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?

is she has, she has the knack to sucker a

He’s dangerous.” Cash-Man seems genuinely

speaking

bit

my benefit? Put up

knows she’s screwing

that it matters when they’re all

She smiles sweetly at him. “… how dangerous can

finger, pointing skyward. “D’you know all your friends up

killed them all of them,

is the one responsible. Did you let her dole

about?” His voice is slurring just a little. He glares,

can

Seriously?

for her to slip a little something extra

a bit of something different

she still has

Give him a high?

Superman complex?

her phone as he speaks. “I don’t

pusher who’s a user too? Sorry.

buy time, time to think. My

Deja vu…

I’ve been found at the spot, and under just these conditions, as I descended from the fourth

How did she know?

Waiting for me…

stories of balconies, windows

All overlooking this alley…

look-out? Watching for the

Or me…

down? Throw

Or try to…

camera somewhere…

Ah… the phone…

to a camera

enough, she’s tapping

thought of

No-one’s infallible…

stares at something on her screen, then her face

He raises

like that. I told

that’s any

of my blade. “No. This is what I use for up close.” I nod down

snarls, raising the gun. “She said alive,

“No!” It’s Juliana again…

Darting forward, slapping the pistol to one side, I lean the other way. Sure enough,

it jarred it. And I’m not about to give him time to regret

trying to recover from his mistake, but as I swing a foot around his ankles, he’s off-balance and

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

fashion statement follows him down. Snatching at it with my free

almost horizontal from

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

think she gives a shit about him, but at least his body is

Is she armed?

I don’t see anything except the mobile in

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

you ask Speeding

hardly the first to be suckered into doing what she

to figure what the card is she holds in her

Someone else here?

and right… back,

fucking infuriating Juliana giggle. “Larry, look

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

slanting to my jacket pocket. “Yes, your phone.

but… she knows something I

hands occupied, I push the muzzle of my gun into the back of Jose’s neck, tugging down on the ponytail

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

base of his skull, I fish the phone from

… and turn cold…

the usual accept/deny button, there's

a live feed.

towards the terrace of 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,

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

live feed from

cracks wide and she giggles again: an infuriating, sickening sound. “Which will it be, Larry? Your bitch whore or your bitch daughter? I can take the men too, but

Where the hell's Hickman?

doing his

gut him for

picked off one at a time. Or my

Christ…

“…. Or are you

Don’t panic…

…

Think…

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

give the order

surrender, then murder

Mitch…

Jenny…

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