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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

‘Yes, I do,’ said Frank. ‘And I’m guessing you don’t want Marie to find out about it, so I suggest you get on with your own life and leave me and Irena to get on with ours.’

‘Is that a threat?’

‘Take it however you like. But I love Irena, and I won’t have you ruin this for me, so stay away.’

‘Are you out of your fucking mind?’ Evan yelled. ‘You’ve only known her a few weeks, and look what she’s done to us already with her lies. Mum would be rolling in her grave if she coul—’

Frank abruptly disconnected the call and breathed in deeply to calm his racing heart when Karel snatched the phone out of his hand. He’d dealt Evan a low blow by threatening to tell Marie about the accusation Irena had made against him, and he could only hope that his son would forgive him if he ever got the chance to explain. But it was the only thing he’d been able to think of to stop him from coming round.

Karel was staring at Irena when Frank looked up.

‘What’s this about rape?’

‘Is nothing.’ She returned his gaze as boldly as when she’d lied about her and Frank earlier. ‘He came to stay, and he would have interfere with plan, so I accuse him of try to rape me to make Frank send him away.’

Karel put his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her face close to his.

‘If you’re lying . . .’

He left the rest unsaid, but Frank could tell by the frozen look on Irena’s face that she knew exactly what he meant.

Seeming to decide that he believed her, Karel released his grip and turned to the door, saying, ‘Give him his drink, then come and serve dinner.’

When the man had left the room, Irena placed the teacup on the table beside Frank. He grasped her by the wrist before she could turn away, and whispered, ‘I know you’re not as involved in this as they’re making out, and if you help me get out of here, I promise I’ll help you to escape as well. Close the kitchen door when you go back in there, and I’ll be able to sneak out without them seeing me.’

For a moment, the Irena he’d thought he knew peered back at him. But then, shaking her head, she yanked her arm free and walked out without saying a word.

18

Marie’s family had made short work of the huge Christmas dinner she’d cooked, and were now cracking each other up over a drunken game of charades. After all the worrying she’d done that week, stressing out about every little detail, wanting everything to be perfect, she was made up that it was going so well and the house was filled with laughter.