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

Flattery?

Appeal to the machismo?

Good in the bedroom?

the knack to sucker a certain

He’s dangerous.” Cash-Man seems genuinely

speaking in

accent is a bit thick but

my benefit? Put up a

he knows she’s screwing

when they’re all already

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

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

them all of them, did you? All by

responsible. Did you let her dole out whatever they were taking this

slurring just a little. He glares, moving toward

dense can

Seriously?

it be for her

bit of something

she still has a

Give him

Superman complex?

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

a

buy time, time to think. My mind’s

Deja vu…

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

How did she know?

Waiting for me…

stories of balconies, windows

All overlooking this alley…

for the police

Or me…

me halfway down? Throw me

Or try to…

camera

Ah… the phone…

to a camera

she’s tapping at

have thought

No-one’s infallible…

screen, then her face twists. “Don’t let

problem.” He

Not like that. I told you. I want him

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

my blade. “No. This is what I use for up close.” I nod down to his pistol.

raising the gun. “She said alive,

“No!” It’s Juliana again…

lean the other way. Sure enough, it fires, the round blowing a hole in the wall of the apartment

And I’m not about to give him

from his mistake, but as I swing a foot around his ankles, he’s off-balance

to his own. For myself, I prefer my hair long enough to provide a bit of padding against

with my free

taken 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

up, hard enough to make his neck creak. Hard enough to pull him upright now that I have control. The

his body

Is she armed?

anything except the mobile in

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

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 Juliana’s manner is unsettling. “I know you don’t care if I blow his brains out, but after he’s

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

Someone else here?

right… back,

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

into his hair, keeping Jose immobile, the left

your phone. You've got

she knows

the muzzle of my gun into the back

suspiciously calm. Juliana’s gaze

muzzle to the base of his skull, I fish

… and turn cold…

button, there's an image on the

It’s moving: a live feed. And of a view I

tables. Their backs are turned to me, but they’re clearly talking together, body language relaxed. James and Michael stand nearby,

it all, making my gut 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 by accident, they pass over Jenny. And then, finally,

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

Where the hell's Hickman?

his fucking

gut him

Mitch? Or maybe the guys? I can have them picked off

Christ…

an overplayed dramatic silence…. “…. Or are you going to

Don’t panic…

…

Think…

Glock still to Jose’s head, I watch as

give the

then

Mitch…

Jenny…

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