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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

‘I can’t do this,’ he croaked, leaping out of bed. ‘I’m so sorry,’ he apologized again, glancing back at her as he stumbled to the door and yanked it open. ‘Please forgive me.’

9

Frank was too embarrassed to meet Irena’s eye when she came downstairs the next morning. She had suffered nothing but abuse since arriving in this country, and now, albeit unwittingly, he had almost abused her, too.

‘You are angry with me?’ she asked, perching on the edge of the sofa.

‘No, of course not,’ he said, reaching for the poker and jabbing at the coals in the fire.

‘Then why you cannot look at me?’

‘Because I’m ashamed.’

‘Why? You must know I have feeling for you.’

‘No you don’t. You’re only being kind because you know how bad I feel.’

‘You are wrong,’ Irena insisted, sitting forward and clasping her hands together between her knees. ‘You are nicest man I have ever meet, and I like you very much. But I know you are still sad for wife, so I should not have ask you to stay in bed with me.’

‘This is my doing, not yours,’ Frank countered. ‘You were scared, and I was supposed to be making you feel safe. I just don’t understand how . . . that happened.’

‘I welcomed your touch,’ Irena said. ‘But I know you do not feel the same, so I will go.’

‘You can’t go yet,’ Frank said, placing the poker back into its holder. ‘I was watching the local news earlier, and they said all the trains and buses have been stopped.’

‘Then I will stay in daughter’s room so you do not have to see me.’

Frank felt guilty all over again when she stood up. She’d gone through hell to escape from a house where she’d been forcibly confined to a bedroom, and now, because of his inability to control his semi-conscious body, she was going to voluntarily confine herself to Jo’s. It wasn’t fair, and he couldn’t allow it.

‘You don’t have to do that,’ he said, forcing himself to look at her. ‘Please, love . . . this is my fault, and I don’t want you to feel awkward around me.’

‘You are sure?’ Irena hesitated.

‘Positive,’ he said, getting up. ‘Sit down. I’ll make us a cup of tea.’

‘I will stay,’ Irena agreed, holding his gaze. ‘But only if you promise to stop feel bad about last night. I want it to happen, and I thought you did, too. I was wrong, and I am sorry.’

‘Please stop apologizing.’ Frank sighed. ‘Let’s just forget about it and start again, eh?’

‘OK.’ Irena smiled. ‘I would like this.’