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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

The music was finally turned off. Kev kept shouting for everyone to leave and teenagers started drifting to the door, but not before someone threw a final can of beer into the air, spraying alcohol everywhere. The room was a mess, just like everywhere else in the house. ‘Out – now!’

Sasha held her daughter’s hand as the paramedics leaned in to treat her.

‘Mum,’ whimpered Angel.

‘I’m here, baby,’ Sasha told her. ‘I’m right here.’

‘I’m sorry,’ muttered Angel.

‘Let’s not worry about that now.’ Sasha’s heart leaped when one of the kids shoved Kev angrily in the chest – the last thing she needed was for him to lose his temper. But her husband didn’t react; he stood his ground, using his height and authority to herd everyone out.

‘Tell you what, Angel, yeah?’ One girl dumped her cigarette into the dregs of a drink, where it fizzed and died. ‘You sure know how to throw a party.’

47

Abs banged on the door of Jez’s house. It didn’t even occur to him how early it was; the first threads of grey morning light were pulling sluggishly at the darkness. ‘Bethany, Bethany, are you there?’

He was cold and damp and it had taken him hours to get here by night bus. By now, the girl Jez had held captive would have gone to the police – if she’d managed to get away, that is. She’d tell them everything and they’d soon be on their way. If Jez knew what was good for him, he would be handing himself in right at this very moment. But Abs didn’t want Bethany to find out the truth about her husband from the feds, he wanted to break the news to her himself, about what Jez had done and what he was capable of. She was going to be a mother, she was having a kid, and he owed her that, at least.

Despite the silly hour, he heard movement behind the door. Someone fumbled with the lock, and when it opened, the housekeeper stood in front of him.

‘Bethany,’ he told her. ‘I need to see her.’

‘She’s not here.’

Abs stared up at the fading stars. In his panic, it had completely slipped his mind that she’d gone away with her parents, and thank God for that. He’d find out where she was and call her.

‘Where is she?’

‘I don’t know, she wouldn’t tell the likes of me.’ The housekeeper looked him up and down very carefully. ‘You don’t look too good, and you’re wet.’

‘Yeah.’ He laughed bitterly. ‘It’s a long story.’

‘Is Mr Weston with you?’ she asked.