

I nodded my head and took another bite of my eggs.

"I'm not sure what Jimmy plans on doing, but you'll be talking to Hunter. You need to help us help him realize that he is part of this family. You love us, right?"

"Of course," I said.

"And you won't believe them if they tell you that you're brainwashed?"

"I'm not brainwashed, Jared."

He smiled and put his hand on my knee under the table.

"I'm so proud of you," he said. "I love you so much, sweetheart."

"I love you too," I said.

--

Jared had invited Taylor and Emme over for dinner that night. Jared and Taylor were outside finishing up on the farm as Emme and I were cooking dinner. We had not said a word to each other since greeting each other.