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 she pull

Flattery?

Appeal to the machismo?

Good in the bedroom?

is she has, she has the knack to sucker a certain kind of

He’s dangerous.”

he speaking

bit thick but perfectly

benefit? Put up

knows she’s

it matters when they’re all already

can he be

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

all of them,

of the poisoned pocket is the one responsible. Did you

the fuck are you talking about?” His voice is slurring just a little. He

dense can he

Seriously?

at Juliana, “How difficult would it be for her to slip a

a bit of something different for

still has

Give him a

Superman complex?

nothing, simply smirking and fiddling with her phone as

pusher who’s a user

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

Deja vu…

the spot, and under just these conditions, as

How did she know?

Waiting for me…

balconies, windows and

All overlooking this alley…

look-out? Watching for

Or me…

halfway down? Throw me off

Or try to…

camera somewhere…

Ah… the phone…

to a camera

she’s tapping at the

thought

No-one’s infallible…

screen, then her face

problem.” He raises

Not like that. I told you. I

my shoulder. “You think that’s any good for up

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

raising the gun. “She said

“No!” It’s Juliana again…

a startled glance her 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

The blow may have broken his wrist. Certainly, it jarred it. And I’m

a foot

nothing against the style. Each to his own. For myself, I prefer my hair long enough to provide

my free hand, I yank upwards, halting his fall…

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

creak. Hard enough to pull him upright now that I have control. The muzzle

gives a shit about him, but at least his

Is she armed?

I don’t see anything except the mobile in her

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

ask

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

the card is she holds in

Someone else here?

dart glances left and right… back, front…. up. There’s

fucking infuriating Juliana giggle. “Larry, look

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

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

knows something I

the phone is vibing. With both hands occupied, I push the muzzle of my gun into the back of Jose’s neck, tugging down on the ponytail with

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

muzzle to the base of his skull, I fish the phone from my

… and turn cold…

accept/deny button, there's an

moving: a live feed.

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

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 settle squarely on Mitch's

live feed from rifle

be, Larry? Your bitch whore or your

Where the hell's Hickman?

his fucking

gut him for

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

Christ…

you going to be a good

Don’t panic…

…

Think…

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

give

my surrender, then murder

Mitch…

Jenny…

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