Page 175 of Wicked Brutal

“I’M NOT.” He is already opening the door.

Cassandra follows Tobias inside. Walter holds the door for me. The second I step through, I hear Darla. “There he is!”

Tobias stops. His entire face lights up. “Dr. Darla!”

Darla comes around the corner from the living room. She isn’t dressed like she normally is when I see her at the hospital. Jeans. Sweater. Hair pulled back.

She opens her arms. Tobias goes straight into them. “Well, hello, handsome.”

“I’m getting interviewed.”

“I heard.”

“For the newspaper.”

“I also heard that.”

Tobias turns back to Darla. “Are you interviewing me too?”

“Nope.”

“Then why are you here?”

Every muscle in my body locks. Cassandra doesn’t. Walter doesn’t. Darla definitely doesn’t.

She smiles. “Because I have something much cooler to show you first.”

Tobias’s eyes widen. “What?”

Darla looks at me. My heart starts pounding. She leaves it to me. I swallow. “The baby.”

Tobias freezes. “The baby?”

I nod. “Darla brought some equipment so we can check on it.”

He launches himself at me. I barely have time to brace before his arms wrap around my middle. “Toby.”

“Sorry!” He immediately jumps back and stares at my stomach in horror. “Did I squish it?”

“No.” Darla laughs. “You didn’t squish anything.”

“Are you sure?”

“Very.”

“Because I hugged her hard.”

“The baby is extremely well protected in there.”

“By what?”

And we’re off. Darla’s eyes light up. I swear to God she has been waiting her entire medical career for Tobias. “Come with me and I’ll show you.”

“You can show me?”

“I can show you lots of things.”

He takes her hand. “Does it know I’m here?”