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Back The Woman in the Wood Save as PDF
Chapters (62)
  1. Cover
  2. Also by M.K. Hill
  3. THE WOMAN IN THE WOOD
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. Contents
  7. Epigraph
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 3
  11. 4
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. 7
  15. 8
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  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. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. 46
  54. 47
  55. 48
  56. 49
  57. 50
  58. 51
  59. 52
  60. Acknowledgements
  61. About the Author
  62. An Invitation from the Publisher

‘Typical pig,’ said Barry with a sneer. ‘Playing the Big I-Am, throwing your weight around. And there’s a lot of it to throw around, fat boy.’

Neighbours had come out of their houses to watch what was going on and Sasha gave them a small wave of apology, as if to say that everything was under control, and would they please not think too badly of her.

‘Connie.’ Barry’s eyes swivelled. ‘Give me another chance.’

Connie told him quietly, ‘You have to trust me, Barry.’

Sasha didn’t know what she meant by that. But she was immediately distracted when Barry raised the bottle over his head. For one terrible moment she thought he was going to throw it at them, but instead he brought his arm down hard and dashed the bottle onto the step. Glass shattered everywhere, splashing their legs with alcohol. Connie let out a little yelp, and Vaughn went to her quickly.

‘Are you alright?’ He ran his hands over her hair and face. ‘Did you get hit by glass?’

‘No,’ Connie said, a tremor in her voice. ‘I’m fine.’

Kev pushed past them to get to Barry, who knew, even in his drunken state, that he’d gone too far and was already backing away down the path. ‘Go.’

‘Alright.’ Barry held up his hands: I’m off. But he curled his fingers into the shape of a heart in front of his chest. ‘You hurt me, Con. I’m heartbroken and I’ll never love again.’

And then he staggered off down the street.

‘All finished,’ Sasha called to the neighbours. Smiling, trying to make light of it. ‘Nothing to see now.’

‘Well,’ said Connie, as Vaughn led her inside. ‘Come on, everybody, I think we all need a drink.’

‘I’ll clear it up,’ Kev said, nodding at the broken glass.

‘I’ll do it,’ Sasha told him with a simmering anger, and he knew better than to argue. ‘Just look after everybody.’

Within a moment, she heard Connie’s braying laughter in the kitchen, saw her sister pressing her fingers to Vaughn’s lower back, chatting away as if nothing had happened. Sasha headed to the cellar under the stairs to get the dustpan and brush.

‘I love living here,’ said a voice, and she saw Denny still sitting on the stairs, eyes fixed on his phone. When she gave him a fierce look – Don’t mess with me right now – he thumped upstairs.

Sasha heard a cork pop in the kitchen and saw Connie doing a little shimmy. ‘Let’s get this party started.’

28

The following morning, Sasha packed a bag for her and Kev’s night away at the hotel, while Angel helpfully looked through the wardrobe.

‘What about these?’ Her daughter took a pair of six-inch heels from the shoe rack.