Page 305 of Wicked Brutal

“Let go!”

His fingers dig straight into the bruises on my arms. I cry out. “What the fuck did you do, Alison?”

“Nothing!”

He shakes me. My teeth snap together. “Stop!”

“What did you send?”

“LET GO OF ME!”

“ANSWER ME!” He shakes me again, and it drops me straight back into Thursday. Dad’s hands on my arms. My body snapping back and forth. Our baby.

“No!” My hands fly to my stomach.

“GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF HER!” Ryan. He comes for us. Arthur catches him and nearly goes down with him. “LET ME FUCKING GO!”

“Ryan!”

“HE’S HURTING HER!”

“I KNOW!”

“THEN GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY!”

X is right behind him. “Let him go!”

“Xander, stay back!”

“HE’S GOT HIS FUCKING HANDS ON HER!”

Victor shakes me again. “Tell me what the fuck is going on!”

“STOP!” Mom is screaming, fighting Dad’s grip on her arm. “STOP SHAKING HER! LET HER GO!”

I scream. Dad wheels on me. “SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH!”

Victor jerks me again. Pain shoots down both arms. I scream, and Ryan roars my name, and X is trying to claw around Arthur to get to me, and Walter is coming, and Theodore is screaming at Dad, and through all of it Iz is moving. Quiet. One step. Another. Trying to get close enough to reach me.

“STOP SHAKING HER!” Mom screams.

Victor doesn’t. “ANSWER ME! WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO?”

Mom tears against Dad’s grip. “STOP SHAKING HER! YOU’RE GOING TO KILL MY GRANDBABY!”

Silence. Complete. Impossible. Silence.

Victor’s hands stop. Dad stops. Ryan stops fighting Arthur. Walter freezes. Theodore goes still. Iz stops three steps away. Mom’s eyes meet mine across the yard, and I watch her understand exactly what she just did.

Victor looks at her. “What?”

Nobody answers. His eyes move to me. Then down. My hands are covering my stomach. My sweater hides most of it. Not all of it. Not anymore.

His grip loosens. “No.”

Dad looks at me. “What the fuck did she just say?”

Victor stares at the small curve beneath my sweater. “You’re pregnant.”