Deadly Embrace by Jackie Collins (best 7 inch ereader .TXT) 📗

‘This isn’t my idea of the perfect evening,’ Natalie replied, trying desperately to pull herself together. ‘I’m scared, Maddy. I’d like to wake up and discover this was all a bad dream.’

‘At least you’re talking now.’

‘That’s ’cause of you,’ Natalie said, attempting a weak smile. ‘He’s right, girl–you got more balls than any of ’em.’

‘My father told me that once,’ Madison said, laughing wryly. ‘I think he was hinting I took after him.’

‘You probably do. Anyway, you make me feel safe.’

‘That’s the main thing,’ Madison said, sounding braver than she felt as she checked out the other female hostages clustered together on the floor, most of them shell-shocked like Natalie.

‘Stay cool everyone,’ she warned in a low voice. ‘If nobody makes any rash moves, we’ll get out of this alive.’

‘Who elected you President?’ snapped a short redhead in a tight blue dress. ‘That low-life took my seventy-five-thousand-dollar Harry Winston engagement ring, and I want it back.’

‘What’s more important, your life or a stupid piece of jewellery?’ Madison asked sharply.

‘Jump off your white horse and get real,’ the redhead said, in a strident voice. ‘The cops’ll bust these guys, so you should stay out of it.’

‘I should, huh?’ Madison said, temper rising.

‘Yeah,’ the girl said. ‘Sorry to be the one to tell you, but this isn’t a story opportunity.’

Before Madison could reply, the phone rang again. The gunman zigzagged over and snatched it up. ‘You wanna talk?’ he said loudly. ‘Then listen good. Get me a black van with a full tank. Park it in the alley with no cops round–no fuckin’ sharp shooters. We’ll be gettin’ in the van with hostages. When I’m sure there’s no one followin’, an’ no helicopters trackin’ us, we’ll release ’em. You don’t–an’ I’ll be wastin’ one hostage every fifteen minutes. I’m givin’ you twenty minutes, then I start shootin’.’

‘Twenty minutes doesn’t give them enough time,’ Madison said, her throat dry. ‘You’ve got to make it an hour.’

Christ! Was she now in cahoots with the gunman? This was insane.

‘Fuck you!’ he said, and walked away.

The truth was that his words chilled her. He’d probably already killed once. What difference did it make if he shot them all?

By the time Nando turned up at the dinner in Vegas, the atmosphere at the table was strained. Jenna was sulking. Vincent was pissed. And Jolie wanted to know exactly where he’d been.

‘Hey,’ Nando said, waving his arms expansively in the air as he faced up to his wife, ‘you know I don’t like bein’ questioned. I told you I had a business meeting and that’s what it was, strictly business.’

Nando was a wiry-looking man a few months younger than Vincent. Not conventionally handsome, he had his own particular style that appealed to both men and women. Ballsy and full of testosterone, he was Vincent’s partner and best friend. They’d grown up together and had much in common. Women loved Nando, a fact that was not lost on his beautiful wife.

Jolie narrowed her amber eyes. She didn’t trust her husband. On the other hand, whatever he did, she could do too. And she was quite prepared to do it with Vincent, if only he was ready to play.

Which he wasn’t.

Too bad.

‘How’s my favourite beauty?’ Nando asked, swooping down to kiss Jenna.

‘About time you showed up,’ Vincent said, wondering, like Jolie, if Nando was playing on the side.

‘Where’s Andy?’ Nando asked, checking out the table.

‘He had to go.’

‘Vincent frightened him off,’ Jolie said.

‘Shit!’ Nando said, sliding into the booth beside her. ‘I got people wanna invest in a movie for him.’

‘I’m sure he really needs your investors,’ Jolie murmured drily.

‘Do me a favour,’ Vincent said, frowning. ‘Don’t invite your assholes to dinner then do a no-show. The prick was all over Jenna. He’s lucky he walked out of here.’

‘Jesus, Vin,’ Nando said, clicking his fingers for the waiter then ordering another bottle of champagne. ‘You think everyone’s got the hots for your wife. She’s hot, but trust me–Andy Dale has women fallin’ over themselves to get near him. He doesn’t need to hit on Jenna.’

‘Keep him away from me and Jenna,’ Vincent warned.

‘Yeah, yeah,’ Nando said, taking no notice.

‘Nobody needs to keep anyone away from me,’ Jenna said, speaking up, her voice a girlish squeak. ‘Andy wasn’t doing anything. I’m, like, so humiliated that Vincent imagined he was.’

‘Hey,’ Nando said, with a rakish grin, ