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.

clean of any expression. He takes an armchair at the back of the room; leaning back, arms folded, legs outstretched, crossed

with Mitch, one arm hooked through her mother’s. Mitch pauses in the doorway, brow furrowing as she sees the

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

“What? What is it? Is it about Larry? You’ve heard something?” Her voice snatches.

“Please, Mitch, sit down.”

“Sit

glance at her daughter. “So you know something I don’t? How do you

elbow with my palm, steering her to the seat. “Mitch, please sit down.

but sits, sandwiched between me and Charlotte,

skin sheened, his words slow, speaks like one making

As indeed,

fooled into uploading James’ Trojan to his

a

cloud, so that when Klempner replaced his mobile, he

James himself was hacked, and that virus

can only assume that it is Juliana behind

his lips, James talks from behind his hands, “Mitch, I’m sorry. I never intended any of this, but we’ve heard nothing

“Are you telling me that woman can trace exactly where Larry is? And he has no idea it’s

Mitch. But yes, that’s almost certainly

to tell any of us what you were doing?” Her tone would blunt the edge on a

James doesn’t reply.

still flat stomach. “What

He swallows…

rises an octave. “Tell me,

of doing it, then she has control. 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,

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

him, trembling, stroking

Hickman, how long is it now since you last had

man gives James a look that would etch glass then, speaking

did he normally contact

Different times. Different pattern. Mainly…” He looks towards Mitch… “… it was to ask

last thing you discussed

me to obtain the information regarding the organised crime syndicates in

could have asked me,” says James. “I’d have been

his gaze to

because of me. I’ll book a flight and

know you mean well, but if Mr Klempner has encountered the kind of trouble that he can't handle…” He raises brows nodding

I say. “I can handle

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

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