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.

She spun around and leaned against the counter. She looked out the window to see that the boys were no longer in sight.

"What are you going to tell Hunter?" she asked me.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Are you going to tell them the truth?"

"The truth about what?"

"Everything."

I stopped cooking and turned to look at her. Emme's nose twitched as she tucked one of her curls behind her ear.

"I've never read Julie's book," she said. "Taylor never let a copy of it in the house. Have you?"

"I read about half of it," I said. "Jared found out I had it and made me burn it."

"Does she mention the kidnapping? Does she mention the meat?" Emme swallowed hard. "Do they mention the baby girls?"

"What about the baby girls?" I asked.

Her eyes went wide and her hand went over her chest. She shook her head and looked out the window again.

"I can't tell you," Emme said. "Julie obviously didn't say anything. She's too scared to badmouth this family."

"Do you not like Julie?" I asked.

"I did," she said. "She lost all of my trust one night though. It's been hard to forgive her ever since."

"What did she do?"

Emme laughed and shook her head. She turned and returned to chopping the vegetables in front of her.

"I'm not making that mistake again," Emme said. "I'm not going through that again."

The kitchen door opened and Jared and Taylor walked in. Emme plastered a fake smile on her lips when Taylor put his hand on her hip.

"You behaving?" Taylor asked.

"I always do," Emme said.

Jared bit down on his lip to stop himself from laughing. I was the only one who saw it. Jared wrapped his arms around me from behind and put his hands on my belly. He rubbed it as he put his chin on my shoulder.

"Taylor and I are going to put the bags in the truck," he said. "We're leaving after dinner."

"Okay," I said.

"Jimmy is going to need our help as soon as possible," Taylor said. "Hunter and Ava are going to be hard to train."

"Ava?" I asked.

"She's going to be Hunter's wife," Jared said. "She's perfect for this family, so they are going to get married at a young age."

"That's sweet."

Jared kissed my cheek before letting go of me. He went up the stairs, grabbed our suitcases, and went back outside. Taylor followed him. They went down to the basement after, and came back into the kitchen with a cooler. They filled it full of ice and meat from the freezer.

--

Jared told me to try and get some sleep on the car ride to Jimmy and Julie's. It was difficult to sleep with the truck bouncing over the rocks in the dirt road. My head kept knocking against the window. Jared had old country music softly playing in the background. I stretched and sat up straight in the seat.

"Leah, I told you to get some sleep," Jared said.

"I can't sleep," I said. "How much longer until we get there?"

"It's another four hours," he said. "You need to sleep. It's good for the baby."

"I'll sleep when we get there. I promise."

Jared let out a deep breath and put his hand on the top of my knee. I laced my fingers through his. He lifted our hands and kissed the back of my hand. I pushed my glasses up the bridge of my nose before I put my other hand on my belly.

I looked out the window, and it was weird to watch the world go by. I had only seen the inside of the house for the past year. I wondered where Julie was even living. Jared was taking the back roads to get there, so I barely even saw any signs to indicate where we were. I wanted to ask, but I did not want to get Jared angry.

"I can't wait to see your parents again," I said. "I already miss your Mom."

"I have to write to Dad," he said. "They may have to stay with Colin and the baby. Julie will be able to help you with our baby."

"She will?" I asked.

"Yes," he said. "She's had Hunter. She knows what it's like to have a newborn. She'll be more help than Emme."

"Okay."

"They're going to come and live with us while Hunter and Ava learn our traditions."

The news made me smile. It was boring being in the house alone all day since Jenny died and Lindsay left. It would be nice to have other people home with me. There would be more people in the house, so if someone else came onto the property Jared would not make me help him kill them.

"They are going to say horrible things about this family," Jared said. "I need you to be good and to not listen to them. Understand?"

"Yes," I said.

"Good girl."

--

I did not realize that I had fallen asleep until Jared was shaking my shoulder. I dug the heel of my hand into my eyes as I sat up. We were parked in a driveway to a typical suburban looking house. The sun was just starting to rise.

"We're here, sweetheart," he said. "I'm glad you got some sleep."

I yawned as I stretched my arms up over my head. Jared kissed my cheek before getting out of the truck. I stepped out of the truck too. Jared grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the house. He knocked on the door and I looked around the neighbourhood. It was such a peaceful looking neighbourhood. This is where I had always imagined myself living before I met Jared.

The door opened, and a tall figure was standing in the doorway. I pushed my glasses up to see that it must be Jimmy. He had a large jagged scar that was running from the bridge of his nose almost to his ear. He smiled and pushed the door open even wider.

"Come in, Jared," he said. "I haven't seen you since you were five-years-old."

"It's good to see you," Jared said. "This is my girl Leah."

"Nice to meet you. Please come in."

Jared pulled me into the house behind him. I followed behind him through the house to the kitchen. There was a woman standing in the kitchen with her dark hair tied into a ponytail. She had a cup of coffee in her hands. The smell was nostalgic. I used to drink it multiple times a day with Owen, and I have not had it once since I met Gabe. I was tempted to ask her for a cup.

"This is my wife Julie," Jimmy said. "Julie, you remember Jared, right?"

"Yes," she said. Her lips lifted into a smile. "It's so nice to see you again."

"Taylor and Emme should be here soon," Jared said.

"Let me show you up to your room," Julie said. "The kids are in the basement."

Julie set down the coffee and walked out of the kitchen. Jared kept my hand in his as we followed her up the stairs. She showed us to a small bedroom that looked immaculate.

"I hope this is okay," she said.

"It's perfect," Jared said.

"Great," she said. "Now try to get some rest. I think they'll be in the basement until dinner."

"Thank you."

Julie nodded her head and closed the bedroom door behind her. I sat down on the edge of the bed. Jared got down on his knees in front of me. He held my hands in his.

"Make me proud," he said. "This may be hard, but I know you'll be strong and defend this family. I love you."

Jared kissed me and I wondered how difficult it was going to be being around Hunter and Ava. All I knew was that I had to trust Jared.

"I love you too."