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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

‘Yeah, just,’ said Nick. ‘It’s that cunt who turned up at the farm yesterday – the old fucker’s son . . . Yeah, he’s still here. Tiny sparked him and tied him up. What do you want us to do with him?’

Nick nodded as he listened to Karel’s instructions, and Evan felt sweat trickle down his back when the man looked down at him and grinned slyly, before saying, ‘No problem, boss. I’ll give you a bell when it’s done.’

‘Whatever you’re planning to do to me, you won’t get away with it,’ Evan spluttered. ‘My wife’s expecting me home soon, and she’ll ring the police if I don’t turn up. And they’ll go straight to my dad’s place, ’cos that’s where she thinks I am.’

‘Know your trouble . . .?’ Nick drawled as he slotted the phone back into his pocket. ‘You’re too fuckin’ nosy for your own good. You shoulda pissed off home like your old man told you to, but you had to go and stick your snout where it don’t belong, didn’t ya? And now you’re gonna pay for it. Any last words for your pa before you go?’

‘You can’t be serious?’ Evan squawked, struggling against the restraints when the man pulled a gun out of the waistband of his jeans. ‘You can’t fucking shoot me.’

‘Wanna bet?’ Nick drawled, grinning as he released the safety catch. ‘But first . . .’ He rammed the end of the barrel into Evan’s mouth. ‘You’re gonna answer some questions.’

31

Irena looked drained and miserable when she unlocked Frank’s door the following morning. The air in the room was still stifling, but he was dressed and sitting in the chair by the boarded-up window when she entered. Watching as she placed the cup she was carrying on the bedside table, he said, casually, ‘Sleep well?’

Irena hesitated, and Frank saw wariness in her eyes when she glanced over at him and nodded. Guessing that she was wondering why he was being civil to her after their last bitter exchange, he gave a half smile, and said, ‘That’s good. And are you and Karel getting on OK?’

Frowning now, Irena said, ‘Why are you ask this?’

‘I thought I heard you crying last night,’ he said. ‘So I thought you might have fallen out?’

‘No.’ She shook her head. ‘We are happy.’

‘Sure about that?’ Frank raised an eyebrow and looked pointedly at her cheek. ‘Nasty bruise you’ve got there.’

‘I fall.’ She self-consciously covered the spot where Karel’s backhanded slap had landed a couple of days earlier. ‘Is nothing.’

Unable to keep up the pretence, Frank gave her a pitying look.