Hot Revenge Box Set 4

The Wolves and the Nightshades…

Gang names…

?

‘Wolves’ has masculine overtones, a touch of the machismo about it. I can see that as a gang name.

But Nightshades?

What gang calls itself Nightshades?

Poison is a woman’s weapon…

Chewing my potato, I retrieve Sola’s text on poisons.

Nightshade…

Also known as Belladonna… ‘used historically as medicine, poison and cosmetic…

Cosmetic?

I read on… Belladona…’Beautiful lady… the juice used historically in Italy to enlarge the pupils of women to enhance their appearance…

Fuck me…

I flick a page or two: Symptoms of belladonna poisoning… dilated pupils, rash or flushed skin on the face, neck and upper body, accelerated heartbeat, epileptic spasms, vomiting…

*****

James

“What do you think?”

Michael raises brows. “Klempner?”

“Of course, Klempner. D’you think he’s alive?”

He scratches into his scalp. “With the kind of life he's led… leads… I suppose it was only a matter of time before he walked into one of these situations and didn’t walk out again.”

“I suppose. Still, it’s hard to imagine him going down with some half-crazed woman. I mean, drug barons, criminal overlords, yes. Experienced mercenaries or assassins… You can see how they might have outclassed him. But some half-cocked girl with a grudge? How could she have gotten the better of him?”

“That’s not really the question is it?”

“No?”

“No. The question is, how is Mitch handling it?”

Guilt clutches at me. “Not well.”

*****

Klempner

back, and behaving as though our previous meeting never

geisha-style dress in green silk, heavily embroidered with gold dragons. It’s too loud against the curly, mid-brown hair and subdued, flesh-tone

hell did you seduce so many

a fucking wow in

are we going to talk

position, trying to sit a little more comfortably, straightening up against the wall. “What would you like to talk about? My

to ease the pressure. It works, but now my weight is on my backside and I was never bulky. There’s not enough flesh

snaps, “You’re not

not easy to pay attention with concrete rubbing a

comfy?”

if your idea is to keep me incarcerated in the dark for

air through her teeth, then props her chin on her knuckles.

“A chair?”

having a chair. I didn’t bring you down here

cushion then? I’m getting sores in my skin from rubbing against damp concrete. If they get infected which, in

She rocks a hand; sniffs and smiles. “We'll see. Perhaps I’ll give you something… since you're learning to

*****

I stare

This is it then.

survived it all… Outlived

Mercenaries…

Murderers…

Machete-wielding savages…

hundred bastards just like me… Some of

I survived the lot.

captured by

…

…

No… Not stupid…

Vengeful…

Depraved…

Insane…

Yes, insane…

I don’t find something to laugh at,

a sack of

exactly a medical diagnosis, but

What's her intention?

What does she want?

To kill me?

I'd already be dead.

at

does

Power.

wielding power over