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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

Frank flashed him a venomous look as he forced himself to swallow the foul-tasting tablets. Karel was a dangerous man, he’d already seen that, but Nick was a dangerous idiot, and Frank would have to tread very carefully with him if he was to stand a chance of getting through this.

20

Frank’s head was throbbing when he woke up, and he was confused to see that he was still dressed when he sat up and caught sight of his reflection in the dressing-table mirror. Frowning when he noticed a trail of dried blood down the side of his face and an angry-looking scab on his temple, he gingerly touched it and winced. It was really tender, and he wondered if he’d had one too many whiskies last night and taken a tumble.

The distinctive beeping of a reversing vehicle coming from outside cut through the fog in Frank’s brain, and he shoved the quilt off his legs and staggered over to the window when he heard male voices. Squinting in the bright daylight that assaulted his eyes when he drew the curtain aside, he frowned when he saw three men unhooking a shabby caravan from the back of a Transit van. About to open the window to ask them what the hell they thought they were doing, he hesitated when another man emerged from the porch below and pointed toward the back of the house. The man suddenly turned his head, and Frank inhaled sharply when memories of the previous day rushed back to him at the sight of his face.

At the sound of the key turning in the lock behind him, Frank snapped his head round and stared at Irena when she walked in carrying a steaming cup.

‘Oh, you are awake,’ she said, hesitating by the door. ‘How are you feel?’

‘How the hell do you think I feel?’ he snapped.

Irena’s eyes widened. Immediately feeling guilty, Frank sank down on his chair and raked his hands through his hair.

‘Sorry,’ he apologized. ‘I didn’t mean to shout.’

‘Is OK,’ she said, eyeing him warily as she came further into the room and placed the cup on the bedside table.

‘No, it’s not,’ Frank countered, gazing over at her. ‘Nothing about this is OK, and I’m really struggling to believe you’re doing this of your own free will. You said you loved me.’

‘It was lie.’ Irena shrugged.

‘If that’s true, why lie to Karel about us?’ Frank asked. ‘If you getting with me was part of the plan, he’d have been all right with it, but you denied anything happened when he asked you.’

‘I do not need to explain myself to you,’ Irena said, turning to the door.