Page 275 of Wicked Brutal

“And unfortunately stayed,” Penny adds.

Bella looks at her. “You’ve been sending me memes for forty-eight hours, Penelope.”

“Under protest.”

“You sent seven.”

“They were relevant.”

“Can we not?” I snap.

Both of them shut up. Bella looks at Ally’s arms again. “The point is, people here know what those bruises are. Get her far enough away and nobody knows what they’re looking at anymore.” Then her eyes drop. To Ally’s stomach. “And if Tremblay finds out about the baby after she’s already gone—“

Everything inside me stops. Nobody speaks. Iz looks at Bella. X looks at Bella. Danny looks at Bella. Kaid looks at Bella. Then all four assholes slowly look at me.

“What,” I say, “the fuck?”

Bella’s eyes widen slightly. Ally closes hers. Cat mutters something under her breath.

Bella gives me an apologetic smile. “Surprise?”

I stare at Bella. “You know?”

“Yes.”

“Since when?”

“Saturday.”

“How?”

“The dress,” Ally says quietly. I look at her. “One was fitted.” Her hand settles over her stomach. “She noticed.”

Oh. Oh, fuck me.

Iz points at Bella. “So the demon debutante knows about the bruises and the baby?”

“Would you like me to unknow them, Isaac?”

“I’d like you to explain why every time we turn around, you’re standing in the middle of somebody else’s fucking nightmare.”

Her expression goes cold. “Maybe your nightmares aren’t as private as you think.”

“Maybe you’re a nosy fucking bitch who gets off on—“

“ENOUGH!” My voice cracks off the tile. Everybody shuts the fuck up. Including Iz. I turn on him first. “Shut. The fuck. Up.”

His jaw tightens. “Ryan—“

“No. I don’t give a fuck.” Then Bella. “And you.”

Her eyes narrow. “I’m trying to help.”

“Then fucking help!” Ally flinches.

Fuck. I drag both hands over my face, but I’m too far gone to pull it back.

“I haven’t slept. Ally still has Roman’s hands bruised into both arms. Tobias has bruises. Jane has bruises. My kid had to be checked with an ultrasound two days ago because Roman shook Ally hard enough that none of us knew if the baby was okay.”