New to the Family

Murderous Husband

Author's note: Finished my last paper in my undergraduate degree, so treated myself by writing a quick update :)

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My fingers tingled as my limbs grew heavy. Jared tightened his arms around me into a crushing grip. I could barely hear him trying to soothe me over the girl's screams. Heather had all of her clothes stripped from her body, and blood dripped down her naked flesh. Gabe placed his knife against her abdomen, and hacked against her skin. Her friend screamed louder as Heather's blood spilled out. I squeezed my eyes shut so that I did not have to witness this scene. The music coming from the record player in the living room echoed in my ears.

"Leah," Jared whispered. "Open your eyes."

I shook my head. Jared kissed my cheek.

"You have to watch this," he said. "We do all of this to keep you safe."

I opened my eyes to see Gabe dropping a piece of flesh onto the stained tiles. A chunk of skin was missing from Heather's abdomen. Her friend leaned over and started to heave. She managed to vomit despite the gag in her mouth. She covered herself in bile. I shut my eyes again.

"She's being disgusting," Gabe said. "Theo, slit her throat."

"No, not in here," Lindsay said. "It will ruin my floor."

""Bring her over to the drain," Gabe said. "We'll leave her on the ground until we're done with her friend."

The girl wretched again and covered herself in more vomit. I couldn't watch this. It was hard enough to watch them murder and unconscious girl. I could not watch them slit this screaming girl's throat.

I turned myself around in Jared's hold. He tightened his grip on me until he realized that I was not trying to get up off of his lap. I buried my face in his chest and shook my head. Jared was my only way to get out of this. I didn't even care if he took me upstairs. I couldn't watch this.

"Please," I managed to say, but it only came out as a whisper.

"Theo, untie her and bring her over," Gabe said.

Jared loosened his arms around me and held onto my arms. He stood up, and pulled me up. My knees buckled, and my legs shook. Jared saw me wobbling. He leaned down and scooped me up into his arms. I grabbed a fistful of his shirt, and I could feel the chain around his neck.

"What are you doing Jared?" Gabe asked.

"I'm bringing Leah upstairs," he said. "I think it will be the best for her."

"Do you really think so," Gabe asked.

Yes. Please, say yes.

I never thought I would be begging to go to Jared's room. I peered past Jared to see Theo untying the ropes from the girl's wrists. I needed Jared to get me away from this soon.

"Yes," Jared said. "I'm going to have to let her calm down."

Theo pulled the girl up off of her chair. He tangled his fingers into her hair and dragged her over to the hooks. I squeezed my eyes shut and buried my face into his chest.

"She's yours to take care of," Gabe said. "Make sure that you're teaching her respect."

"I will," he said.

A weight lifted from my chest as Jared walked toward the stairs. I let out a shaky breath as he climbed up the stairs. A tear rolled down my cheek, but I did not have any energy to cry anymore. Jared nudged his bedroom door open with his foot. He kicked the door shut once we were in the room.

Jared placed me down onto bed. He sat on the edge of the bed, and he brushed a piece of hair off of my face. I wanted to push him away, but I could not build up enough strength to lift my hand off of the mattress. Jared removed the glasses from my face.

"Leah, I am so proud of you," he said. "I know that was not easy to watch."

I opened my mouth to speak, but only a faint sound came out. He cupped my face in his hands. His calloused hands were rough against my skin.

"You're safe, Leah," he said. "You're always going to be safe in this house."

He removed one of his hands from my face. He ran his fingers through my hair. His eyebrows furrowed together, and he was staring off into the distance. He bit down on his bottom lip. He looked like he was deep in thought.

He looked back down at me. He smiled before kissing my forehead.

"Let's get cleaned up," he said.

Jared got up off of the bed and walked into the bathroom. There was the sound of water running before he walked back into the bedroom. He reached for the zipper on my jeans. I could not push him away, but I let out a groan. He pulled my jeans off of my body. I had to keep reminding myself that I was sacrificing myself so that I was not downstairs in that horrific scene. I closed my eyes as he removed the rest of my clothes.

Jared took off his clothes before picking me up off of the bed. He walked over the bathroom with me in his arms. He stepped into the bath full of water and bubbles. He lowered down into the tub. He placed me in front of him so that my back was to his chest. The warm water caused goosebumps to run along my skin.

I struggled to keep my heavy eyes open. My head fell back against his chest. Jared ran his hands down along my arms.

"You're so beautiful, Leah," he said. "I am so happy to have you."

I wasn't expecting this out of Jared. I thought in my drugged up state he would be using the opportunity to force himself on me. He does it when I am awake and struggling, so I don't know why he wouldn't do it in my current vulnerable state.

"I can't wait to spend the rest of our lives together," he said.

Forever. That's what they wanted.

I was going to be Jenny. I was going to have grey hair, sagging skin, and deteriorating from Alzheimer's. If I did not get out, I was going to grow old here.

"We're going to have some little boys soon," he said. "You're going to be such a good mother."

The music cut off downstairs. That girl had to be dead now. Lindsay would only turn off the music if she knew that the girl would not longer scream. She did not want to upset Jenny and cause her to lash out. When Lindsay got older, it would be my job to take care of her.

"You're my wife, and that makes me so happy," he said. "I love you so much."

Owen would never say anything like that to me. At the end of our relationship, I seemed like another piece of luggage that he had to carry around. That was why he was hooking up with so many girls after his shows.

I couldn't think like that. Jared doesn't really love me. He is just in love with his family's twisted traditions.

"I am going to take care of you for the rest of your life," he said.

My eyelids came crashing down. Jared kissed the side of my temple. I drifted off to sleep as Jared ran his hands along my body under the soapy water.

--

I woke up to the sun streaming in through the window. The bars casted shadows along the floor. A dull throb was spread across my temple. I looked to the side to see that there was a glass of water with a note on the nightstand. I picked it up and squinted to read it. Jared's handwriting was scratchy and difficult to read.

Stay in bed for as long as you want. I will be in early.

I crumpled up the note and tossed it onto the floor. I pulled the blankets over my head and curled into a ball.

I had to wait until my murderous husband came back inside.