Hot Revenge Box Set 4

Klempner

“Here…” Juliana places something in the ground… a flat something… “I'm not giving you a cushion, but you can have that.”

On the end of her shoe, she toes it toward me and across the white line. A fragment of paint breaks from the edge of the line.

Stiff-jointed, I stand. It’s not easy. Every movement scrapes flesh and bone against the concrete and I resist the urge to simply roll forward and crawl towards whatever-it-is.

So, I stand: unravelling myself: piece by piece, joint-by-joint, unfolding my body until I’m upright. Then I take the three or four steps to what has become the edge of my world.

Stooping with exaggerated care for my stiff spine, I examine her flat-packed offering. “A cardboard box?”

“It'll get your ass off the concrete.”

“In this damp, It won't last long.”

She shrugs. “Then, I might give you another. If you behave yourself.”

“You mean if I grovel and entertain you.”

She gives me a hyena grin. “That’s the spirit.”

*****

“Can I ask you something?”

Her eyes narrow. “You can ask.”

“How did you come to be in my hands in the first place? Most of the kids were shipped in from the third world or Eastern Europe. How did you come to be in Blessingmoors?”

Her jaw drops. “You don't know?”

make personal collections. I had people on the ground for

don't know why I was in

her face. “Juliana, I may have fucked up your life, but if you imagine it was from some personal vendetta, you're

slowly… Reluctantly… “My parents sold me to

in me tightens. “Your

he was, he was usually drunk. If he came home, we'd

“We?”

brothers and sisters.” She licks lips. The eyes slit further. “Are you really interested in this? Or is this your idea of being

interested. I’d like to

looks away. “It’s

childhood? Tell me. I’ll match

screws up,

a smile, wink at her.“ I’ll show

eight of us. One day, my mother said we were going out, just her and me… That she was taking me for a special treat. She made me wear my best dress. My older sister's actually. And she took me to meet a man. He gave her money…” She gulps, looking

Christ…

My belly tightens…

Juliana, I do understand how

liquid eyes to me.

was small. But, at the time, I didn't understand

is dull.

“My father.”

“And what happened to

end, I killed

laugh is bleak.

Karma. What goes around comes

sits back in her chair’ eyes me. “And so here we

you say.

Time to move on…