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.

does she

Flattery?

Appeal to the machismo?

Good in the bedroom?

the

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

speaking

accent is a bit thick but perfectly

Put

he knows she’s

when they’re all already

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

skyward. “D’you know all your friends

Right… You killed them all of

responsible. Did you let her dole out whatever they were taking

talking about?” His voice is slurring just a little. He glares, moving toward me and now, closer, I see the expanded

dense can

Seriously?

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

of something different for

While she still has

Give him a

Superman complex?

simply smirking and fiddling with her phone as he speaks. “I

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

buy time, time to think. My mind’s

Deja vu…

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

How did she know?

Waiting for me…

stories of balconies, windows and

All overlooking this alley…

for

Or me…

not stop me halfway down? Throw me off

Or try to…

camera somewhere…

Ah… the phone…

to

enough, she’s tapping at the

thought of

No-one’s infallible…

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

problem.” He

Not like that. I told you. I

any good for up close?” He grins, advancing, pistol in hand. I reach behind

match for the glint on the edge of my blade. “No. This is what I use for up close.” I nod down to his pistol. “And how much use is that when she wants me

raising the gun. “She said alive, not

“No!” It’s Juliana again…

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

may have broken his wrist. Certainly, it jarred it. And I’m not about to

I swing a foot around

ponytail 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

fashion statement follows him down. Snatching at it with my free hand, I yank upwards, halting

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

him upright now that I have control. The muzzle of my gun pressed to his skull. “You’re coming with me, Juliana,

about him, but at least his body

Is she armed?

don’t see anything except the mobile in her

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

you ask Speeding Gonzales

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 manner is unsettling. “I know you don’t care if I blow his brains out, but

what the card is she holds

Someone else here?

and right…

Juliana giggle. “Larry, look at

right hand tighter into his hair, keeping Jose immobile, the

jacket pocket. “Yes, your phone. You've

but… she knows

muzzle of my gun into the back of Jose’s neck, tugging down on the ponytail with the other. “On

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

base of his skull,

… and turn cold…

button, there's

not an image. It’s moving: a live

one of the tables. Their backs are

between the two men: first Michael, then James.

feed from rifle

be, Larry? Your bitch whore

Where the hell's Hickman?

doing his

gut him for

“Who's 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 all down

Christ…

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

Don’t panic…

…

Think…

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

she give the

surrender, then

Mitch…

Jenny…

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