Hot Revenge Box Set 2

Coming down the stairs, my face heating, I brush by Michael. He inhales, eyes crinkling, but he doesn't look at me, instead, suppressing a smile as he heads up.

In the dining room, I find Charlotte and Mitch. Charlotte sits by the fire in an armchair, humming to herself, cradling Cara as though she'll never let go.

Mitch has brush and twigs laid out on the table, knotted and intertwined into a tightly woven whole, six or eight feet long. She winds in sprigs of pine, ivy, and holly, glossy and green, and brightly berried. Then she loops in ribbons of red and gold and tartan, twisting and knotting them with a practiced hand into coils and bows. She looks up, eyes brightening. “Ah, Kirstie. Good timing. Can help me with the swags, please.”

“You look as though you're almost done.”

“I am…” She twists wire through one end, then the other, “… but it takes two to hang them up. You take that end, I'll take this. Onto the stepladders and we'll snag them onto those hooks over the fire.

The swag drapes over the hearth atop the mirror. It smells of resin and winter and… and…

Does green have a smell?

It does.

Green smells like that swag. It smells of the Winter festival when, for as long as people have gathered in the dark of the year, they have brought nature and the Spring indoors as a reminder that soon, the light will return.

Green smells of cinnamon and oranges and brandy and apples and cloves.

For as long as I live, green will smell of this Christmas.

In a final flourish, Mitch winds in a twist of mistletoe, then turning, arches a brow at me and drops a wink.

Michael pokes his head around the door. “Ah, there you all are.”

James enters behind him, carrying a tray, loaded with sandwiches and slices of what looks like fruit bread.

Michael perches on the arm of the chair, holding a plate while Charlotte takes a bite from a sandwich. His voice is gentle. “How are you doing, Babe?”

green to his blue. “I'm much better today. I've

feel like a spare

you, Kirstie.” James unloads his tray onto the table.

kitchen, a pot of tea, steaming peppermint, sits waiting beside a coffeepot. “Crackers are in the cupboard over there,” says James, “I’ll get the

rings. He checks the screen then,

glances into the lounge, then turns away,

for getting

my apologies. I realise it's somewhat of an imposition at this time of year, but you would

pauses, listening again. “Ah, yes. Chad. An excellent idea. It will help

taps off, his eyes crinkle. Pressing the finger to his

all about? Or

the Spring, but with everything that’s happened, we thought we’d move things forward a little. Give Charlotte something

Besides having a brand-new

say, something else to encourage her back onto her feet and get her back in good physical condition. Having just Cara, so tiny and in the middle of Winter, might tempt her to spend too much time indoors sitting

take the bull by

to ask, how is Charlotte? Really? What did they do to her? What do

dropping his voice even further. “She’s going to be fine, but she was in the most appalling condition by the time we reached her.” His face tightens. “Even before she was abducted, Charlotte was worrying about the birth. She was very nervous about what was coming. But then, when they took her… The conditions they were keeping her in…”

“James?”

distress in him is palpable. He draws a breath. “They’d chained her to a wall, left her lying on concrete. She was in labour,

throat ripples. “Charlotte hasn’t had an easy life. She knows what it is to suffer. But it’s hard to imagine anything worse that could have

not something I want to say to Michael, but if Charlotte didn't

There’s still something…

Something more…

is that all of it? All

head. “No…” He breathes in. Breathes out. “Of the two men responsible, Finchby…” He