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 it

Flattery?

Appeal to the machismo?

Good in the bedroom?

the knack

careful, Sola. He’s dangerous.” Cash-Man

he speaking in

is a bit thick but

Put

knows

when they’re

sweetly at him. “… how dangerous can he be

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

You killed them all of them, did you? All by

responsible. Did you let her dole

just a little. He glares, moving toward

can

Seriously?

difficult would it be for her to slip a little something

a bit of something

has a

Give him

Superman complex?

her phone as

You? A pusher who’s a user too? Sorry.

time, time to think. My mind’s

Deja vu…

I’ve been found at the spot, and under just these conditions, as I descended from the fourth

How did she know?

Waiting for me…

balconies, windows and human

All overlooking this alley…

Watching for the police

Or me…

me halfway down? Throw me

Or try to…

a security camera

Ah… the phone…

to a camera

she’s tapping at

have thought of

No-one’s infallible…

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

problem.” He raises the

Not like that. I told you. I want

jerks his chin at the rifle over my shoulder. “You think that’s any good for up close?”

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

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

“No!” It’s Juliana again…

Darting forward, slapping the pistol to one side, I lean the other way. Sure enough, it fires, the round

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

myself, I prefer my hair long enough to provide a bit of padding

at it with my free

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 up, can’t get down and now, shoving the knife into my belt for speed, I have the Glock

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.

a shit about him, but at least his

Is she armed?

except the mobile

Her reaction is weird. She stands there, all nonchalance, smirking. “That’s it, is it, Larry? You think

you ask

I can avoid it. He’s hardly the first to be suckered into doing what she wants.

figure what the card is she holds in her hand that I

Someone else here?

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

giggle. That fucking infuriating Juliana giggle. “Larry,

hand tighter into his hair, keeping Jose immobile, the left is

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

she knows

into the back of Jose’s neck, tugging down on the ponytail with the other. “On

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

his skull, I fish the phone from

… and turn cold…

the usual accept/deny button, there's an

a live feed. And

bright sunshine, looking up towards 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 they’re clearly talking together, body language relaxed. James and Michael stand

tighten and my mouth dry, crosshairs hover. Gliding across the screen, they move between the two men: first Michael, then James. Then drifting, as though

live feed

an infuriating, sickening sound. “Which will it 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

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

Christ…

dramatic silence…. “…. Or are you

Don’t panic…

…

Think…

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

she give the

surrender, then murder

Mitch…

Jenny…

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