Deadly Embrace Jackie Collins (the reader ebook .TXT) 📖

Mrs Giovanni was quite a woman. Loud-mouthed and demanding, she drank a lot, and spent money like it was going out of style. Her female lovers came and went, a new one every trip.

‘Our secret,’ she informed Dani, after several vodkas and a lengthy session with a zaftig Latina singer. ‘You keep your mouth shut, an’ one of these days I might do somethin’ nice for you.’

A couple of months and three visits later she took a long, appraising look at Dani and said, ‘Y’know what, cutie? You’re too pretty to be a maid. How about I get you into the chorus of the show downstairs?’

‘Excuse me?’ Dani said, busy unpacking a shopping bag full of cashmere sweaters that Mamie had recently purchased.

‘You’re wasted here, even I gotta admit that.’

‘I am?’

‘Dunno why I’m helpin’ you when I should be lockin’ you away in a room so my old man don’t get a peep at you. Not that he can get it up any more. I’m gonna introduce you to Lou, the guy who runs the show downstairs. Do you dance?’

‘Uh…no.’

‘That’s okay, you’ll learn.’

‘I’m not sure I can, Mrs Giovanni.’

‘Oh, for God’s sake,’ Mamie snapped. ‘We’re talkin’ opportunity here. I’m givin’ you a chance, so for crissakes, take it. That’s unless you’d prefer slavin’ away as a maid all your life?’

‘I…I’d be happy trying something new,’ Dani said hesitantly.

‘You got a boyfriend?’

‘No.’

‘Who’s that kid I see picking you up in the back?’

‘That’s Sam, my sister’s husband.’

‘Uh-huh. Well, okay, I’ll call Lou, get you in to see him tomorrow.’

Lou had taken one look at her and told her that if she could dance he’d hire her.

‘I can’t,’ she admitted.

‘Then take a class,’ he said, thinking that with looks like hers, who needed talent?

Willing to learn, she threw herself into dance class and soon excelled. When she came back to see Lou, he was duly impressed. ‘You’re hired, honey,’ he told her. ‘A coupla weeks’ rehearsal an’ you’re out there.’

Sam was not happy about her joining the chorus line at the Estradido Hotel. ‘You was better off doin’ your other job,’ he complained.

‘I’m making more money now,’ she reasoned. ‘That’s good for both of us, isn’t it?’

‘I suppose so,’ he conceded, still not pleased.

He’d been going to AA meetings for several months, and they seemed to be helping him. He’d quit drinking, and after a few months of sobriety he’d even managed to get his old job back.

The two of them lived like brother and sister, with only Emily in common. They talked about her often, both determined they would never forget her.

But Emily was all they had in common, and Dani knew that soon she would have to think about moving on.

Chapter Eleven

Tuesday, 10 July 2001

The heat in the restaurant was becoming intense. Madison could feel trickles of sweat making their way down her back. She was concerned for the man who’d been shot. As far as she could see he wasn’t moving, merely lying across the restaurant in a pool of his own blood.

What if he was dead? She shuddered at the thought.

Hunched on the floor, her arm firmly round Natalie’s shoulders, she glanced at Cole, who was over by the kitchen with the other men. The thug with the Uzi had separated them–men on one side, women on the other.

Although there were three bandits altogether, Madison kept her eye on the ringleader: he was the one to watch, he was the one who made all the decisions and told everyone to shut up–including his two cohorts.

The negotiator’s voice on the loudspeaker had made a couple more requests for them to come out quietly.

Yeah, as if they would.

Finally, the phone rang. She sighed with relief because, hopefully, proper negotiations would now start and soon they’d all be free.

Bandit number one–as she’d christened him in her mind–walked over to the ringing phone and snatched it up. ‘Nobody’s comin’ out,’ he yelled into the receiver, the Uzi swinging from one hand. ‘Nobody. An’ we got plenty hostages here. So get your fuckin’ shit tight, an’ start listenin’.’

She couldn’t hear the negotiator’s reply, but it obviously didn’t please bandit number one, who slammed the phone down, screaming, ‘Fuck you!’ He whirled round and faced the female hostages, glaring at them, his eyes narrow slits through his ski mask.

‘Screaming won’t do you any good,’ Madison said, speaking up and surprising herself.

‘What didya say?’ he shouted, eyeballing her.

‘I said screaming isn’t going to do any good,’ she repeated, keeping her tone low and even, as if talking to a recalcitrant child. ‘If you want action, then you must negotiate properly, tell them exactly what your requests are.’

‘Lady,’ he said harshly, ‘you sure got a lotta balls.’

‘Why?’ she said boldly. ‘Because I’m trying to tell you the best way to get out of this mess?’

‘What’re you?’ he spat in disgust. ‘A lawyer or somethin’?’

‘No,’ she answered calmly. ‘I’m a journalist. And…if you’d like, I could write your story. I’m certain you’ve got an excellent reason for doing this.’

‘Shut the fuck up along with the rest of ’em,’ he said, continuing to glare at her.

‘You’re the man with the gun,’ she said. ‘Which puts you in charge. I suggest that when they call again, you tell them what you want, and that you’ll release the hostages when you get it.’

He didn’t say anything. Instead he summoned his two accomplices and huddled in a corner conferring with them.

Three dumb boys, Madison thought. Three dumb boys who’ve screwed up a robbery and don’t know what to do next.

Across the room, Cole shook his head at her as if to say, ‘What the hell are you interfering for? Do as he says and keep quiet.’

She’d had enough of being quiet, she was entitled to speak. As far as she could remember, forging some kind of a bond with hostage takers was the right move. What was the worst he could do? Shoot her?

‘How’re you