The Girl in the Smoke by Matt Hilton

Author:Matt Hilton [Hilton, Matt]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Severn House
Published: 2023-11-02T00:00:00+00:00

JOSIE

Josie blinked the crimson fog from her vision. Her jaw ached, but there was a sharper pain at the base of her neck. By the feel of things, Toby’s palm-strike had come close to dislocating her skull from her spine. She didn’t care about her discomfort. All she cared for was Danni. Her child was standing, but looked out of it. She’d fainted, but the swoon had lasted only a moment and she’d regain her full senses in no time. Josie wanted to hold her, to comfort her, but Toby had one hand on her collar, while he dabbed at the raw scratches on his face with his other fingers.

Twigs crackled behind Josie, followed by the thud of feet coming to a distinctive halt. She didn’t look, because she knew who it was. She could smell his sickly sweet breath.

‘I leave you alone for a few minutes …’ Callum mocked his friends.

‘Shut up,’ Toby growled. ‘I’m not in the mood for any of your crap.’

‘Typical, though, innit?’ Callum went on. ‘Trust me to miss all the fun.’

‘Callum, make yourself useful,’ Steph ordered as she adjusted her retrieved hat over her pale hair. ‘Take hold of Josie, and make sure she doesn’t move.’

‘By the look of what she did to Toby’s mush, that’s good advice.’

Callum strode in and, without any preamble, he grabbed Josie under an armpit and dragged her up. He was stronger than his emaciated frame might suggest. He dug in with his fingernails, ensuring she felt their nip even through her clothing. ‘Try scratching me like that and I’ll rip you a new arsehole.’

His threat sounded as disgusting as ever, but Josie believed it.

She gave no cause for him to hold her tighter, but his sadism required satisfaction. He continued digging in with his fingernails, causing her to squirm, her knees turning to liquid.

‘Stand up,’ he sneered, then forced her to wilt with another painful squeeze of her armpit. Finally, he lessened the pressure, and Josie stood. She checked if Danni had recovered. Her daughter appeared starry-eyed, still a little confused by Toby’s painless form of strangulation. Franklin pulled at the end of his lead, snuffling inches from Danni’s trainers, but she was oblivious to the dog.

‘Danni …’ Josie called.

‘Shut it, slag,’ Callum growled, at the same time that Steph held up a warning finger.

‘You risked your daughter’s life trying to run away from us and you can see where that got you,’ Steph said. ‘Don’t think that screaming for help will do any good either.’

‘Wh-what are you going to do with us?’ Josie croaked.

‘Obey me, and don’t try anything stupid, and you’ll both be released once we’ve found what we’re looking for.’

‘You’re lying,’ Josie said, and she could no longer hold back the tears stinging her eyes. They rolled down her cheeks, hot, viscous drops. She dashed them with her free wrist.

‘Lying how?’

‘You have no intention of freeing us. I don’t care what happens to me. But, please, Danni’s only a little girl. You must let her go.

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