Zach followed Glen upstairs they came to Caleb's room first and Glen did his famous knock I'm coming in announcement, Zach couldn't help rolling his eyes.
What's the point of knocking if you're going to walk in whether someone wants you to or not? Zach thought to himself. Glen always said it was simply letting them know he was coming in but not enough time to hide anything that they were doing if it was something they shouldn't be doing.
Zach paused at Brett's door; he remembered the first spanking he got from Glen. It hurt but it wasn't nearly as painful as some of the beatings he and Glen had to suffer at the hands of their mom's boyfriends. Glen always reminded Zach how their beloved grandmother would spank them on the bare bottom with her hand or with a thick wooden hairbrush. She always made them explain why they were getting spanked and let them know what they did was wrong, but they were very good kids.
Glen and Zach raised the boys with the same loving discipline. Zach opened Brett's door unannounced, but the boys were used to their older brother's tactics for entering their rooms. Zach was glad to see Brett standing in the corner as he had asked him to do. He went and sat on Brett's bed and waited a few more minutes before he called Brett over.
"Brett, I don't appreciate you disobeying me. Who's idea was it to sneak back and listen in?" Brett stood in front of Zach shifting from one foot to the other. Something he did when he was nervous, usually right before a spanking. Brett shifted and Caleb wrung his hands.
"It was Caleb," Brett admitted quietly. Zach nodded his head showing he already suspected that answer.
"It in no way excuses you for it. You are old enough to tell your brother no or anyone else that asks you to do something you know is wrong. Am I correct?" Brett nodded wearily.
Zach reached out and slapped Brett's thigh hard "OW, yes sir, I'm sorry" he cried out knowing Zach always demanded a verbal answer.
"Alright now come over my lap" he instructed the teen. Zach took Brett's only line of defense, his damp towel as he laid over his lap whimpering. He allowed Brett to take a minute to arrange himself as comfortable as he could get "I'm starting" was the only warning he got
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"Ow ow OWWWWW!" Brett was yelling out he always took spanking pretty hard. Zach continued moving from the middle of his bottom to his sits spots
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When Zach paused after the second round he heard Glen spanking Caleb, and he could tell he was using his belt.
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"Please papa no more. I'll obey you all the time" Zach felt his heartbreak. The boys had started calling Glen daddy after starting school. They had become friends with a boy that had two dads, he would call one daddy and one papa. The boys started calling Glen daddy and Zach papa.
"Last ones Caleb almost done"
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Zach lifted a sobbing Brett and placed him on his lap. Brett clung to him sobbing into his shoulder. Zach rubbed his back and spoke to him soothingly until he calmed down. When Brett was almost asleep Zach picked him up and placed him on his bed stomach first. He left the room and ran into Glen in the hallway.
"I take it Caleb's room wasn't clean?" Zach asked since he was sure. he heard Caleb being spanked with the belt.
"Unfortunately, he was still cleaning when I went in there." Zach nodded and sighed
"Well I have one more thing to take care of, man this night has been long" Glen understood where Zach was coming from.
"Don't be too hard on him he didn't mean to hurt my feelings he was just reacting to the situation" Glen defended Thomas's actions
"I'm aware of that Glen but he has been warned a few times lately about the need to still be respectful to us." Zach reasoned; Glen knew if he told Zach not to spank Thomas he would listen. Their relationship was like that. Zach respected that Glen had the ultimate say in disciplining, however, he rarely stepped in when Zach made a decision to spank one of them. Glen had to work long hours at the hospital for years until he made residency and could control his schedule more, that left Zach to take care of the boys, so the disciplining fell on his shoulders and Glen had been impressed by how firm yet reasonable he was.
Glen just nodded at Zach and patted his back before heading to his own room. Zach knew since Glen didn't say not to spank Thomas that it was ultimately up to him. Zach wasn't sure he was going to spank Thomas yet. He was leaning towards it, but he wanted the two of them to talk first and he would decide then.
