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 pull

Flattery?

Appeal to the machismo?

Good in the bedroom?

has the knack to sucker

Sola. He’s dangerous.” Cash-Man seems genuinely

he speaking

a bit thick but perfectly

my benefit? Put up a

he knows

it matters when they’re all already

can he be when I have you to

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

snorts. “Yeah… Right… You killed them all of them, did you?

pocket is the one responsible.

the fuck are you talking about?” His voice is slurring just a little. He glares, moving toward me and now, closer,

can

Seriously?

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

a bit of something different

has a

him a high?

Superman complex?

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

A pusher who’s a user

I’m talking to buy time, time to think. My mind’s

Deja vu…

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

How did she know?

Waiting for me…

of balconies, windows and human

All overlooking this alley…

for

Or me…

stop me halfway down? Throw me off

Or try to…

likely a security camera somewhere… One I

Ah… the phone…

to a camera

she’s tapping

have thought

No-one’s infallible…

at something on her screen, then her face

He raises

Not like that. I told you. I want him

jerks his chin at the rifle over my shoulder. “You think that’s any good

on the edge of my blade. “No. This is what I

raising the gun. “She said alive,

“No!” It’s Juliana again…

the other way. Sure enough, it fires, the round blowing a hole in the wall of the apartment block before skittering to ground and

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

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

For myself, I prefer my hair long

statement follows him down. Snatching at it with my free

hair, he’s almost horizontal from the knees up. He can’t get up,

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 to Juliana

Is she armed?

anything except the mobile in

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

ask Speeding

me. I’m disinclined 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

trying to figure what the card is she holds in her hand that I don’t know

Someone else here?

I dart glances left and right… back, front…. up.

giggle. That fucking infuriating Juliana giggle.

into his hair, keeping Jose immobile,

to my jacket pocket. “Yes, your

knows something I

pocket, the phone is vibing. With both hands occupied, I push the muzzle of my gun into the back of Jose’s neck, tugging down on the

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

base of his skull, I fish the

… and turn cold…

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

a live feed. And of

mountain. Mitch and Jenny are there, sitting at one of the tables. Their backs are turned to me,

move between the two men: first Michael, then James. Then drifting,

feed from rifle

be, Larry? Your bitch whore or

Where the hell's Hickman?

his fucking

him

maybe the guys? I can have them picked off one at a time. Or my sniper

Christ…

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

Don’t panic…

…

Think…

as Juliana mutters

she give the

surrender, then

Mitch…

Jenny…

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