Hot Revenge Box Set 4

Chapter 37

“Charlotte, could you set an extra place at the table, please.”

“Sure.” She pauses, her hand full of cutlery. “Who are we expecting?”

“Georgie’s joining us for lunch…”

Her mouth opens in a silent Ahhh…

“… Is that alright with you?”

She moves table-mat, knife and fork to one side, clearing enough space for another setting. “Of course it is, Master. I know how much it means to you to have Georgie speaking to you again. I’ll do my best to make friends with her.”

“Thank you.” I kiss her forehead, tilt her chin up. “For what it’s worth, she said something similar.”

*****

The doorbell rings.

Charlotte stands. “I’ll go.”

She returns a minute later with Georgie, who offers her a bottle of wine. “I wasn’t sure what everyone likes, red or white, so I brought a rosé.”

“Good choice.” I gesture towards the fridge. “It’ll go well with the salmon we’re having. Just pop it in the fridge for now to chill, then take a seat.”

She hovers by the table. “Any particular place I should sit?”

“I set your place there...” Charlotte points. “… next to your Dad.”

Georgie takes a seat, having the look of one floundering. Then, spotting Cara on her playmat on the floor, patting at a dangling pink and blue ladybird. “Are you enjoying being a Mom?”

Charlotte beams. “Oh, yes. But I'll be glad when I’m back to my proper shape again.”

“I suppose you can use the gym in the hotel. Get plenty of exercise.”

“There's that. And I can ride too. That's good exercise.”

“Ride? You have a horse?”

“That’s right. She was a Christmas present. Can you ride?”

Georgie blows air. “I’ve never been on a horse.”

Credit where it’s due, Charlotte’s hesitation is infinitesimal. “Would you like to try? You could… You could borrow Charlie. I'm sure my Ma.. your dad would teach you.”

Georgie swings around to me. “Would you?”

“If Charlotte is happy for you to ride Charlie, I’d like that very much.”

“When can we try?”

“No time like the present. After lunch?”

*****

 

Klempner

Abandoning the abattoir above me, I make the quick climb down again, hanging from the rail of the lowest balcony to let myself drop to the ground. Landing on my toes, the rifle swings against my shoulder then jogs against me.

“Ah, there you are, Larry. I was beginning to worry you might have taken a wrong turn.”

The voice comes from behind me and despite myself, I startle, spinning to face the grinning Juliana and, by her side, a stranger with a gun in his hand. In the poor light, I can’t make out the model, but since the dangerous end is waving at me, that’s by the by…

I look more closely, but not at the weapon: his face.

A bit of a pretty boy: his hair is slicked back to a fetching ponytail and he has that slightly oily look that says Pimp.

No… not a stranger…

Now I look again, it’s Cash-Counting-Man from the night Wonder Boy led me here the first time.

While Juliana was making cow’s eyes at another gang member…

Cash-Man hovers close to Juliana with a slight proprietorial air…

Thinks he’s got her?

Another one?

Must have worked her way through half the fucking city…

Be walking bow-legged if she’s not careful…

And now I think on it, I have Cash-Man’s photo in my phone…

Wonder if Hickman made any progress on that?

Juliana’s wearing that manic grin that is so much a part her sexual allure and Femme Fatale appeal. “So sorry, Larry. Weren’t you expecting me?” She fishes into a shoulder bag, producing a mobile, then tapping the screen to life.

WTF?

Calling for backup?

She’s opted for redhead this evening…

Deliberate?

Probably…

… with green eye make-up which I’m guessing is supposed to give her a delicate mermaid air, but in reality reminds me of one of the characters I saw in the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies movie.

Oddly, Cash-Man seems attracted to her. I cannot see why. But she’s repeated this pattern now again and again.

the fuck does she pull

Flattery?

Appeal to the machismo?

Good in the bedroom?

it is she has, she has the knack to sucker a certain kind of

dangerous.” Cash-Man seems genuinely

speaking in

is a bit thick but perfectly

benefit? Put up a

if he knows she’s

when they’re all already

smiles sweetly at him. “… how dangerous can he be when I

skyward. “D’you know all your friends up there are

snorts. “Yeah… Right… You killed them all of them, did

of the poisoned pocket is the one responsible.

you talking about?” His voice is slurring just a little. He

dense can he

Seriously?

at Juliana, “How difficult would it be for her to slip a little something extra into the mix

of

she still has a

Give him a high?

Superman complex?

with her phone as he speaks. “I don’t believe you.

a user

I’m talking to buy time, time to think. My mind’s

Deja vu…

at the spot, and under just these conditions, as I descended

How did she know?

Waiting for me…

of balconies,

All overlooking this alley…

look-out? Watching for the

Or me…

me halfway down?

Or try to…

camera somewhere… One

Ah… the phone…

to a

tapping at the

have thought

No-one’s infallible…

at something on her screen, then her face twists. “Don’t let him get

He raises the

that. I told you.

think that’s any good for up close?” He grins, advancing, pistol in

“No. This is what I use for up close.” I nod down to his pistol. “And how much use is that when she wants

snarls, raising the gun. “She said alive, not

“No!” It’s Juliana again…

I need. Darting forward, slapping the pistol to one side, I lean the other way. Sure enough, it fires, the round blowing a hole in the wall of the apartment block before skittering to ground and

screams. The blow may have broken his wrist. Certainly, it jarred it. And I’m not about to give him time to

recover from his mistake, but as I swing a

myself, I prefer my hair long enough to provide a bit of padding against blows, but short enough to

down. Snatching at it with my free hand, I yank

firmly on the ground. But dangling where I hold him by the hair, he’s almost horizontal from the knees up. He can’t get up, can’t get down and now, shoving the knife into my

creak. Hard enough to pull him upright now that I have control. The muzzle of my gun pressed to his skull. “You’re coming

him, but at least his body is shielding mine while I figure

Is she armed?

anything except the mobile in her

think so.” Her reaction is weird. She stands there, all nonchalance, smirking. “That’s

you ask Speeding Gonzales

the poor sap if I can avoid it. He’s hardly the first to be suckered into doing what she wants. But, something about

figure what the card is she holds in her hand that I don’t know

Someone else here?

glances left and right… back, front…. up.

giggle. That fucking infuriating Juliana giggle. “Larry, look at

hair, keeping Jose immobile, the left is occupied holding the

her chin, eyes slanting to my jacket pocket. “Yes, your

but… she knows something I

into the back of Jose’s neck, tugging down on the

as he obeys: suspiciously calm. Juliana’s gaze follows him

to the base of his skull, I fish the

… and turn cold…

the usual accept/deny button,

an image. It’s moving: a live feed. And

sitting at one of the tables. Their backs are turned to me, but they’re clearly talking together, body language relaxed. James and Michael stand nearby, leaning against a wall,

crosshairs hover. Gliding across the screen, they move between the two men: first Michael, then James. Then drifting, as though by accident, they pass over Jenny. And then,

feed from rifle

and she giggles again: an infuriating, sickening sound. “Which will it be, Larry? Your bitch whore or your bitch daughter? I can

Where the hell's Hickman?

his

him for

the guys? I can have them picked off one at a time. Or my sniper can simply mow them

Christ…

Or are you going to be a good boy and put the

Don’t panic…

…

Think…

muzzle of my Glock still to Jose’s head, I watch as Juliana mutters

give

then murder them

Mitch…

Jenny…

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