Page 314 of Wicked Brutal

People are running toward us. Not fast enough.

“HELP HER!” My voice breaks. “PLEASE!” I turn toward the Harrington house. “DARLA!” Nothing. “DARLA!” I scream until it hurts. “DARLA, PLEASE!”

Walter drops beside me. His face is wet. “Sweetheart—“

“GET HER!”

“Ally—“

“GET DARLA!”

“Medical is coming.”

“I WANT DARLA!” My voice tears apart. “She knows! She knows what Dad did! She knows about the baby! She knows me!” I grab Walter’s shirt. “Please. Please get her.”

His face crumples. He turns toward the house. “DARLA!” I scream with him. “DARLA!”

Then—

“ALLY!” I look up. Darla is running. She reaches us and drops beside Mom. Her eyes go to the blood. Mom’s head. Her face. And I see it. For one horrible second, Darla knows.

“No.”

“Ally—“

“No.” I grab her. “Help her.”

“Okay.”

“HELP HER!”

“I need you to let them work.”

“Please.”

“We’re going to help her.”

“Don’t let her die.” Darla’s eyes fill. “Please don’t let my mom die.”

“Ally.”

“Promise me.” She can’t. Oh God. She can’t. “Darla.” Ryan grabs me as I try to crawl closer. “PROMISE ME!”

Darla cups my face. “I need you to let them work.”

“I’m not leaving her.”

“You don’t have to. You stay right here.”

“Don’t let them take me away.”

“I won’t.”

“Don’t let her be alone.”

“She won’t be.”

Ryan moves me just enough. I stay on the marble.