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?

is she has, she has the knack to

He’s dangerous.” Cash-Man seems genuinely

speaking in

is a bit thick but

benefit? Put up

if he knows

it matters when they’re

how dangerous can he be when I have you to protect

finger, pointing skyward. “D’you know all your friends up there

“Yeah… Right… You killed them all of them, did you? All

poisoned pocket is the one responsible. Did you let her

His voice is slurring just a little. He glares, moving

dense can

Seriously?

for her to slip a

bit of

has a

him a

Superman complex?

fiddling with her phone as he speaks.

A pusher who’s a

time, time to think. My mind’s

Deja vu…

is the second time I’ve been found at the spot, and

How did she know?

Waiting for me…

of balconies,

All overlooking this alley…

for the

Or me…

me halfway down? Throw me off the

Or try to…

a security camera somewhere… One

Ah… the phone…

to a

she’s tapping at the

have thought of

No-one’s infallible…

stares at something on her screen, then her face twists.

He raises the

like that. I told you. I want him

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

“No. This is what

gun. “She said

“No!” It’s Juliana again…

the pistol to one side, I lean the other way. Sure enough, it fires, the round blowing a hole in the wall

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

from his mistake, but as I swing a foot around his ankles,

style. Each to his own. For myself, I prefer my hair long enough

with my free hand,

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

looped tight into the ponytail, 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, Juliana, if you

she gives a shit about him, but at least his body

Is she armed?

see anything except the mobile

there, all nonchalance, smirking. “That’s it, is it,

don’t you ask Speeding

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

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

Someone else here?

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

That fucking infuriating Juliana giggle. “Larry,

his hair, keeping Jose

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

but… she knows

gun into the back

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

gun muzzle to the base of his skull, I

… and turn cold…

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

a live feed. And of a view I know

of James’ home in the mountain. Mitch and Jenny are there, 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

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

feed from

infuriating, sickening sound. “Which will it be, Larry? Your bitch

Where the hell's Hickman?

his

him for

“Who's first? Jenny? Or Mitch? Or maybe the guys? I can have them picked off one at a time. Or my sniper can

Christ…

you going to be a good

Don’t panic…

…

Think…

head, I watch as Juliana mutters into

she give the order

surrender, then murder them

Mitch…

Jenny…

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