Hot Revenge Box Set 4

Chapter 34

Michael

“James, we have to tell her. Given her condition, Mitch has to know. ”

He exhales slowly, avoiding my eye. “Yes, she does. I’ve… been avoiding it…”

“Hoping it would go away? That Klempner would contact us out of the blue and we could warn him? That just like that, everything would be alright?”

“Something like that, yes.”

“If Mitch doesn’t have all the facts, she can’t make proper decisions. She’s going to need support. And part of that support is to give her the truth. It’s not doing her any favours to be kept in the dark.”

“You’re right of course.” James squeezes his eyes closed, presses at a temple. “Let’s get it over with. Can you get everyone together. We’ll need the family with her for this.”

*****

Richard and Beth drop what they are doing, joining us in the lounge. Georgie appears shortly afterwards, strolling in from the hotel with a speculative look in her eye.

Elbow resting on the chair arm, I talk behind my hand to James in the next seat. “You think it’s a good idea to have Georgie here?”

“She’s family too,” he snaps. “And she was also targeted by that maniac woman. So, yes, she should be here.”

Turning away from me, he flips open his mobile, giving the screen a couple of taps. “Hickman? Yes, it’s James. Could you join us in the house, please… Yes, right away.”

I bite down on my doubts. Georgie sits off to one side, silently waiting, regarding me from under lidded eyes as she sees me watching her.

But it’s James’ call…

His daughter…

His problem…

Or at least, the problem he created…

Charlotte perhaps has similar reservations. She meets my gaze for a long moment, her attention broken as James speaks. “Charlotte, could you fetch your mother, please. Tell her I need a word.” He stares at his feet for a moment, then, “Don’t say more than that. This has to come from me. Try to keep her calm.”

Sucking at her lips, Charlotte nods and heads out.

James paces the room, looking as though he’s just been asked what he would like for his last meal.

Richard pushes a glass into his hands. “Calm down. We all know it wasn’t intentional.”

James knocks back half an inch of golden liquid, then thrusts the glass back at Richard. Legs akimbo, his back to the fire, he stares moodily into space, cracking his knuckles.

an armchair at the back of the room; leaning back, arms folded, legs

Mitch, one arm hooked through her mother’s. Mitch pauses in the doorway,

then gestures to an armchair. “Um… why don’t you sit down, Mitch. There’s something I have

it about Larry? You’ve heard

“Please, Mitch, sit down.”

takes her hand. “Sit by me

angles a glance at her daughter. “So you know something I don’t?

cupping her elbow with my palm, steering her to the seat. “Mitch, please sit down. James needs to talk and it’s not going to be easy on

sits, sandwiched between me and Charlotte, who slips her hand

words slow, speaks

indeed, he

into uploading James’ Trojan to

Set a locator on

Programmed it to backup into the cloud, so that when Klempner replaced his mobile, he would be

and then, how James himself was hacked, and that virus now

can only assume that it

this, but we’ve heard nothing from him. Hickman can’t make contact…” He glances to

pale… paler than usual, her complexion sallow. “Are you telling me that woman can trace exactly where Larry is? And

Mitch. But yes,

of us what you were doing?” Her

James doesn’t reply.

clasped over a still flat stomach.

He swallows…

rises an octave. “Tell

She’ll certainly know where he is. She’ll have his log-ins, passwords and his entry codes. She’ll be able to use the camera and the microphone. If he carries it in his pocket as he usually does, she won’t be able to see much, but she will be able

capable of a lot. But he doesn’t have control of

at him, trembling, stroking

“This doesn’t get us anywhere. Hickman, how long is it now since you

heavyset man gives James a look that would etch

often did he normally contact

once a day. Different times. Different pattern. Mainly…” He looks towards Mitch… “… it was to ask after Miss

was the last thing you discussed

was to ask me to obtain the information regarding the organised crime

me,” says James. “I’d have been happy to help with the

his gaze to

“Klempner’s in trouble because of me. I’ll book a flight and get over

you mean well, but if Mr

go,” I say. “I

Summerford.” Hickman sucks at his lips, rubs his nose. “Do you

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