Page 236 of Wicked Brutal

“Enough!” Mom screams.

Dad doesn’t even look at her. “You have forgotten who you are speaking to.”

Fear is everywhere now. In my chest. In my throat. In the trembling I can’t stop in my legs. Every lesson I have ever learned in this house is screaming at me to fix this. Apologize. Agree. Make him calm down. I look past him at Tobias. His cheek is bright red.

“No, I haven’t.”

Dad goes still. So do I. His fingers dig deeper into my arms. “You will do what I tell you to do, Alison, or you will find out exactly how much worse I can make things for you.”

My heart pounds. I know exactly what he means. This house. Mom. Tobias. He doesn’t need to say more. A week ago, that would have been enough. Maybe yesterday. Not with Tobias crying behind me.

“You hit him.”

“He disobeyed me.”

“He is six years old!”

“He is my son.”

“And you are not hitting him again.”

Dad hits me. My head whips sideways. For a second, the kitchen disappears beneath the ringing in my ear. My tooth catches my lip. I taste blood. Tobias screams my name.

Mom screams. “Roman!” She’s between us before I can straighten. She grabs his arm and yanks him away from me. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Jane.”

“You hit her!”

Dad shoves her. Mom flies backward into the edge of the island with a cry.

“Mom!” I start toward her.

She pushes herself upright. “Stay with Tobias!”

Dad turns on her. “I told you to stay out of this!”

“You hit both of them!”

“I am disciplining my children!”

“No.” Mom’s voice cracks, but it gets louder. “You are hitting them because you’re angry!”

Dad grabs her arm.

“Let go of me.” She jerks against him. “I said let go!”

He yanks her toward him. “You have spent years undermining me.”

“Because somebody has to protect them from you!”

He throws her backward. Her shoulder slams into the wall. A framed picture crashes to the floor. Tobias screams again. I grab him around the waist when he tries to run to her.

“Mom!”

“I’m okay.”

Dad reaches her before she can get away from the wall. Mom shoves at his chest. “Don’t touch me.” He grabs her wrist. She fights him. Actually fights him — furious and terrified and trying to pull free all at once. “Roman, let go!”