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 she

Flattery?

Appeal to the machismo?

Good in the bedroom?

has, she has the knack to sucker a certain kind

Sola. He’s dangerous.”

speaking in

bit thick but perfectly

my benefit? Put up a

if he knows she’s screwing

that it matters when

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

it?” I raise a finger, pointing skyward.

killed them all of them, did you? All by

responsible. Did you

just a little. He glares, moving toward me and now, closer,

can

Seriously?

her to

a bit of something different for

she still has a use

Give him a

Superman complex?

simply smirking and fiddling with her phone as he speaks. “I don’t

A pusher who’s a user

to buy time, time to think.

Deja vu…

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

How did she know?

Waiting for me…

of balconies, windows and human

All overlooking this alley…

look-out? Watching for the police

Or me…

not stop me halfway down? Throw me

Or try to…

security camera somewhere… One

Ah… the phone…

linked to

she’s tapping

thought

No-one’s infallible…

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

problem.” He raises

I told you. I

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

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 alive? It’s hand-to-hand,

the gun. “She said alive,

“No!” It’s Juliana again…

the

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

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

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

statement follows him down. Snatching at it with my free

on the ground. 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

upright now that I have control. The muzzle of my gun pressed

but at least his body is shielding mine while I figure how to get to

Is she armed?

anything except the

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

you ask

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

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

Someone else here?

dart glances left and right…

That fucking infuriating Juliana giggle. “Larry,

into his hair, keeping Jose

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

she knows something I

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

calm. Juliana’s gaze follows him down, and now she’s

gun muzzle to the base of his skull, I fish the phone from my

… and turn cold…

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

moving: a live

James’ home 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

move between the two men: first Michael, then James. Then drifting, as though by accident, they pass over Jenny.

feed from rifle

Larry? Your

Where the hell's Hickman?

his

him for

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

Christ…

silence…. “…. Or are you going to be a

Don’t panic…

…

Think…

I watch as Juliana

she give the

my surrender, then murder

Mitch…

Jenny…

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