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?

the knack to sucker a certain kind of

Sola. He’s dangerous.”

he speaking

a bit

my benefit? Put up

he knows

matters when they’re all

him. “… how dangerous can he be when

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

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

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

His voice is slurring just a little. He

can he

Seriously?

“How difficult would it be for her to slip a little something extra into the mix for the

of something different for

still has a use for

Give him a

Superman complex?

as he speaks. “I don’t believe you.

a user

to buy time, time

Deja vu…

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

How did she know?

Waiting for me…

of balconies, windows and

All overlooking this alley…

for the

Or me…

halfway down? Throw me off the

Or try to…

security camera

Ah… the phone…

to

she’s tapping at the

thought of

No-one’s infallible…

then her face twists. “Don’t let him get

He raises the

that. I told

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

It’s not a bad match for the glint on the edge of my blade. “No. This is what I use

gun. “She

“No!” It’s Juliana again…

slapping the pistol to one side, I lean the other way. Sure enough, it fires, the round blowing a hole in the wall of the apartment block

his wrist. Certainly, it jarred it. And I’m not

a foot around his ankles,

style. Each to his own. For myself, I prefer my hair long

my free hand, I yank

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

hand looped 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 my gun pressed to his skull. “You’re coming with me, Juliana, if you don't

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

Is she armed?

see anything except the mobile in

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

you ask Speeding Gonzales

struggles under 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

to figure what the card is she holds

Someone else here?

and right… back, front…. up.

infuriating Juliana giggle.

tighter into his hair, keeping

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

knows something I

hands occupied, I push the muzzle of my gun into the

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

muzzle to the base of his

… and turn cold…

accept/deny button, there's an image on

a live feed. And of a view I

at one of the tables. Their backs are turned to me, but they’re clearly talking together, body language relaxed. James and Michael stand nearby, leaning against a wall,

my mouth dry, crosshairs hover. Gliding across the screen, they move between the two men: first Michael, then

live feed from

it be, Larry? Your bitch whore or your bitch daughter? I can

Where the hell's Hickman?

his fucking

gut him for

Juliana sniggers. “Who's first? Jenny? Or Mitch? Or maybe the guys? I can have them picked

Christ…

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 eyes flash to

she give

my surrender, then murder them

Mitch…

Jenny…

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