Author's note: Only two (or so) updates left. Thank you all for the support.

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I chewed on my lip as Jimmy stalked into the room. Carrie's face had gone pale and her eyes grew large. Hunter continued to scream in my arms.

"N...Nothing," Carrie stumbled over the word.

Jimmy arched and eyebrow at her. I cooed to Hunter to try and soothe him. I don't know when Jimmy came inside and I don't know what he heard. I prayed it was nothing about the deal.

"Are you sure about that, Carrie?" Jimmy asked. "I was outside and heard screaming."

"We were arguing," I told Jimmy.

"I heard," he said. "I'm going to have to tell Tommy what you were saying, Carrie."

"No!" Carrie shook her head violently. "No! No you can't!"

Carrie reached out and grabbed Jimmy's wrists. She fell to her knees and started to cry. I was just happy that Hunter's cries had calmed down.

"I have to," Jimmy said. "It's not my choice. Tommy has to punish you."

"Please, no!" Carrie screamed. "Tommy's going to kill me."

"He won't kill you, Carrie. He loves you."

Jimmy jerked his wrists out of Carrie's grasp. She crumpled down on the ground and continued to sob. She mumbled to herself, but I couldn't understand it. Jimmy slipped his arm around my waist and kissed my cheek.

"I heard what you were saying," he said.

I bit down on my cheeks to stop my jaw from dropping. Had he heard about the deal? I doubted it. Why would he kiss me if he had heard what I had let Tommy do to me?

"I'm so proud of you," he said leaning down so he could press his forehead against mine. He reached out and ran his hand across Hunter's thin hair.

"Thank you," I said softly.

"Carrie will warm here soon and she won't be so difficult," he whispered into my ear. "Tommy will punish her again and it'll change her attitude."

"I don't want her to get hurt."

"She has to. It's the only way she'll learn."

Carrie's sobs rang through the kitchen. She was on her knees and clutching her chest. Her was face was red and tears were streaked down her cheeks. She screamed before continuing sob. Hunter started to stir in my arms. Jimmy slid his arm off of me and kissed my temple.

"I'll be back in a couple of minutes. I'm going to go get Tommy," he said.

My stomach twisted into a knot as I watched Jimmy leave the kitchen. Carrie's eyes flew open when she heard the door slam shut. She staggered onto her feet and stumbled toward the door. She turned the knob and slammed her body into the door. She let out a scream before clawing at the frame. I set Hunter down in his crib and ran over to her.

"Carrie, stop it," I told her.

"No!" she screamed. "Tommy is going to kill me! He's going to kill me!"

"He won't kill you," I said.

I threw my arms around her shoulders and tried to pull her away from the door. She stumbled a couple steps back.

"Julie, you're letting him kill me!" she continued to scream. "Let me get out!"

"He's not going to kill!"

"He's going to torture me!"

Carrie let her knees fold underneath her and I toppled over. Carrie was at least five inches taller than me, and I couldn't overpower her. I threw myself over her so that she couldn't get up off of the ground.

The door opened up and Tommy stored in with Jimmy behind him.

"Julie, get up," Tommy ordered me.

I got up and Tommy picked Carrie up by her shoulders. I ran to Hunter who started crying again and cooed to him. Jimmy was leaning up against the counter and I hurried over to him.

"What did you do?" Tommy growled at her.

"Nothing," Carrie said shaking her head.

"Liar!" Tommy spat. "I heard you were being disrespectful."

Tommy let go of Carrie and she took a few steps back. She looked around the house, probably for a place to hide.

"Take off your shirt," he said.

"What? No!" she said.

"You're only making this worse."

Jimmy tightened his arm around me. I held Hunter closer to my chest. I have never seen one of Tommy's punishments first hand.

Carrie cried harder as she pulled her shirt up over head. The stab wound was still bandaged and fading bruises covered her pale freckled skin. Tommy reached for his belt buckle and undid it before pulling through the loops in his jeans.

"Turn around and get on your knees," Tommy told her.

"Please," Carrie sobbed. "I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry."

"The more you talk the worst it'll be."

Carrie was wiping the tears off of her cheeks as she turned around. She lowered herself down onto her knees. Tommy raised his arm in the air and I squeezed my eyes shut.

His belt sliced through the air before it hit Carrie's back. Her scream caused a shiver to run up my spine. The same noise happened again and Carrie's screams were worse.

"How many was that?" Tommy asked her.

"Two." Carrie's voice trembled.

"Count each one until we reach ten."

"I can't make it to ten."

"Just for that, it's now fifteen."

I opened my eyes to see the bloody welts growing across her back. Jimmy slipped his fingers through mine and gave my hand a squeeze.

"Come outside with me," he whispered into my ear.

"Three," Carrie cried.

"Okay." I was more than happy to get out of the house.

"Four."

Jimmy pulled Hunter and I out of the kitchen so quickly that I didn't have to hear anymore of Carrie's forced counting.

I had to squint against the sun shining down in my eyes. Jimmy hasn't let me go outside since I he found out I was pregnant with Hunter. He said it wasn't safe enough for me to be outside.

Normally, Jimmy and I would stretch out on one of the chairs on the deck and enjoy the sun. Jimmy had guided me off the deck so that we were on the lawn. I enjoyed the cool grass against my feet. I haven't felt it in two years.

Jimmy plucked Hunter out of my arms and lifted him up into the air. He lied down on his back and kept Hunter up in the air. I lied down next to Jimmy. I couldn't hear anything about the whippings.

Hunter giggled as Jimmy threw him around in the air. Hunter shoved his chubby fingers into his drooling mouth. I turned my head to see Jimmy's lips curled into a smile. His scar was hidden from my view. He giggled when Hunter did.

If I knew this was the last time we would be together as a family, I would have refused to leave the moment.

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