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Back The Bad Place Save as PDF
Chapters (72)
  1. Cover
  2. THE BAD PLACE
  3. Contents
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. Epigraph
  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. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. Acknowledgements
  71. About the author
  72. An Invitation from the Publisher

‘I want Karin to suffer for what she did to my Dad.’ She recognized Ian Carrington’s angry voice. ‘I want you to bring that bitch to me.’

54

When Craig Power’s eyes opened, Lolly Chambers placed a calming hand on his chest.

‘You gave us a bit of a fright, mate.’

Craig pulled himself on to his elbows on the floor, wincing at the stabbing pains in his sides. ‘Where is he?’

She waggled the end of his tie, which had been shredded by glass. ‘Honestly, Craigy, you’re an even bigger mess than usual.’

‘Where—’

‘We just missed him. A couple of us gave chase but he legged it down a fire escape. We’re looking everywhere.’

Craig sat carefully. ‘Help me up.’

‘Maybe you should lie there for a moment, you’re not looking so hot right now, mate.’

‘Help me up,’ he insisted. Lolly offered a steadying hand as he climbed to his feet, careful not to make any sudden movements in case he had fractured any ribs or broken any limbs. He slowly raised his arms and legs one after the other, like a marionette, carefully scanning his body to discover which parts shrieked with pain, which hurt like hell and which merely throbbed. ‘Where’s Peter Carrington?’

‘Moved to another room,’ she told him. ‘I think he’s under sedation.’

Craig looked out of the window and felt nauseous. If Lolly had arrived a second or so later, his broken body would be sprawled across the car park two floors below.

‘You cut it fine.’

She made a face. ‘Let’s have a race right now to see who can get upstairs fastest.’

When Craig pulled up his shirt, instinctively attempting to tighten his sore abs in front of Lolly, there were bruises and abrasions. In the mirror, his bloody face was a criss-cross of lacerations where it had smashed into the glass cabinet.

‘Ouch.’ Lolly grimaced at his middle finger, which was swollen and sticking out at an unusual angle. ‘It looks broken. That’s a shame, you use that finger a lot. We’ll wait for the paramedic and then get you to hospital.’

He walked to the door. ‘No time, we’ve got work to do.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous, Craigy, you need to get to the ED.’

‘This building is full of nurses who can clean me up and put a splint on my finger.’

‘Sasha and Ajay will go mad if I just let you go.’

‘And neither are here,’ he said shortly. ‘So let’s just get on with it.’

‘Don’t make the mistake of thinking I’m really impressed that you’re being so brave and manly, yeah,’ she told him. ‘Because I ain’t in the slightest.’

They walked down the two flights of stairs, Craig clinging to the metal banister, finding his feet. Lolly tried not to notice the way he grimaced every time he lifted his left leg.