Family Comes First

Chapter 56: Pack Your Bags

 Carrie was gone when Jimmy and I came back into the house. A line of blood was splattered across the floor. I'd have to spend tonight scrubbing it away.

"I have to go outside and finish a few more chores," Jimmy said. "You'll be okay in here by yourself?"

I looked up the stairs. I couldn't hear them, but Tommy and Carrie must be in their room. What he was doing to her?

"I'll be fine," I said, giving him a faint smile.

"That's my girl." He leaned in to give me a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll only be an hour."

I set Hunter down in his crib and watched as Jimmy left the house. I grabbed a bottle of bleach out from under the sink and I grabbed an old rag. I got on my knees and scrubbed the blood off the floor.

I could hear Tommy moving around upstairs. Every step he made would cause the floor to creak and my stomach would twist in a knot. He was going to take me away tomorrow, and there was nothing that I could do.

No.

I couldn't think that way. I couldn't believe it. Jimmy and Hunter were the best things to ever happen to me. I was not going to lose them because of Tommy.

I couldn't ask Jimmy to protect me because that would result in Tommy killing Hunter. If Tommy was going to take me out of this house, I was not going to go without a fight. He did not want Carrie because she fought back and argued.

The only option was to get rid of Tommy completely. I'd have to kill him. Jimmy may not trust Tommy, but he would be furious at me if I killed his brother. I'd have to make it look like an accident, but that would be impossible. Maybe I could make it look like he had fallen down the stairs, but I do not know how to pull that off.

What would happen to Carrie? Would she stay here with us?

My thoughts were cut off when Tommy came running down the stairs. He stopped when he saw me on my hands and knees. His lips curled into a smile and he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Are you excited?" Tommy asked.

I bit down on my lip and started scrubbing the floor even harder. The sharp smell of bleach burned my eyes and nose. Tommy bent down next to me so that he was sitting on his heels. I tried not to look at him.

"I'm going to go out and talk to Jimmy," he said. "I know he's nervous about leaving you alone with me tomorrow. His worries are about to go away."

I glanced up at him before looking back down.

"I'm going to tell him I'm following what he did to you," he said. "I'll tell him that I am going to spend all of tomorrow taking care of Carrie. He'll think that she'll be warming up to me. He'll have no idea what is going to happen."

A tear rolled down my cheek. I wiped it away with the back of my hand. Tommy reached out to pet my hair. I flinched under his touch. Tommy took a fistful of my hair and pulled my head back so that my neck was at a painful angle.

"Don't cry, Jules," he said. "Everything will be perfect soon."

Tommy let go of my hair and threw me onto the floor. I watched as he stormed out of the kitchen. I finished cleaning the blood before starting dinner.

By the time I finished putting the food on the table, Jimmy and Tommy came back inside. They were laughing. What did Tommy say to Jimmy?

Jimmy sat down in his seat and Tommy picked up his plate and loaded it up with food.