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

It’s too loud against the curly, mid-brown hair and subdued, flesh-tone lipstick. But I’m not about to

did you seduce

fucking wow in

are we going to talk

my position, trying to sit a little more comfortably, straightening up against the wall.

and I move to ease the pressure. It works, but now my weight is on my backside and I

pressing, she snaps,

attention with concrete rubbing

comfy?” Pleasure

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

teeth, then props her chin on

“A chair?”

having a chair. I didn’t bring you

in my skin from rubbing against damp concrete. If they get infected which,

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

*****

my corner, I stare into

This is it then.

all…

Mercenaries…

Murderers…

Machete-wielding savages…

just like me… Some

I survived the lot.

by one stupid

…

…

No… Not stupid…

Vengeful…

Depraved…

Insane…

Yes, insane…

chuckle. If I don’t find

than a sack

but

What's her intention?

What does she want?

To kill me?

I'd already be dead.

at least not

what does she

Power.

wielding power