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

here, an’ that includes your wife.’

‘I know that,’ Vincent said.

‘Good.’

‘How is Jenna?’ Dani asked.

‘She’s fine, Mom,’ Vincent said quickly. He knew how his mother felt about his wife, and he refused to give her the satisfaction of telling her she was right. He’d work it out with Jenna in his own way. And if that meant a divorce, so be it.

In the middle of the night, Sofia awoke again. She was close to a man, a stranger, and he felt so good in his silk pyjamas. She snuggled closer, rubbing her hands over the smooth material, loving the feel of it.

Nobody wore pyjamas any more. Why wasn’t he naked? She spooned even closer. He stirred in his sleep.

She moved her hands downward and felt that he was pleased to see her. By the time he awoke fully, she was making love to him, riding him in a wild fashion.

‘My God!’ Gianni gasped. ‘What are you doing?’

‘I’m not playing tennis.’ She giggled. ‘Shut up and enjoy it.’

He put his hands on her shoulders, vigorously pushing her off.

‘Are you nuts?’ she said. ‘I’m making love to you. Isn’t that what you want?’

‘No, Sofia, it’s not,’ he said angrily, sitting up in bed.

‘Of course it is,’ she said accusingly. ‘You were hard, you were ready.’

‘I was asleep,’ he said, reaching for the light switch.

‘Oh, my God, you are gay, aren’t you?’ she gasped.

‘No, Sofia,’ he said. ‘I am not gay.’

He got out of bed, marched into the bathroom, and slammed the door.

This was a first. A man who didn’t want to get laid.

When he emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later, he had put on a bathrobe over his silk pyjamas and was still angry.

‘Do you always make love with complete strangers?’ he asked.

‘You weren’t exactly reluctant.’

‘I told you before, Sofia, I was asleep. I thought I was dreaming.’

‘Some cool dream, huh?’ she said, beginning to feel a bit foolish.

‘I do not indulge in casual sex. Especially with a girl I’m supposed to be in charge of.’

‘In charge of?’ she exclaimed. ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’

‘If I was going to have sex with a woman, I would certainly want to know a lot more about her than I do about you.’

‘Oh,’ she said, insulted. ‘You’re perfectly safe. I don’t have any sexual diseases or anything.’

‘Is this the way you always behave with people you don’t know?’

‘Not always,’ she said, deciding that she hated him and was glad they hadn’t made love.

‘You’re lucky I didn’t take advantage of you.’

‘Are you saying I’m lucky you didn’t come inside me?’

‘You have an extremely vulgar way of putting things.’

‘And I suppose your girlfriend, Anais, is the perfect lady.’

‘Anais has nothing to do with you.’

‘Look, I’m sorry,’ she said, suddenly contrite. ‘I thought it would be a nice kind of payment for you letting me stay here.’

‘So now you’re a whore?’

‘Fuck you!’ she yelled, leaping off the bed. How dare he say such a thing to her? Who the hell did he think he was?

He was silent.

‘Look,’ she said at last, ‘I like you. I like being here. I was happy to get into bed with you. Why’re you so uptight?’

‘You need to realize that things are not always as easy as you think. A thank-you is not sleeping with someone. I do not require sexual favours.’

‘What are you?’ she said rudely. ‘Faithful to your girlfriend?’

He sighed. ‘You don’t understand, do you?’

‘Most men would be very happy to sleep with me.’

‘I’m sure they would.’

‘Don’t you find me sexy?’

‘You’re very sexy.’

‘Well, then, what?’

‘I’m too tired to argue, Sofia,’ he said, yawning. ‘You take the bed, I’ll take the couch. We’ll talk about this in the morning.’

‘Whatever,’ she said, glaring at him. ‘We’ll play it your way. I suppose everyone always does.’

‘Call those mothafuckers an’ tell ’em to get that helicopter outta here, or I’m throwin’ one of you from the car.’

‘I don’t have a phone,’ Madison said. ‘You took it–remember?’

‘Fuck! Ace,’ he said, turning round, ‘get me a fuckin’ phone.’

At last a name. Ace. Probably a nickname.

Was Ace the one with the snake tattoo on his neck? No, Ace was the third–the shorter guy with the sack full of loot and a pierced nose.

Ace fished in the black plastic garbage bag jammed on his knee. He soon located a cellphone, which he handed to the front.

The gunman took it and thrust it at Madison. ‘Call ’em. Do it now!’

‘Please don’t hurt us,’ the girl in the back of the van moaned. ‘Please, please, why can’t you let us go?’

‘Shut the fuck up!’ he said, turning back to Madison. ‘Come on, bitch! Make the call.’

‘Who am I supposed to call?’ she asked. ‘Did they leave you a number?’

‘Don’t diss me, lady. Call nine-one-one. Tell ’em if the ’copter’s not outta here in two minutes, one of you is gettin’ thrown out.’

She took the cellphone and dialled 911. A dispatcher answered.

‘This is Madison Castelli,’ she said, as calmly as she could manage. ‘I’m one of the hostages from the restaurant on Beverly Boulevard. We’re in the van. Please listen carefully. You have to tell the cops that they’ve got to get the helicopter above us away. If they don’t, they’re throwing a hostage from the van.’

The gunman grabbed the phone from her and hurled it into the back. ‘You’d better hope they do what you told ’em,’ he said. ‘’Cause if they don’t, one a you mothafuckers is gonna hit the sidewalk.’

Chapter Thirty-seven

Michael: 1975

By the time Karl Edgington was released from jail, Michael had accumulated a great deal of money of his own. And since he was paying taxes on most of it, it was perfectly legitimate. He’d followed instructions for the last four years, and every time he made an investment with Karl’s money, he’d made one of his own. Now that Karl was out, he wondered what would happen next.

Warner called and suggested they meet for dinner at 21.

‘I thought Karl would