Page 332 of Wicked Brutal

Oh God.

“I love you. I LOVE YOU.” He starts fighting Ryan’s arms again — not to get away. To get to me. Ryan understands immediately and moves him closer, keeping most of his weight in his own lap. Tobias throws his arms around my neck. “I love you, I love you, I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“Don’t leave me. Don’t leave.”

“I’m right here.”

“Don’t die.”

Everything inside me stops. “Toby—“

“DON’T DIE!” He clings to me harder. “Mommy died. Don’t you die too. Please don’t die too.”

I press my face into his hair. “I’m going to do everything I can to stay right here with you for a very, very long time.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.” He pulls back, his wet eyes finding Ryan.

“Ryan too.”

Ryan’s face breaks. “I’m right here, buddy.”

“Don’t leave Ally.”

“I won’t.”

“Promise?”

Ryan looks at me. Then Tobias. “I promise.”

Tobias’s eyes drop to my stomach. “And the baby? The baby can’t die too.”

Ryan closes his eyes for half a second. I take Tobias’s hand and put it gently against my stomach. Ryan covers both of ours. “The baby is okay.”

“Darla said?”

“Darla and the other doctors. Really okay.”

“Don’t let anything happen to it.”

Ryan’s voice is rough. “We’re taking the best care of them we can.”

Tobias nods. Then curls back into us. “I don’t want anybody else to die.” Nobody answers. Because what are we supposed to say? His crying starts again. Quieter. “I want my mommy. Where is she?”

“People are taking care of her body.”

“Where are they taking her?”

I swallow. “We don’t know yet.”

“Is she going to be in the ground?”

“Probably.”

His head jerks up. “By herself?”