Page 95 of Wicked Brutal

His eyes fill. Ally doesn’t see it. She’s too far inside her own head now. “I said I won’t tell!”

“I know, but you don’t understand what happens if Dad finds out!”

“I won’t tell him!”

I stand and make my way to her. “Ally.”

“I need him to understand.”

“He understands.”

“No, he doesn’t!” She turns on me for half a second before looking back at Tobias. “He’s six, Ryan. He doesn’t understand what Dad will do if he finds out I’m pregnant. He doesn’t understand what Victor could do. He doesn’t understand that Dad could start asking him questions and he could answer one without even realizing what he’s saying!”

“I won’t!” Tobias’s voice breaks.

Ally flinches but doesn’t stop. “I can’t fix this if Dad finds out. Do you understand me? I can’t take it back. I can’t—“ I step directly in front of her. She tries to look around me. “Tobias, listen to me.”

I catch her face between my hands. “Baby.”

“Move.”

“No. Look at me.” Her eyes finally meet mine, and they’re wild. Not angry. Terrified.

“I messed up,” she says.

“You let something slip.”

“About our baby.”

“I know.”

“Stop fucking saying you know!” Her voice breaks. I don’t raise mine. I don’t need to.

“You’re scaring him,” I tell her. Everything in her face changes. Her eyes immediately try to go around me. I keep her with me. “No. Me first.”

“I scared him?”

“You got scared, and it came out angry.”

“I wasn’t angry at him.”

“I know.”

“I would never—I need him to know that.” Her hands come up around my wrists. “What if he tells them?”

“Then we deal with it.”

“You can’t deal with my father knowing I’m pregnant.”

“We deal with it.”

“Ryan—“

“Together.” Her mouth closes. I brush my thumbs beneath her eyes. “You don’t have to make Tobias understand every terrible thing that could happen. He’s six. He needs to know what we’re asking him to do, and he needs to know he’s safe.”

“I need to protect him.”

“I know.”