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 pull

Flattery?

Appeal to the machismo?

Good in the bedroom?

has, she has the knack to sucker a certain kind

He’s dangerous.” Cash-Man seems

speaking

is a bit thick

benefit? Put up

if he knows she’s screwing

when

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

finger, pointing skyward. “D’you know

all of them, did you? All

one responsible.

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

can

Seriously?

“How difficult would it be for her to slip a

bit of something different

While she still has a use

him a high?

Superman complex?

phone as he speaks. “I don’t believe

who’s a user too? Sorry.

buy time, time to

Deja vu…

is the second time I’ve been found at the spot, and under just these conditions,

How did she know?

Waiting for me…

balconies, windows

All overlooking this alley…

Watching for

Or me…

not stop me halfway down? Throw

Or try to…

likely a security camera somewhere… One I

Ah… the phone…

to

she’s tapping at the

thought

No-one’s infallible…

her screen, then her face

problem.” He raises the

told you. I

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

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

gun. “She said alive,

“No!” It’s Juliana again…

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

Certainly, it jarred it. And I’m not about

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

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

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

is taken by 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

neck creak. Hard enough to pull him upright now that I have control. The muzzle

at least his

Is she armed?

except the

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

ask Speeding Gonzales

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

playing for time, trying to figure what the card

Someone else here?

and right… back, front…. up. There’s

That fucking infuriating Juliana giggle. “Larry, look

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

your phone. You've

she knows something

the back of Jose’s neck, tugging down on the ponytail with the other. “On your knees, hands clasped

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

of his skull, I fish the phone

… and turn cold…

button, there's an image on

moving: a live feed.

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 language relaxed. James and Michael stand nearby, leaning

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

feed from rifle

it be, Larry? Your bitch whore or your bitch daughter? I can take the men too, but they’ll be

Where the hell's Hickman?

his fucking

gut him for

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

Christ…

in an overplayed dramatic silence…. “…. Or are you going to be a

Don’t panic…

…

Think…

muzzle of my Glock still to Jose’s head, I watch as

she give the

surrender, then murder

Mitch…

Jenny…

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