Page 296 of Wicked Brutal

“I know.”

“So don’t tell me to leave him there.”

“I’m telling you not to hand Roman a kidnapping allegation while I’m trying to get legal protection around Tobias.”

Dad’s jaw clenches. “And if Roman touches him?”

“If Tobias is in immediate danger, you protect the child.”

Dad nods. “Good.”

“And you stop when he’s safe.” Dad doesn’t answer. “Walter.”

“I heard you.”

Arthur looks at me. “And neither of you touches Roman.”

I stare at him. “Why are you looking at us?”

Arthur gives me a look. “Seriously?”

Dad looks at me. I look at Dad. Arthur points between us as we keep walking.

“That. Whatever the hell that was, stop doing it.”

“We didn’t do anything,” Dad says.

“You somehow just did.”

“If Roman touches Ally—“

“You get her away from him,” Arthur cuts in. “And that’s where it ends.”

“Obviously.”

“Ryan.”

“I heard you.”

“That wasn’t agreement.”

“It’s what you’ve got.”

Arthur mutters something under his breath. We keep moving.

I’ve made this walk thousands of times. To get Tobias. To go down to the lake. To find Ally. To sneak home. To sneak her out. Barefoot in the summer, half asleep, laughing, pissed off, drunk. I’ve never once thought about the distance. Tonight every fucking step is too long.

My phone buzzes. I rip it out.

Ally: hurry

One word. No punctuation. It does something to my chest that a full paragraph couldn’t.

I turn the screen toward Arthur. He reads it. His face changes. “Go.”

We’re barely onto the O’Toole property when the front door opens. Roman steps outside.

He sees us coming and his entire body goes rigid. “What the fuck is this?”