Zach sighed deeply and knocked on Thomas' door. Since Thomas was an adult he got the same respect Zach and Glen gave each other, they would knock and wait to be told they could come in.
"Come in," Thomas replied. Zach saw Thomas sitting on his bed chewing his lip. He was changed for bed wearing sweats and a sleeveless undershirt. Zach took Thomas' desk chair and pulled it towards the bed and sat down.
"Do you want to explain what you were thinking downstairs when you verbally attacked Glen?" Thomas opened his mouth to speak and Zach could see his bottom lip tremble. He knew Thomas was on the verge of breaking down. Zach moved the chair and himself closer to Thomas, he placed a hand on his arm and rubbed it trying to comfort Thomas. Tears began to roll down his face and Zach pulled him in for a hug. The floodgates opened up and Thomas sobbed into Zach's chest. It broke Zach's heart to hear Thomas' sobs; he knew it was from fear of seeing Steve in their home. That man had been a monster to the boys. It took a long time for Thomas to trust Glen and Zach not to abuse him the same way.
Thomas finally calmed down but stayed in Zach's chest "I didn't mean to hurt Glen's feelings; it just scared me to think of what Claire has gone through. I didn't want us to leave her there another minute. I don't know her but she's our sister and when I was little I had you and Glen to protect me from mom and all her crazy boyfriends. Claire's been all alone Zach has anyone protected her?" Thomas' explanation made sense because Zach had felt the same way when Steve had told him about Claire. There was something about Steve that was weird, that man never gave two shits about any of them. Why after all these years did he care?
"I get it Thomas; the same thoughts ran through my mind as well. But Glen didn't say we weren't going to step in. You boys just thought that's what he meant. You should know better than that Thomas. Glen has done so much to prove he is here to protect all his siblings. Did you think about that mom could try and take the twins back? Glen worked really hard to ensure mom didn't take you, boys, back and he's not going to let her get to the twins. So, we have to think carefully about how we are going to proceed"
Thomas hadn't thought of the twins being forced back with their mother.
"I'm sorry, I really am" Thomas sat back up on the bed.
"You've been acting off lately. Is there something else going on because tonight was not the first time in the past few weeks that you crossed a line into disrespecting Glen and me?" Zach gave him a chance to talk about whatever else had been bothering him; both his older brothers noticed he had been acting differently and his attitude at home had been questionable.
Thomas shook his head no "nothings up, sorry for my behavior recently, I'll be better"
Zach thought for a minute then spoke "how many?" Zach asked Thomas who seemed to pale at the question
"What do you mean how many?" He asked shakily. Zach's voice turned stern
"Don't play games with me, Thomas, answer the question" Zach was in full discipline mode and that made Thomas' heart beat faster.
"I don't know Zach, please don't spank me. I promise to be better, '' he pleaded. Zach wasn't budging. Instead, he took Thomas' arm and pulled him to stand in front of him.
"Sweats and boxers down bend over my lap" Zach instructed as Thomas began to plead again out of all the boys Thomas had the hardest time accepting a spanking.
"Please Zach please don't spank me, '' Thomas pleaded. Zach just pulled his sweats and boxers down and yanked him over his lap.
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"Are you going to answer me, or do I keep going?"
Thomas sniffled "40" he whispered
"40 it is" Zach didn't give any more warning.
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"Ow ow ow I'm sorry" Thomas felt the tears starting again. Zach wasn't holding back. He was spanking damn hard
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"Stop Zach please no more" Thomas sobbed. It may have not been many, but Zach was strong and was spanking Thomas really hard
"Last ten you can do it" Thomas braced himself
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Zach stayed with Thomas until he calmed down. Thomas wanted to go tell Glen sorry again. Zach walked him to Glen's room. He then closed the door to his room and plopped on the bed. He thought of his conversation with Steve and went back to his arrest. Something was different about him, and it wasn't sobriety it was something different about him. Zach closed his eyes for a moment.