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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’m not cheating,’ he insisted. ‘I told you, she’s just a mate.’

‘So why did she say she could have you if she wanted you?’

‘She was winding you up.’

‘I don’t believe you,’ Marie said angrily. ‘And how do you know her, anyway?’

‘She works near me,’ Evan told her truthfully. ‘She’d not long come in when you got here, and she bought that drink you chucked over her, not me.’

‘Why were you sitting together?’

‘Because she’s waiting for her date and didn’t want to sit on her own. What was I supposed to do? Tell her to piss off?’

‘Yes!’

‘God, you’re so paranoid, it’s not even funny any more,’ Evan snapped, losing patience.

‘If I’m paranoid, maybe it’s because you keep lying to me,’ Marie spat. ‘Remember Billy, do you? The mate you were supposed to be taking to hospital to visit his wife today? The one I rang soon as you left, who told me he hasn’t seen you in weeks? So where have you been going? And it’d better not have been with that tart in there!’

Laura came out of the pub before Evan could respond. She paused and looked Marie up and down, then shook her head, a sly smile playing on her painted lips.

‘What are you looking at, you fat slag?’ Marie roared, struggling to break free again.

‘You’re calling me fat?’ Laura snorted. ‘Have you looked in the mirror lately, sweetheart?’

‘I look a damn sight better than you!’ Marie retorted furiously.

Laura laughed at this, and Evan, fearing that he wouldn’t be able to restrain Marie for much longer, said, ‘Just go, will you? You’re making it worse.’

‘Oh, don’t worry, I’m going,’ she said. ‘But now I understand why you’re always eyeing me up, if that’s what you’re married to.’

She raised her chin at that and marched over to her car, and Evan held on to Marie until she’d driven out of the car park.

‘Don’t think this is the end of it,’ Marie said, straightening her clothes when he let go of her. ‘And don’t bother coming back to the house, or I’ll have you arrested.’

‘For what?’ Evan asked incredulously. ‘I haven’t done anything.’

‘You’re a liar,’ Marie hissed, shoving past him and waddling over to her car.

Watching as she climbed behind the wheel and reversed out of the space, Evan threw his hands up in a gesture of defeat. He could probably get to the house before her if he put his foot down, but what was the point? She thought she’d caught him out, and he really didn’t fancy spending the night in a cell if she kicked off and called the police to have him removed from the house.

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