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

Flattery?

Appeal to the machismo?

Good in the bedroom?

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

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

speaking in

bit

my benefit? Put up a

knows she’s screwing

when they’re all

“… how dangerous can

I raise a finger, pointing skyward. “D’you know all your friends up there are

snorts. “Yeah… Right… You killed them all of them, did you?

is the one responsible. Did you let her dole out whatever they were

are you talking about?” His voice is slurring just a little. He glares, moving toward me

can he

Seriously?

difficult would it be for her

a bit of something

has a

Give him

Superman complex?

smirking and fiddling with her phone as he speaks.

pusher who’s a user too? Sorry. My

time, time to think. My mind’s

Deja vu…

found at the spot, and under just

How did she know?

Waiting for me…

balconies, windows

All overlooking this alley…

Watching for the police

Or me…

stop me halfway down? Throw me

Or try to…

camera

Ah… the phone…

linked to a camera

she’s tapping at

thought of

No-one’s infallible…

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

problem.” He raises

that. I told you. I want

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

bad match for the glint on the edge of my blade. “No. This is what I use for up

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

Certainly, it jarred it. And I’m not about to give him time to

I swing a foot around his ankles, he’s off-balance and he

was a mistake. I’ve nothing against the style. Each to his own. For myself, I prefer my hair long enough to provide a bit of padding against blows, but short

at it with my free hand, I yank upwards, halting his

on the ground. But dangling where I hold him by the hair, he’s almost horizontal from the knees up. He

ponytail, I jerk his head up, hard enough to make his neck creak. Hard enough to pull him upright now that I have control. The muzzle of my gun pressed to his skull. “You’re coming with me, Juliana, if you don't want to lose

at least his body is shielding

Is she armed?

see anything except the mobile

weird. She stands there, all nonchalance, smirking.

ask

to be suckered into doing what she wants. But, something about

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

Someone else here?

glances left and right… back, front….

That fucking infuriating Juliana

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

chin, eyes slanting to my jacket pocket. “Yes, your phone. You've got incoming, Larry. Take a look.”

she knows something

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

Juliana’s gaze follows him down, and now

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

… and turn cold…

accept/deny button, there's an image on the

an image. It’s moving: a live feed. And of a

the mountain. Mitch and Jenny are there, sitting at one of the tables. Their backs are turned to

making my gut tighten and my mouth dry, crosshairs hover. Gliding across the screen, they move between the two men:

feed from

Larry? Your bitch whore or your bitch daughter? I can take the men too,

Where the hell's Hickman?

his fucking

him for

them picked

Christ…

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

Don’t panic…

…

Think…

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

she give

surrender, then

Mitch…

Jenny…

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