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.

does she

Flattery?

Appeal to the machismo?

Good in the bedroom?

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

Sola. He’s dangerous.” Cash-Man

speaking in

a bit

Put up

if he knows

matters when they’re all already

at him. “… how dangerous can he be when I have you to protect

it?” I raise a finger, pointing skyward. “D’you know all

Right… You killed them all of them, did

is the one responsible. Did you let her dole out whatever they were taking

is slurring just a little. He glares, moving

dense can he

Seriously?

her to slip a little something extra

a bit of something different for

has a use

Give him

Superman complex?

as he speaks. “I

You? A pusher who’s a

buy time,

Deja vu…

the spot, and under just these conditions,

How did she know?

Waiting for me…

stories of balconies, windows and

All overlooking this alley…

Watching for the police

Or me…

halfway down? Throw me off the

Or try to…

security camera somewhere… One I

Ah… the phone…

to a

she’s tapping

thought of

No-one’s infallible…

then her face twists. “Don’t

He

Not like that. I told you. I want him

any good for up close?” He grins,

teeth. It’s not a bad match for the glint on the edge of my blade. “No. This is what I use for up

snarls, raising the gun. “She said alive,

“No!” It’s Juliana again…

he jerks a startled glance her way, and it’s all I need. Darting forward, slapping the pistol to one side, I lean the other way. Sure enough, it fires, the round blowing a

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

his mistake, but as I swing a foot around his ankles, he’s

I’ve nothing against the style. Each to his own. For myself, I prefer my hair long enough to provide a bit of padding against blows, but short enough

fashion statement follows him down. Snatching at it with my free hand, I yank upwards, halting his fall… kind

by the hair, he’s almost horizontal from the knees up. He can’t get up, can’t get down and now, shoving the

his head up, hard enough to make his neck creak. Hard enough to pull him upright now that I have control. The muzzle of my gun pressed to

him, but at least his body is

Is she armed?

anything except the mobile in her

is weird. She stands there, all nonchalance, smirking. “That’s it, is it, Larry? You think you have the upper

don’t you ask Speeding Gonzales

can avoid it. He’s hardly the first to be suckered into doing what she wants. But, something about Juliana’s manner is

card is she holds

Someone else here?

dart glances left and right… back, front…. up. There’s no-one

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

tighter into his hair, keeping Jose immobile, the left is occupied holding

lifts her chin, eyes slanting to my jacket pocket. “Yes, your phone. You've got incoming, Larry. Take a look.”

knows something I

is vibing. With both hands occupied, I push the muzzle of my gun into the back of

obeys: suspiciously calm. Juliana’s gaze follows him down, and now

base of his skull, I

… and turn cold…

of the usual accept/deny button, there's an image on

an image. It’s moving: a live

tables. Their backs

tighten and my mouth dry, crosshairs hover. Gliding across the screen, they move between the two men:

feed from rifle

be, Larry? Your bitch whore or your bitch daughter? I can take the men too, but they’ll be

Where the hell's Hickman?

his fucking

gut him for

picked off one at a time. Or my sniper can simply mow them all down in

Christ…

in an overplayed dramatic silence…. “…. Or are you going to be a good boy and

Don’t panic…

…

Think…

still to Jose’s head, I watch as Juliana mutters into her

give

surrender, then murder

Mitch…

Jenny…

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