Hot Revenge Box Set 2

James

And now, for the first time, I push the door, quiet as I can, looking in.

Mitch is there, a pad on her lap, sketching. She sits by Charlotte; sleeping, so pale.

No, not pale; pallid.

What they did to you…

But she’s clean and warm and comfortable. And by the side of the bed, within touching distance, also sleeping…

Cara…

My daughter…

And in a chair by the window, a hawk-eyed nurse.

What’s been happening?

Mitch smiles, holding up her pad: a half-drawn sketch, in pastels, of mother and baby. Then she looks me up and down, pulling a face.

?

I mouth silently. “What?”

She nods me to the mirror and I see myself.

Oh, My God…

Even though I changed, brushed my hair, I can’t let Charlotte wake up to see me like this. Or Cara…

The eye is not a pretty sight. It’s not so swollen now and it’s beginning to open again, but the colour, a kind of reverse rainbow in blue, green and sickly yellow, is enough to put anyone off their… milk… There’s not too much I can do about the bruising, but at the least, I should clean myself up.

I stoop, kiss Charlotte’s cheek. She stirs, mumbling something soft. I can’t make out the words, but sleeping, her lips are curving.

I stroke Cara’s tiny face, and eyes-closed, she blows a bubble.

Then, with a nod to Mitch, I turn to leave. And Michael’s there. He too holds the pair in his gaze, then with a tap to my chest. “Let’s let them sleep.”

Mitch follows us out, picking up a baby monitor en route and popping it in her pocket.

*****

A hot shower and I feel more myself. Then Richard snags me, bullying me through to where the doctor I saw is waiting.

“I’m sorry… What’s happening?”

fine, but under the circumstances, for the sakes of both Elizabeth and Charlotte, and considering Charlotte’s feelings regarding hospitals right now, I have assembled

the hotel for the next few weeks and are on 24/7 call should we need them. Meanwhile you…” He levels a

*****

the kitchen, I pull my ingredients together. Prawns, ginger,

Hmmms, then grins as he gets a look at me. “Well, if it ain’t my old

“Please don’t.”

at the table. “It suits

can take the bloody thing off.” The tang of onions rides up my sinuses and I try to rub my nose, then realise my

have to cook for me, James. I’ll be happy with a

helps me relax. I could do with some

Klempner turns, grunting as

with her eyes. “Larry, why are you moving like that?”

“Oh! Must have done. Um, yes, he did,

wearing,

Larry, these are soaked through with

her, apparently unconcerned by the damage to himself. Quite the opposite. He seems gratified by

these off,” she says. “Let me

them up, fingers tugging at the bottom hem, then hisses, eyes

me.” Mitch hooks fingers under,

peels away from the gash underneath; a wicked slice, six inches long, scored from shoulder to chest. At the edges, blood crisped dry resists, plucking at the wound as she peels away the garment. But liquid blood,

doctor. I’ll go get him…”

his eyes, says, “They have an annoying habit of wanting to

his head then runs warm water into a bowl, dumping bowl, soap, clean rags and a tube of antiseptic cream on the table.

chest is smeared in blood, red by the wound, black at the

it is,” he comments. “My clothes... Sorry... Your clothes... soaked up the blood and spread it

a look calculated to swat flies then, starting at the outer edge, working in, she wipes and cleans, squeezing

minute or two, silently, Michael fills another bowl with fresh water and

starting shallow, but slicing deeper. Mitch slaps a pad of

removes her hand, replacing it with his own, face

done this before…” She halts in mid-sentence, staring at his chest. “Good God, Larry. What have you been doing the last few years? You look

weighs in.

leather, Klempner’s chest is crisscrossed with scars, slices and punctures. Some deep and red, some fine white lines. Trying not

just dress it and then

“Not in these clothes, you won't. I'll get

needs stitches,” insists

the breastbone from going any deeper. It does

scratches at his forehead. “You telling me he keeps sutures in the

I shrug.

hands it to Mitch. “Superglue. Use a dot wherever you would stitch but

the tube. Bites a