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.

fuck does

Flattery?

Appeal to the machismo?

Good in the bedroom?

has, she has the knack to sucker

Sola. He’s dangerous.” Cash-Man seems genuinely

he speaking

accent is a bit thick but

Put up

he knows

matters when they’re all

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

a finger, pointing skyward. “D’you know all

Right… You killed them all of them,

is the one responsible. Did you let

is slurring just a little. He glares, moving toward me

can

Seriously?

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

a bit of something different for

While she still has a use for

Give him

Superman complex?

simply smirking and fiddling with her phone as he speaks. “I don’t believe you.

who’s a

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

Deja vu…

been found at the spot, and

How did she know?

Waiting for me…

balconies, windows

All overlooking this alley…

Watching for

Or me…

stop me halfway down? Throw

Or try to…

camera somewhere…

Ah… the phone…

to

tapping at the

thought of

No-one’s infallible…

her face twists. “Don’t let him get away,

problem.” He

I told you. I want him

rifle over my shoulder. “You think that’s any good for up close?” He grins, advancing, pistol

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

gun.

“No!” It’s Juliana again…

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 hole in the wall of the

have broken his wrist. Certainly, it jarred it. And I’m not about to give him time to regret his moment of

a foot around his ankles, he’s off-balance

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

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

by his two feet, 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

I jerk 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 his skull. “You’re coming with me,

but at least his body is shielding mine while I figure how

Is she armed?

anything except

don’t think so.” Her reaction is weird. She stands there, all nonchalance, smirking.

don’t you ask Speeding

I’m disinclined to murder the poor sap if I can avoid it. He’s hardly the first to be suckered into doing what she wants. But, something about Juliana’s manner is unsettling. “I know you don’t care if I blow his brains out, but after he’s dead, you’re

for time, trying to figure what the card

Someone else here?

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

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

Knotting my right hand tighter into his hair, keeping Jose immobile, the

to my jacket pocket. “Yes, your phone. You've

but… she knows

I push the muzzle of my gun into the back of Jose’s neck, tugging down on the

calm as he obeys: suspiciously calm. Juliana’s gaze follows him down, and now she’s definitely

his skull, I

… and turn cold…

the usual accept/deny button, there's an

It’s moving: a live feed.

the terrace of James’ home in the mountain. Mitch and Jenny are there, sitting at one of the tables. Their backs are turned to me, but

the two men: first Michael, then James. Then drifting, as though by accident, they pass over Jenny. And then, finally, they settle squarely

feed from rifle

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

Where the hell's Hickman?

his fucking

gut him

waiting, Larry.” Juliana sniggers. “Who's first? Jenny? Or Mitch? Or maybe the guys? I can have them picked off one at a time. Or my sniper can simply mow them all

Christ…

Or are you going

Don’t panic…

…

Think…

the muzzle of my Glock still to Jose’s head, I watch as Juliana mutters into her phone, grinning as her

give

then murder

Mitch…

Jenny…

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