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

plan devious women things,’ he boomed. ‘Weddings are the damnedest events. A person has to prepare–especially the ladies.’

‘You just want a night of freedom,’ Gemini teased, smiling affectionately. ‘Remember, you can look, not touch.’

Morgan adjusted his stetson and beamed. ‘I married a smart woman who understands men. That makes me a very smart man.’

An hour after he left, Moralis phoned. Gemini took the call, although Dani advised her not to.

‘He doesn’t frighten me any more,’ Gemini said, a determined thrust to her chin. ‘There is nothing he can do to me.’

‘You should find out where he is and have Morgan call him back,’ Dani suggested.

‘No,’ Gemini said firmly. ‘He has to hear it from me. He cannot take Nando, and that is final.’

Dani shrugged, she had problems of her own. Vincent was refusing to try on the suit she’d bought him to wear at the wedding. He was behaving like a brat, and Nando was encouraging him. Maybe a break from each other would be good for both of them.

Gemini stayed on the phone for some time. When she emerged from the bedroom, her face was streaked with tears.

‘What’s the matter?’ Dani asked sympathetically.

‘Nothing,’ Gemini said, close to tears again. ‘It’s so damn difficult.’

‘What did he say?’

‘Everything’s fine,’ Gemini said. ‘He’s agreed to go away.’

‘Then why are you so upset?’

‘Well, you know, the past and everything. We did experience a passion that is very difficult to forget.’

‘Mommy!’ Vincent yelled. ‘Come see Nando’s dog. It’s got huge fleas. Can we get a dog, Mommy? Nando says his dog eats fleas. I wanna dog that eats fleas.’

She hurried outside to inspect the flea-ridden mutt Nando had rescued from the pound.

The dog was enormous, with a big shaggy coat. Vincent had draped himself all over the panting animal.

‘Get off,’ Dani ordered. ‘The poor dog is not a horse.’

‘You can ride him, Mommy,’ Vincent said encouragingly. ‘I do.’

‘Off,’ Dani repeated.

‘Piss.’ Vincent giggled.

‘What did you say?’ Dani asked, quite shocked.

‘Piss off,’ Nando said, screaming with laughter.

‘Get it, Mommy?’ Vincent said, giggling uncontrollably.

‘No, I do not get it,’ she said sternly. ‘That is not nice language, and I do not expect to hear it again.’

‘Piss off,’ both boys shrieked in unison. ‘Piss off! Piss off! Piss off!’

‘Inside! Now!’

They followed her into the house.

Mrs Braxton, Morgan’s long-time cook, was busy in the kitchen preparing hamburgers and french fries for the boys.

The manicurist Gemini had arranged for was in the dining room setting up her equipment. Gemini had also booked a masseuse, a facialist, and a hairdresser. They would all be arriving any minute.

‘It’s the night before your wedding,’ Gemini had said. ‘I am making sure you are thoroughly pampered.’

‘Where’s Gemini?’ Dani asked Mrs Braxton.

‘She asked me to tell you that she had to pop out.’

‘Did she say where she was going?’

‘She mentioned she’d be back soon.’

Dani didn’t start to worry until an hour had passed. Then two, then three. By that time she was seriously worried. All the beauticians had come and gone and it was almost eleven.

Had Gemini ‘popped out’ to meet Moralis? Where else would she have gone?

Dani picked up the phone and called Dean. Neither he nor Morgan were at the hotel, so she left a message for them to call her immediately they returned.

This was supposed to be a happy time for her, and yet she felt exactly the same as she had the night Emily disappeared. Sick and apprehensive.

She sat in the front room, her eyes shifting from the clock to the front door. Midnight came and went. She tried to reach Dean and Morgan at the hotel again. Still no answer from either of their rooms. They were out celebrating, while Gemini was…

She didn’t know.

She only knew that the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach told her that once again something bad had happened.

Something really bad.

Chapter Thirty-one

Michael: 1972

The news that he’d probably shot the wrong man did not sit well with Michael. Although, when he thought it through, he was able to accept it, because all three of them eventually had to pay the price.

He’d killed a man in cold blood. It didn’t seem real to him, and yet he’d done it. And he would do it again if he had to.

For his mother.

For the woman he’d never met.

For her honour.

Bone must’ve figured that by getting him to eliminate Roy, the truth would never come out. The scumbag hadn’t reckoned on Mamie and her big mouth.

Another thought. How had Mamie heard it was him who’d shot Roy? Bone was a dangerous bastard, and he probably had something else in mind. The problem was, who knew what that something was?

What should he do now? Switch sides and move over to the Giovanni family?

Maybe. Vito Giovanni understood what revenge was all about.

It was almost midnight when he arrived back at the house. Catherine was sitting in the front room knitting a sweater. Like her sister, Catherine was quite beautiful and very young, only she had none of Beth’s fire. ‘Hi, Michael,’ she said, holding a finger to her lips. ‘Ssh…Madison’s asleep.’

‘Where’s Beth?’ he asked, looking round.

‘She went out with friends.’

‘What time’s she comin’ home?’

‘You know Beth,’ Catherine said, putting down her knitting. ‘I can’t control her, and neither can you. Neither of us should try.’

‘I don’t want to,’ he said pointedly.

‘Yes, you do.’

Sometimes Catherine got on his nerves. ‘Did she happen t’tell you we were talkin’ about gettin’ married?’ he said, thinking that would shut her up.

‘No, she didn’t mention it.’

‘Didn’t mention it, huh?’ he said, aggravated. ‘Gee, she must’ve been really excited.’

‘Michael,’ Catherine said, in a sanctimonious annoying tone, ‘Beth adores you in her own way. But you have to understand that when our father was arrested and taken off to a political prison, it kind of put her out of control.’

‘How’s that?’

‘She’s always been a little wild, but after that…Well, you do know you’re not her first man?’

‘You’re lucky she already told me,’ he