Page 302 of Wicked Brutal

His voice drops. “You did this.”

Victor looks at Jane. Then Ally. Then the phone Ally’s clutching against her chest. “Give me your phone.”

Arthur’s head turns. So does mine. Because that — right there — is the tell.

Ally shakes her head. “No.”

“Give me the fucking phone.”

“No.”

Roman looks at Victor. “You know what’s on it?”

And Victor realizes what he just did. Too late. Arthur goes completely still beside me. I feel him go still.

“What exactly do you think is on Alison’s phone, Victor?”

Victor’s eyes hit his. “Fuck you.”

Arthur doesn’t answer. He doesn’t need to. Victor just handed him something in front of a dozen witnesses, and he fucking knows it. His face twists with the knowing.

“Give me the goddamn phone, Alison.”

“No.”

“GIVE IT TO ME!”

“STOP FUCKING YELLING AT HER!”

Victor wheels on me. “You think you’re taking her from me?”

“She isn’t fucking yours!”

“She will be in two fucking days!”

“No, I won’t!” Ally’s voice cuts through everything.

Victor turns. So does Roman. Everyone does.

She’s crying now. Not hard. Tears just sliding down her face while she stands there with Tobias’s hand in hers and her phone clutched to her chest. She’s terrified — I can see it in every fucking inch of her. But she’s standing. She’s standing, and she’s looking Victor dead in the eye.

Victor stares at her. “What did you say?”

She swallows. “I said I’m not going with you.”

His face twists. “Don’t do this.”

“I won’t leave Tobias.”

“Fuck Tobias.”

Dad fucking erupts. “The FUCK did you just say?”

Tobias starts sobbing. Ally pulls him closer, curling her whole body around him. “Don’t talk about him like that.”

Victor points at her. “Then stop using him as an excuse and COME HERE.”

“He isn’t an excuse!”