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Back Brutal Save as PDF
Chapters (56)
  1. Cover
  2. BRUTAL
  3. Dedication page
  4. Acknowledgements
  5. Prologue
  6. PART ONE
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. PART TWO
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. PART THREE
  50. 42
  51. 43
  52. 44
  53. 45
  54. Epilogue
  55. BRUTAL
  56. By Mandasue Heller

In need of a cigarette to calm his nerves, Evan picked his rucksack up off the table and carried it and one of Yvonne’s kitchen chairs into her musty-smelling bedroom. Determined to find out what was going on, he lit up and settled at the window to keep an eye out for the Transit van. He didn’t know if those girls he’d seen were staying at the farm along with the men, or if last night’s excursion had been a one-off, but if the van went past tonight, he would give it a head start and then cycle back to his car and make his own way to the brothel. What he would do then, he wasn’t quite sure. He would have to cross that bridge when he came to it.

As the minutes ticked past, his thoughts drifted back to Irena, and he wondered if she’d known her brother was involved in drugs and prostitution before she’d persuaded Frank to let him and his mates move in. If so, it didn’t fit with the image he’d had of her at all. Jo had pegged her for a gold-digging scamartist who’d homed in on a grieving widower with the intention of relieving him of his money, but after meeting her Evan had thought his sister dead wrong. Irena had seemed like a gentle, unassuming soul, and he’d been sucked in by her beauty. He still wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol that had spurred him on to – almost – have sex with her that night, or if he’d done it purely to defy his dad. Either way, now he knew what she was really like, he was determined to get her and her scummy brother and friends out of there.

26

Karel had sent Nick and the other men out to check the field at the back of the house after Jacko told them about the blast of music he’d heard. They had also checked the lane at the front of the property, but had seen and heard nothing.

‘Fucker’s imagining things,’ Nick jeered, elbowing Jacko in the ribs when they came back inside having found nothing. ‘He’ll be telling us he’s seeing aliens next.’

‘I’m sure I heard it,’ Jacko insisted. Then, shrugging, he conceded, ‘I suppose it could have been the wind. It’s weird out here; does my fucking nut in.’

‘You know where the door is if you want out,’ Nick said over his shoulder as he opened a wrap of smack to prepare the girls’ pre-work hits. ‘But good luck getting a job that pays as well as this one for doing fuck all.’

‘I never said nothing about quitting,’ Jacko muttered, reaching into the fridge for a can of beer.