Page 256 of Wicked Brutal

Iz takes it last. Stares at her face. Then looks at me. “We’re killing him.”

“No,” Arthur says.

“I wasn’t asking.”

“Still no.”

Kaid holds out his hand. “I vote yes.”

“You don’t get a vote.”

“Seems undemocratic.”

“Good.” Usually that would get something out of us. Nothing.

Dad takes my phone back from Iz and looks at her face again. “She’s okay?”

“She was when we got off the phone.”

“And the baby?”

“As far as anyone can know without examining her, yes.”

Dad closes his eyes, thumb pressed to the edge of my phone. When he opens them, he’s looking at Arthur. “Get them out.”

“We’re working on it.”

“Work faster.”

“I intend to.”

“There are more,” I say. Dad looks at me like he already doesn’t want to know. I don’t blame him. I swipe to Jane. That changes the room again.

“Jane?” Gideon leans in.

“She went after Roman when he hit Ally. Pulled him off her.” I swipe through them as I go. “He shoved her into the island. Threw her into the wall. Then the table. Then hit her.”

“Jesus,” Callum mutters. Arthur has already seen these. He still takes the phone and looks at every one.

“First time?” Gideon asks.

“No.”

Dad looks at me. “Ally knew?”

“No.” I give them the part that matters, not every memory. “She watched Jane know what was coming. Roman went for her and Jane changed — turned her face before he hit her, knew exactly when to stop fighting. Then Ally started remembering. Bruises. Long sleeves. Excuses.”

Thomas looks down at the table. Callum swears quietly.

For months we’ve all been pissed at Jane. For not doing enough. For not protecting Ally. For letting Roman run that house while she drank and disappeared into herself. Apparently Roman was doing a hell of a lot more behind those doors than any of us knew.

Arthur sets my phone down carefully. “This helps.” Dad’s head snaps toward him. Arthur lifts a hand before he can start. “I know how that sounds.”

“Do you?”

“Yes.” His anger finally shows — just a flash. “I would prefer Tobias never had a mark on him. I would prefer Alison wasn’t bruised, and that Jane hadn’t spent God knows how long hiding this. But Roman left evidence, Walter. On a minor. On an adult witness. On his wife. All from one incident.”

“So use it.”