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

and behaving as though our

day’s fashion statement consists of a tight 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 lipstick.

the hell did you seduce so many

fucking wow in the

we going

little more comfortably, straightening up against the wall. “What

weight is on my backside and I was never bulky. There’s

snaps, “You’re not

pay attention with concrete rubbing a

comfy?” Pleasure gleams in

in the dark for as long as

teeth, then props her chin on her

“A chair?”

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

from rubbing against damp concrete. If they get infected which, in these conditions, they probably will, your source of entertainment

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

*****

corner, I stare into the

This is it then.

it all… Outlived them

Mercenaries…

Murderers…

Machete-wielding savages…

like me…

I survived the lot.

by one

…

…

No… Not stupid…

Vengeful…

Depraved…

Insane…

Yes, insane…

don’t find something to laugh

than a sack

exactly a medical diagnosis, but encapsulating all the

What's her intention?

What does she want?

To kill me?

I'd already be dead.

at

does she

Power.

wielding