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

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

he speaking in

a bit

my benefit? Put

knows

that it matters when they’re all

She smiles sweetly at him. “… how dangerous can he be when I have you to protect

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

You killed them all

of the poisoned pocket is the one responsible. Did you let

is slurring just a little. He glares, moving toward me and now, closer, I see the

can he

Seriously?

difficult would it be for her

a bit of something different

she still has a

Give him

Superman complex?

and fiddling with her phone as he

pusher who’s a

time, time to think. My

Deja vu…

the spot, and under

How did she know?

Waiting for me…

balconies, windows

All overlooking this alley…

for the police

Or me…

halfway down? Throw me off the

Or try to…

likely a security camera

Ah… the phone…

to

tapping

have thought of

No-one’s infallible…

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

He raises the

Not like that. I told you. I want him

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

poor street lighting glints off his teeth. It’s not a bad 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

snarls, raising the gun. “She said

“No!” It’s Juliana again…

her way, and it’s all I need. Darting forward, slapping the pistol to one side, I lean the other way. Sure enough, it fires, the round blowing a hole in the wall

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

mistake, but as I swing a

own. For myself, I prefer my hair

my free hand, I yank upwards, halting his fall…

his two feet, firmly 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 now, shoving the knife into my belt for speed, I have the

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

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

Is she armed?

don’t see anything except the mobile in

stands there, all nonchalance,

ask Speeding Gonzales

sap if I can avoid it. He’s hardly the first to be suckered into doing what she wants. But,

card is she holds in her hand that I

Someone else here?

right… back, front…. up.

fucking infuriating Juliana giggle. “Larry, look at your

into his hair, keeping Jose

pocket. “Yes, your

knows something

I push the muzzle of my gun into the back of Jose’s neck, tugging down on the ponytail with the other. “On your knees, hands clasped behind your

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

base of his skull,

… and turn cold…

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

It’s moving: a live

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, mugs

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

live feed

giggles again: an infuriating, sickening sound. “Which will it be, Larry? Your

Where the hell's Hickman?

his fucking

him for

Larry.” Juliana sniggers. “Who's first? Jenny? Or Mitch? Or maybe the guys? I can have them picked off one at a time. Or

Christ…

“…. Or are you going to be a good boy and put the gun

Don’t panic…

…

Think…

I watch as Juliana mutters into her phone, grinning

give the

surrender, then

Mitch…

Jenny…

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