Song: Hope your happy- Blue October

I wanted to talk to him when he came back down however he had this look on his face like his whole world had ended. He goes to the workout room and I follow way behind him so that he doesn't even realize that I am there. I glance in the room and he is talking with Marcus. I'm not sure what they are talking about but I'm pretty sure it is either about the love of his life or this little girl that is laying upstairs not knowing what is going to happen to her.

I watch as he silently takes off his shirt and throws it to the floor. The thing that catches my attention is Marcus...he walks over and has a whip in his hand. Zane looks down at the mat and shakes his head in disgust. "Just do it!"

Without any hesitation, he rears back and whips him across the back. Not once does he make a sound. I watch as he gets harder leaving bright red marks on his skin and eventually slicing into his back. I wonder if this was a form of punishment that he might have gotten when he was growing up from whoever raised him. I have never heard him talk about his father or any other father figure in his life. Is this all he knows and why he punishes everyone who disobeys him? Marcus steps to the side and waits for him to tell him what to do.

"Punch me...go on hit the fuck out of me. I need to feel the pain." He growls under his breath. "I did this...I killed her. I never meant to for this to happen. Gone on hit me I deserve to be punished for this."

Marcus pulls him up into standing and then punches him right in the gut. Not just the one time but he keeps hitting him over and over and Zane stands there and takes it like he is a form of a concrete statue and doesn't feel a thing. He glances up and I know that he sees me watching so I quietly back up and go back to my room.

The next morning, I try to catch him before breakfast. However when I walk into the kitchen, he is sitting at the table as well as the little girl. She has a mile high stack of pancakes sitting in front of her drizzled with chocolate syrup. She also has a glass of orange juice that I just know with the right bump into the table it will go all over everything. I sit down across from her and look over at Ashton, Marcus and then at Zane. No one says a word.

Marian is whistling in the kitchen and when she enters the room I watch how she sits down and admires the little girl at the table with us. Even Phillip doesn't say a word about her but he is smiling as well. It's like she is the last piece that completes this fucked up family of ours.

We all watch her dig in the pancakes taking each bite like she is starving. Zane grunts as he folds the paper and set it down in front of him. He looks over at her. "Slow down before you get choked."

She looks over and smiles this crooked little smile and then takes the fork and slowly moves it towards her mouth to take the bite and she slowly chews as he asked her to do. Then she reaches over to the glass of juice and picks it up with wobbly hands. I was surprised that she did not spill any of it. When she sets the glass back down, she looks over at him with this look of sadness. "I want to see my mommy."

He stops and looks over at her. He doesn't say a word at first like he is trying to say the right words. Then he looks her right in the eyes. "Scarlett she is gone...you know that right."

"Yes...but I want my mommy. I miss her." She looks own at her lap and her little bottom lip starts to tremble.

 He stands up from the table and holds his hand out for her. "Come with me."

She takes his hand like she knows him but really he is a complete stranger to her. He takes her to the workout room. The first thing through my mind is him disciplining her for asking about her mom. I take one more bite and throw the napkin in my plate. I sip some of my coffee to wash down the bite of food and walk out to the room that they are in. It doesn't surprised me at all that Marcus and Ashton follow after me.

The three of us walk in and he is there with her showing her how to hit the punching bag. He is down on one knee coaching her how to hit it. He watches the three of us walk into the room but he never says a word to us. We all start our morning workout and he tells her to join us. She tries to keep up with us but fifteen minutes later she is sitting on the floor all out of breath. I waited for him to punish her but he just walks over to her and takes her by the hand. "Stand up...never show them your weakness." He says with a calm voice while looking up at the three of us.

She stands up again and does another fifteen minutes. He pushes her to finish the last three pushups. Then he pats her on the shoulder. "You did well for your first time. I want you to go get dressed because Marian is going to take you shopping today."

Her face lights up as she runs out of the room.

Zane turns to look at me. "I want you to go with her. Here is my card; I want you to buy her clothes. She will need some for every day wear and clothes to work out in. Don't forget under garments and shoes." He says this like he knows everything about what she needs.

I just look back at him like he has got to be crazy. I have no clue what to do with a little girl. He notices right away that I am at lost for words. "Marian is going with you. She will pick out the stuff with her alright. I just need you to be there to watch over them."

I don't argue about it. I leave and head to my room to change clothes to take her out shopping. I'm waiting in the living room for her and Marian. Once they are there we go outside to the car. Ashton is already waiting for us with the door open. The three of us get in the back. Scarlet is looking around at the inside of the car. "Wow...this it so cool." She looks up to the sunroof and watches as the clouds go by. She finally sits back down all the way and looks out the window the rest of the way.

We get to the store and the three of us get out. I let Marian take her around to each store to try on clothes. By the end of the day she is so tired that she passes out in the car. Her little head falls to my lap and the red locks fall way past my lap almost to the floor softly. I let her lay there trying not to disturb her.

Marian looks over at me and smiles. "She reminds me so much of her mother."

I glance down again and look at her. Her skin in a pale white and the red in her hair makes her look like she is so much younger than she really is. I do see her mother a little in her and it's sad to think that this little girl will forget what her mom looks like as she gets older.  "Marian what is he doing? I get that he wants to take care of her but this is a little girl we are talking about."

"It's his daughter Atticus...she is home now where she belongs."

"Yes...I get that...but..." I feel her move in my lap to get more comfortable. I look down at her and move her hair out of her face, tucking it softly behind her ear. "...she is not like us. She deserves so much better not this life that we live."

"She will adjust Atticus...you will see. I see it in her already. She has fire in her. She may look like her mother but she is just like her father. Zane will protect her...love her and so will you...we all will."I watch as she runs her hand against her soft little cheek.

Marian was right about one thing; we will all take care of her. We will all watch over her and protect her. I knew the moment that I looked back down at that sweet little face in my lap sleeping so calmly that I would never let anything bad happen to her.

                                                                                              The End!!!

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Author's Note:

I know you really don't want this to end and neither do I...however this is about Atticus and how he became involved with Zane the Cleaner...to read more about Atticus you will have to ready The Cleaner's Daughter.I don't want to go into much in detail on this book to take away from the other book.

Thanks to all of you that has taken the time out to read this story and please don't forget to vote...and share. I would love to hear your thoughts as well.