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?

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

dangerous.” Cash-Man

speaking

is a bit thick but

Put

he knows she’s

it matters when they’re all already

him. “… how dangerous can he

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

Right… You killed them all of

the poisoned pocket is the one responsible. Did you let her dole out whatever they were taking this

talking about?” His voice is slurring just a little. He

dense can he

Seriously?

difficult would it be for her to slip a

bit of

While she still has a use

him a high?

Superman complex?

and fiddling with her phone as he speaks. “I

pusher who’s a user

talking to buy time, time

Deja vu…

and under just these conditions, as I descended from the

How did she know?

Waiting for me…

of balconies, windows

All overlooking this alley…

Watching for

Or me…

stop me halfway down? Throw me off

Or try to…

a security camera somewhere…

Ah… the phone…

linked to

tapping

have thought

No-one’s infallible…

her screen, then her face twists. “Don’t let him get away, Jose,” she

He raises the

like that. I told you.

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

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

the gun. “She said alive,

“No!” It’s Juliana again…

side, I lean the

his wrist. Certainly, it jarred it. And I’m not about to give him time to regret his moment of

his mistake, but as I swing a

I prefer my hair long enough to provide a bit of

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

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 now, shoving the knife into my belt for speed, I have the

tight into 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. The muzzle of

think she gives a shit about him, but at least his body is shielding mine while I figure

Is she armed?

except the mobile in her

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

you ask Speeding Gonzales

me. I’m disinclined to murder 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

I’m playing for time, trying to figure what the card is she holds in her hand that I don’t know

Someone else here?

I dart glances left and right…

That fucking infuriating Juliana

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

jacket pocket. “Yes, your phone. You've got incoming, Larry. Take a look.” She’s not

she knows something

gun into the back

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

base of his skull, I fish the

… and turn cold…

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

a live

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

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,

live feed from rifle

be, Larry? Your

Where the hell's Hickman?

doing his

gut him

them picked

Christ…

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

Don’t panic…

…

Think…

Glock still to Jose’s head, I watch as

give the

surrender, then

Mitch…

Jenny…

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