Page 309 of Wicked Brutal

“I watched Becca nearly die because of this fucking world. I watched her lose her baby.” Ryan’s grip on Arthur goes slack. Theodore points at Dad. “I watched her bleed. I watched her break. I watched her blame herself while the men who built that nightmare hid behind their money and their names and their lawyers.” His voice rises. “And now I’m standing here watching you put your hands on your pregnant daughter?”

“Theodore—“

“NO!” Dad actually flinches. “Not another girl.” Theodore’s voice breaks completely. “Not another daughter.” He wipes his face. “Not another baby.”

Dad looks away.

“LOOK AT ME!” Dad turns back. “You don’t get to look away from me.” Theodore steps closer. “You don’t own Jane.” Another step. “You don’t own Ally.” Another. “You don’t own Tobias.” Another. “And that boy over there didn’t ruin your daughter.” He points at Ryan. “He loves her.”

Dad’s face twists. “You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.”

“I know what it looks like when a man loves a woman and isn’t allowed to have her.” His voice drops. “I lived it.” Then it rises again. “And I know what it looks like when a man thinks ownership is love.” He points straight at Dad. “That’s you.”

“Get off my property!”

“Fuck your property! Fuck your money! Fuck your name.!Fuck your deals! And fuck every one of us who knew something was wrong and didn’t burn this to the ground sooner!”

Dad’s face goes red. “You’re done!”

“No, Roman.” Theodore looks at me. At Mom. Then back at him. “You are.”

“Dad.” Kaid’s voice cuts through everything.

Callum turns. Thomas does too. Cars. Several of them. Coming fast.

Arthur sees them. “They’re here.”

Victor turns toward the driveway. Dad does too. And for the first time tonight, I see real fear on my father’s face.

“Callum. Thomas. Kaiden. Go — tell them who’s who before they come into this.”

They run. Dad watches them go. “What the fuck did you do?” Arthur doesn’t answer. “WHAT DID YOU FUCKING DO?”

“I didn’t do this.”

“You did, Roman!” Theodore shouts. “You did all of this!”

Victor looks toward the headlights. Then at Dad. “You stupid fucking bastard!”

Dad wheels on him. “Shut your mouth!”

“You let this happen. YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO CONTROL HER!” My stomach drops. Victor’s face twists. “You were supposed to deliver what I paid for!”

“STOP!” Mom screams.

Ryan is fighting Arthur. Walter is screaming at Victor. X is trying to get free. And Iz is closer now. So close.

“Ally.” I look at him. His hand is out. “Come here.”

Dad sees it. Sees Iz reaching for me. Sees Ryan fighting to get to me. Sees Mom holding my hand. Sees the federal vehicles coming up his driveway. Sees Tobias gone. And then his eyes drop. To my stomach.

“You.”

Mom moves. “Roman.”

He comes for me. Fast. Dad grabs both my arms. “DAD!”

“YOU LET HIM FUCKING TOUCH YOU?”