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

though

heavily embroidered with gold dragons. It’s too loud against the

hell did you seduce

a fucking wow

we going

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

shift again. My tailbone is rubbing and I move to ease the pressure. It works, but now my weight is on my backside and I was never bulky. There’s

pressing, she snaps, “You’re not paying

not easy to pay attention with concrete rubbing a hole

Aren’t you comfy?” Pleasure

in the dark for as long as possible,

sucks air through her teeth, then props

“A chair?”

chair. I didn’t bring

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

“We'll see. Perhaps I’ll give you something…

*****

my corner, I

This is it then.

all… Outlived them

Mercenaries…

Murderers…

Machete-wielding savages…

bastards just like me… Some of them worse

I survived the lot.

I'm captured by one

…

…

No… Not stupid…

Vengeful…

Depraved…

Insane…

Yes, insane…

If I don’t find something to laugh

a

but encapsulating

What's her intention?

What does she want?

To kill me?

I'd already be dead.

at least not

what does she

Power.

enjoy wielding power over