Page 228 of Wicked Brutal

“I know you do.”

“No. I don’t think you do.”

Kaid says quietly behind me, “Ry.”

I don’t look away from her. “I will burn every bridge my family has. I’ll tank every plan I have after graduation. I’ll get arrested. I’ll get expelled three months before we’re fucking done here. I don’t care.”

“Don’t say that.”

“Why?”

“Because you have a future.”

“So do you.” That shuts her up. “So does Tobias.” Her mouth trembles. “So does our baby.” My thumb moves beneath her eye. “And if Arthur can’t fix this with the law, my dad can’t fix it with politics, my mom can’t burn them in the press, and every adult in our families somehow runs out of ideas?”

Ally looks at me. I smile. Not the smile I gave Victor. Hers. The one that means I love her enough to become extremely fucking unreasonable. “Then we stop doing it the nice way.”

X exhales behind me. Iz whispers, “There he is.”

“I will commit an international fucking atrocity for you.”

Kaid sighs. “Technically, Switzerland has an extradition treaty.”

X says, “Let him cook.”

“I’m letting him cook. I’m saying maybe don’t announce the crimes before we commit them.”

Danny finally looks down at his phone. “Also international atrocity is probably not the phrase we want preserved in writing.”

“I didn’t write it.”

“You say things that become evidence.”

“Fuck all of you.” Ally laughs again. Actually laughs. Tears still in her eyes. I pull her closer. “You. Tobias. Our baby.” I touch each word to her. A promise. “You’re my fucking family.”

Her breath shudders. “Nobody takes my family.”

I kiss her forehead. Hard. Then her temple. Then the corner of her mouth. Quick. All we have.

Her fingers twist in my blazer. “I love you.”

“I love you more.”

My phone vibrates. Again. Again. Again. Somebody else’s starts. Then another. The room suddenly sounds like a fucking electronics store.

Iz finally pulls his phone out. “Oh.”

Kaid looks at him. “What?”

Iz scrolls. “Oh, we’re fucked.”

“That narrows nothing.”

“Dad.”

Danny checks his. “Mine too.”

X looks down. “Gideon.”