Page 116 of Wicked Brutal

“Tobias knows Ally is supposed to marry Victor. He understands she’ll live with him. He understands Victor will be in charge.”

“How?” Gideon asks.

“Because Roman and Victor fucking teach him.” I start counting them off. “Women listen to men. Wives listen to husbands. Men handle money because women don’t need to worry about it. Men make the decisions. Women make boys soft if they baby them too much.”

Clifford’s face darkens. “He’s six.”

“Yeah.”

“Roman is telling his six-year-old son this. What does Tobias think?”

“He thinks Roman is mean.” That almost makes Dad smile.

“And Victor?”

“He doesn’t like him.”

“Why?”

“Because Victor talks about taking Ally away.” Arthur’s pen stops. I continue. “Roman tells Tobias he needs to stop needing Ally so much because she’s going to have her own family. Victor told him he’d teach him how to be a man.”

Xander’s jaw tightens. Gideon’s hand lands against his forearm before he does anything. X looks at him. “I am literally sitting down.”

“Tobias told Victor no,” I say. Dad looks at me. I already know what he’s about to do. “Don’t.”

“He asked Ryan.”

“Dad.”

“Tobias asked Ryan to teach him how to be a man instead.” Nobody says anything for a second. Then Clifford smiles too. I point around the room.

“Absolutely fucking not.”

Xander looks delighted. “Papa Ryan.”

“I’ll kill you.”

“Uncle Xander will protect you, Tobias.”

“I will kill you twice.” Danny actually laughs into his coffee. Good. Worth it.

I wait until they shut the fuck up. “Then Tobias got embarrassed because he’d been crying.” Danny’s smile disappears. “Roman tells him boys don’t cry.”

Clifford sighs. “Of course he does.”

“So I told him Roman was wrong.” I look at Danny. “I told him you cried when Daisy died.” The room goes quiet. Danny holds my eyes. I don’t apologize. I wouldn’t have used her if I thought he’d want me to. After a moment, he nods.

“Good.” Clifford’s hand tightens on his shoulder.

“I told him I cried too. That Dad’s seen me cry. Mom has. Ally has. The boys have. The girls have. I told him needing people doesn’t make him weak.”

Danny looks down at his coffee. Then back at me. “Good.”

“After that, Tobias talked.”

Arthur immediately asks, “Did you question him?”

“No.”