Page 6 (1/1)

She was about to get out of his car but David forestalled her with a hand on her aruts? Your father?’

‘Let o! He’ll beat on ht away’

White-lipped, David said in a low voice, ‘You can’t be serious! Youbeat you?’

‘Monica!’ The s now ‘Get in here! Right now!’

‘I’ with you,’ David said tersely ‘If he so much as tries to lay a hand on you, I’ll snap it off at the wrist and shove it sideways up his jacksie’

‘Don’t, please!’ she protested, close to tears ‘You’re only going toher protests, he went to the boot and removed his pack As they approached the house he couldn’t help but notice the way Monica was cowering behind him Her stepfather, dressed in soiled jeans and T-shirt, ponderous belly sagging between his knees, was sitting on a sagging ruin of an ancient overstuffed sofa Eht, not to e rise