Free Burnt by Karly Lane Page A

herself, and went back outside.
    â€˜Well, that was awkward,’ Seb ventured as she took her seat. Rebecca flashed him a small grin as he continued. ‘I saw you go pale and thought it was your heavy breather. Sorry.’
    She shook her head and gave a smile. ‘Apparently he was in the process of changing the phone from hands free, which was why he didn’t answer straight up. It’s my fault; this stupid prank thing has me overreacting every time the damn phone rings.’
    Seb was wearing a frown again and she immediately brushed off his concern. ‘It’s fine, really. I’m not letting it bother me any more. If it happens again I’ll call the phone company and change my number or something. It’s fine.’
    He didn’t seem reassured, but Rebecca changed the topic, pointedly ignoring his dubious expression. He could dwell on it all he liked, she thought irritably, but she had enough mayhem in her life at the moment. She didn’t have the energy to be worrying over something like a stupid prank caller.

Chapter 8
    Rebecca frowned as she stared down at the next name on the admission form.
    Beryl Green.
    An image of a broken woman, sobs racking her body at a graveside, flashed through Rebecca’s mind and she took a minute to blink away that horrible day.
    Opening the curtain of the examination cubicle, she had to school her features into a friendly mask, even after the shock of seeing how terribly the broken and bleeding woman in the bed had aged since she’d last seen her. The ambulance had delivered Beryl to emergency after what she’d said was a fall at home. She was covered in cuts and bruises and a quick read through the thick file showed this wasn’t the first time she’d been here.
    â€˜Hello, Mrs Green, the doctor will be here soon, so let’s get you cleaned up and have a bit of a look at what’s going on,’ Rebecca said in a friendly, calm voice.
    â€˜Do I know you?’ the woman croaked, peering at her through swollen eyes, one side of her face bruised in the shape of a fist.
    â€˜I used to go to school with your son,’ Rebecca said quietly.
    â€˜Charles?’
    Before Rebecca could correct her, loud voices from outside carried through into the room, distracting her as her troublemaker alert kicked into overdrive. She kept one ear on the situation as she carefully cleaned up her patient, listening to Sharon’s low murmur as she calmly spoke to the irate person at the front desk.
    Mrs Green sighed wearily. ‘That’s my husband.’
    Rebecca looked down at her. ‘Do you want me to call someone to deal with him for you?’
    â€˜Oh, no. No , that would just upset him even more. Jock doesn’t like the police, you know,’ she said with more than a hint of panic in her voice.
    â€˜Mrs Green, if you’re being hurt by anyone, there are people who can help you.’
    â€˜No. No one’s hurting me. I’m just clumsy, always tripping over things and losing my balance, that’s all.’ Mrs Green’s voice rose defensively.
    â€˜Mr Green! You can’t go in there.’ Sharon’s voice carried over the commotion in the waiting room and Rebecca gasped as a wild-eyed man with untidy grey hair came bursting through the curtain.
    â€˜Excuse me!’ Rebecca said, raising her voice and making sure she eyed the man with her coldest glare. ‘What do you think you’re doing in here?’ She placed herself between the man and her patient.
    â€˜That’s my wife. The silly cow out the front wouldn’t let me see her!’ he yelled.
    â€˜You can’t just come bursting in here like that! The curtains are drawn for a reason. You will get out of here this minute, or I’ll have you removed, by the police if necessary. Do you understand?’
    â€˜She’s my wife,’ he repeated stubbornly.
    â€˜I don’t care if she’s Queen bloody Mary; it