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

Flattery?

Appeal to the machismo?

Good in the bedroom?

the knack to sucker a certain kind

Sola. He’s dangerous.” Cash-Man

speaking

accent is a bit thick

Put

knows

it matters when they’re all

how dangerous can he be when

pointing skyward. “D’you know all your

“Yeah… Right… You killed them all of them,

responsible. Did you let her dole out whatever they were

a little. He

dense can he

Seriously?

it be for her to

bit of something different for

still has a use for

him

Superman complex?

nothing, simply smirking and fiddling with her phone as he speaks. “I don’t believe you. You

pusher who’s a user too?

I’m talking to buy time, time to

Deja vu…

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

How did she know?

Waiting for me…

stories of balconies,

All overlooking this alley…

look-out? Watching for

Or me…

down?

Or try to…

security camera

Ah… the phone…

linked to a camera

she’s tapping at

have thought

No-one’s infallible…

at something on her screen, then her face

problem.” He raises

like that. I told

jerks his chin at the rifle over my shoulder. “You think that’s any good

This is what I use for up close.” I nod down to his pistol. “And how much use

snarls, raising the gun. “She said alive,

“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.

it jarred it. And I’m not about to

trying to recover from his mistake, but as I swing a foot around his

Each to his own. For myself, I prefer

it with my

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 down and

make his neck creak. Hard enough to pull him upright now that

at least his body is shielding mine while I figure

Is she armed?

except the mobile

She stands there, all nonchalance, smirking. “That’s it,

you ask Speeding

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

playing for time, trying to figure what the card is she holds in her hand

Someone else here?

and right… back,

fucking infuriating Juliana giggle. “Larry, look at

into his hair, keeping Jose immobile, the left

pocket. “Yes, your phone. You've got incoming, Larry. Take

knows something

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

calm. Juliana’s gaze follows him down, and now she’s definitely

muzzle to the base of his

… and turn cold…

button, there's an

live feed.

are there, sitting at one of the tables. Their backs are turned to me, but they’re

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, they

live feed

be, Larry? Your bitch whore or your

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 a few

Christ…

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

Don’t panic…

…

Think…

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

she give the order

my surrender, then murder them

Mitch…

Jenny…

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