Author's note: I can't believe how many of reads this story is getting. Please remember to vote and comment so I know what your thoughts are. I'm really curious.

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I couldn't stand to look at my reflection in the mirror. It was just like a car crash though. I couldn't look away and kept staring at my body.

My neck had deep purple bruises on my neck from Jimmy's fingers and another long bruise guided itself along my jaw. There were more bruises scattered all over my body. Blood was dried up on the inside of my legs. My wrist screamed in agony every time I tried to move it. My hand was cut open from the key. The corner of my lip was swelling up.

The blaring sound from Jimmy's alarm clock went off. I didn't sleep at all last night. As soon as Jimmy rolled over in his sleep, I got up and ran to the bathroom and locked my precious lock. I was scared that he would hit me for leaving the bed without his permission, but I couldn't possibly stay there any longer.

I wanted to take a shower, but I was afraid for getting punished for not asking. Plus I didn't want to run the water and then get in trouble for waking somebody up.

I wrapped one of the towels around myself. I didn't want him to see my body again. In my mind I felt like that was enough to provoke him to rape me again.

My brain had to convince myself to unlock the door and leave my nest of protection. Jimmy was pulling his black shirt over his head when I opened up the door. I kept my hand on the top of my towel to make sure that it didn't fall down.

"Can I take a shower?" I asked.

A smile appeared across his lips. It was sickening. This would be the first time he saw the damage he has done to me.

"Yeah," he told me. "Just be quick."

I nodded my head, closed the door and locked it. I dropped the towel and stepped into the shower. Washing off all of the blood I could see was the first thing I did. I didn't take the gamble to wash my hair, it would take too long.

As soon as I was out of the shower, I tied up my hair and wrapped myself up in the towel again. When I left the bathroom I couldn't see Jimmy. A pile of clothes sat on my pillow, and I assumed that was what I had to wear. I put the jeans with the tear on again and pulled on a hoodie that was much too big for me. It must be Jimmy's.

With every painful step, I made my way down to the kitchen. Charles and Jimmy were standing by the counter talking to each other. When they heard me coming down the stairs, they stopped talking and looked at me. A smirk was across Charles's face. He must be proud of his son for doing this to me.

Charles extended his hand and curled two fingers in towards him. It was a motion for me to come closer to them. I timidly stepped towards them. When I came into Charles's reach, he grabbed the top of my arm and pulled me towards him. My face winced as pain spread across my body.

His eyes examined my body. He brought his hand up to my face and his fingers grazed along the bruise on my jaw. My bottom lip trembled as I was afraid that he would push harder into it to make me feel more pain. He didn't, but he brought his fingers down to the bruises on my neck. I wanted to pull away as he pulled down on my sweater to see the bruises on my shoulders and chest, but I stayed where I was. I waited until he was done because I can't rely on Jimmy to protect me anymore.

When he let go of my sweater, Jimmy pulled me back towards him. He wrapped his arms loosely around me. He was being careful not to hurt me.

"Tell your brother to hurry up and meet me outside," Charles told Jimmy.

"Will do," he said.

"Good," Charles said putting his jacket on.

Jimmy and I watched him as he walked out the back door. A loud thumping rang throughout the house as Tommy came down the stairs. Jimmy took his arms off of me and went over to the cupboard. Tommy's jaw dropped when he saw me. He looked me u and down and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Dad says hurry up and get outside," Jimmy told him.

"Yeah," Tommy said. "First I want to know what happened here."

I would scowl at Tommy if it didnât hurt my lip so badly. He is what ruined my chances of escaping. Last night was all of his fault.

"It's none of your business," Jimmy snapped at him.

Jimmy put a bowl in my hands. I gasped as a burning sensation shot through my wrist. I had to be careful not to drop the bowl, but he quickly ripped it out of my hands. He lifted up my wrist.

I haven't really looked at it since last night. I was too busy staring at my face and chest. It was swollen and was bruised. It wasn't broken, but definitely sprained.

He grabbed my good wrist and pulled me out of the kitchen. He guided me up to our room and brought me into the bathroom. He let go of me.

"Sit down," he said pointing to the bathtub.

I sat on the edge and a sharp pain shot up between my legs. Jimmy opened up the cupboard under the sink and bent down to look through it. I waited patiently until he pulled out a bandage.

He sat down on the tub next to me. He carefully lifted up my wrist and brought it over to him. I was confused on why Jimmy would hurt me so badly, but then be so careful with me. He's the one who did this to my wrist when I tried to get away.

"It'll need ice," I heard him mumble.

I bit down on my lip as he began to wrap my wrist. I didn't want any sounds of pain to escape from my lips.

"You know I don't want to hurt you, right?" he asked me.

I stayed sitting there and watching him. Jimmy looked up at me.

"Right?" he asked again, raising an eyebrow.

I nodded my head. My throat was trying to fight back a sob that wanted to be set free. My nose and eyes were burning.

"Julie, I need you to tell me that you know I don't want to hurt you," he told me. His voice was much harsher.

"I know," I choked out. A couple tears found their way out of my eyes and rolled down my cheeks.

He wrapped his arm around me and kissed my forehead. He wiped the tears off of my face with his fingers.

"You're safe here," he whispered to me.

I knew what he was telling me was lies, but I wanted to believe it so badly. If I could just for one minute believe I am safe here I feel like I could get back some of my sanity. I was going insane and Jimmy could help me.

I was careful with my wrist as I wrapped my arms around Jimmy's neck. I let go of all the tears in my eyes and cried into his neck. I didn't care that I was getting his shirt wet. He pulled me in tighter with his arm and put his other hand on my thigh. He pulled me up onto his lap and I ignored the way my body hurt.

"You're safe here," he whispered to me again.

Ugly sounding sobs were coming out of my mouth. Jimmy was rocking me.

"We're all that matters to you. I'm all that matters," he told me.

I had to forget about Lina, Donavan and my family. They couldn't help me like Jimmy could.

"I'm always going to protect you," he told me.

He's a killer. He's killed so many people. It is second nature to him and he's never killed me. He's said he doesn't even want to hurt me.

A loud came from downstairs. Tommy must have gone outside. He would have definitely heard me crying.

I nuzzled my face deeper into his neck, ignoring the pain in my jaw. I took in a deep breath of his scent. He moved one of his hands so that it was on the back of my head.

"I'll protect you from the outside world," he whispered to me.

I never needed to see the inside of that club again. I didn't have to wait on perverted men. I didn't need to take my clothes off or expose myself to them. I wouldn't have their wandering eyes on me.

"We're your family," he said.

My family. A family that wants me. All of those foster homes couldn't wait to get rid of me, but they actually want me. They're trying their hardest to make sure I'm comfortable here.

I pulled away from Jimmy and wiped my eyes with the back of my hand and then wiped my nose with my sleeve. Jimmy's lips softened into a smile and mine did the same. My face is beat up, pale and my eyes were red and puffy from crying, but he doesn't care. Unlike all those men at the club, he doesn't want me for my body. I wiped my eyes again with my fingers.

"I love you," he told me.

A rational person would have said I lost my mind. I would have said they were wrong until the next four words slipped off of my tongue.

"I love you too."