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

Flattery?

Appeal to the machismo?

Good in the bedroom?

she has, she has the knack to sucker

dangerous.” Cash-Man

speaking

bit thick

benefit? Put

knows she’s screwing

that it matters when they’re all already

him. “… how dangerous can he be when I have you to

pointing skyward. “D’you know all your

You killed them all of them,

Your lady of the poisoned pocket is the one responsible. Did you let her dole out

just a little. He glares, moving toward

dense can

Seriously?

be for her to slip a little something extra into

of something

she still has a

Give him a

Superman complex?

as he speaks. “I don’t believe

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

I’m talking to buy time, time to

Deja vu…

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

How did she know?

Waiting for me…

of balconies, windows and

All overlooking this alley…

for the police

Or me…

stop me halfway down? Throw

Or try to…

a security camera

Ah… the phone…

linked to

tapping at the

have thought of

No-one’s infallible…

her face twists. “Don’t let him get

He raises

Not like that. I told you. I want him

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

This is what I use for up close.” I nod down to his

raising the gun. “She said

“No!” It’s Juliana again…

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

it. And

as I swing a foot around his ankles,

Each to his own. For myself, I prefer my hair long enough to provide a bit of padding against blows, but short enough to be

it with my free hand, I yank upwards, halting

from the

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.

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

Is she armed?

don’t see anything except the mobile in her

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

you ask Speeding

doing what she wants. But, something about Juliana’s manner is unsettling. “I know you don’t care if I blow his brains out,

for time, trying to figure what the card is

Someone else here?

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

Juliana giggle. “Larry,

hair, keeping Jose immobile, the left is occupied holding the

your phone. You've got incoming, Larry. Take a look.” She’s

she knows something I

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

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

muzzle to the base of his skull, I fish

… and turn cold…

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

a live feed. And of a

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

across the screen, they move between the two men: first Michael, then James. Then

live feed

an infuriating, sickening sound. “Which will it be, Larry? Your bitch whore or your bitch daughter? I can take

Where the hell's Hickman?

his

gut him for

them picked off one at a time. Or my sniper can simply mow them

Christ…

pauses in an overplayed dramatic silence…. “…. Or are you going

Don’t panic…

…

Think…

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

give the

then murder them

Mitch…

Jenny…

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