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Back The Cruise Save as PDF
Chapters (97)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Michael has never …
  4. Prologue
  5. PART ONE
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. PART TWO
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. PART THREE
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. PART FOUR
  32. 24
  33. 25
  34. 26
  35. 27
  36. 28
  37. 29
  38. 30
  39. 31
  40. 32
  41. 33
  42. 34
  43. PART FIVE
  44. 35
  45. 36
  46. 37
  47. 38
  48. 39
  49. 40
  50. 41
  51. 42
  52. 43
  53. 44
  54. 45
  55. 46
  56. 47
  57. PART SIX
  58. 48
  59. 49
  60. 50
  61. 51
  62. 52
  63. PART SEVEN
  64. 53
  65. 54
  66. 55
  67. PART EIGHT
  68. 56
  69. 57
  70. 58
  71. 59
  72. PART NINE
  73. 60
  74. 61
  75. 62
  76. 63
  77. 64
  78. 65
  79. 66
  80. 67
  81. 68
  82. 69
  83. 70
  84. 71
  85. 72
  86. 73
  87. 74
  88. 75
  89. PART TEN
  90. 76
  91. Epilogue
  92. Acknowledgements
  93. Keep Reading …
  94. 1
  95. About the Author
  96. By Catherine Cooper
  97. About the Publisher

I dipped my head and wiped my nose. I didn’t doubt that Dad loved me. I needed him. But I needed Fred too. Perhaps if I talked to him, we could …

‘But it’s OK. I’ve nipped it in the bud,’ Dad added, interrupting my rambling thoughts.

What did he mean? What had he done? Had he …

‘You’ll be fine now. Just me and you,’ he said hoarsely. I could tell he was on the verge of tears. ‘You don’t need anyone else. You’ll be safe here with me.’

I didn’t look at him.

‘Things are going to have to change,’ he continued, his voice firmer now. ‘I’m going to have to keep a closer eye on you. I should have realized.’ He touched my cheek and I flinched. ‘I know you’re cross with me right now. But it’s only because I love you. You’ll see that when you’ve calmed down. Goodnight, Sweetpea. I’ll see you in the morning. Sleep tight.’

He kissed me on the forehead before leaving the room. I heard him lock my bedroom door behind him.

He’d never done that before.

I loved Dad. And I knew he loved me. But I couldn’t live like this. Like a prisoner. Without seeing Fred. And I needed to know if he was OK. What did Dad mean when he said he’d nipped it in the bud? Had he done something to him?

I took my coat and opened the window. I had no idea where Fred lived and now no phone to call him, but I had to find him. I had memorized his number. It was the only phone number I’d ever known – it was burned into my memory. I would find a way to get to him. I grabbed a branch of the nearby tree and swung myself out. I ran down the drive and towards the road. By the time I got to the end of the drive, my chest was hurting so much from the exertion I couldn’t run any further, desperate as I was to get away. I started walking in the direction of the town, the way I’d driven with Fred. I heard a car coming towards me and stood in the middle of the road, waving frantically. Could it even be Fred coming back for me? To rescue me? Could he have somehow known what was happening? Maybe Dad called him before he smashed the phone? Oh God, unless Dad somehow made him come back so he could …

‘Help me!’ I cried. There was a thud. Pain. And then, nothing.

46

May 2016

‘I was never a prisoner’ – Anna Roberts speaks out on her 18th birthday

By Arianna George, Daily News