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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

‘Love, no one’s worth dying for,’ he said. ‘I don’t know where you came from, or what you’ve been through, but you obviously need help, so let me—’

‘No!’ She swiped away a tear that was trickling down her cheek. ‘Thank you for be kind, but no one can help me, so I will go now.’

She tried to stand up, but immediately fell back down. Catching her, Frank made a snap decision.

‘Look, you’re in no fit state to go anywhere tonight, so why don’t you stay here?’ he offered. ‘You can sleep in my daughter’s room.’

‘You have children?’ She gazed up at him. ‘I am sorry, I did not think. I hope I have not disturb them?’

‘Don’t worry, they left home a long time ago,’ Frank said, helping her to her feet.

‘You do not look old enough to have grown children,’ she said, leaning against him.

‘Believe me, I am,’ he said, guiding her into Jo’s room.

‘Will your wife mind me be here?’ she asked, clinging to him as they walked.

‘She passed away a few months back,’ Frank said, lowering her onto the edge of the bed. ‘But, no, she wouldn’t have minded. Now make yourself comfortable. I’ll finish that tea and fetch it up for you.’

‘Thank you. You are very kind, Mr . . .?’

‘It’s Frank,’ he said, backing toward the door.

‘I am Irena,’ she murmured, sinking back against the pillows.

Nodding, Frank left her and went back downstairs. He switched the kettle on, and while he waited for the water to reboil, he stood peering out through the window looking for signs that she’d been followed. He didn’t know where she’d come from, but he doubted she’d have been capable of walking far in her condition, so he figured it had to be fairly local – in which case, the man who had hurt her might not be too far behind.

Aware that the man might track her to his door, Frank took the shotgun back out of the cupboard and carried it upstairs with the tea. Irena was fast asleep when he entered Jo’s room, so he left the cup on the bedside table and quietly closed the door before going to his own room.

He switched the lamp off and, taking a seat on the chair by the window, gazed out at the moonlit lane. This was the only route to and from the village four miles away, and it ended in a dead-end some three hundred yards past his gate. Very few people ever ventured this far unless they were visiting him, and, from here, he could see them coming from a mile off, so there was no chance of anyone catching him unawares tonight.

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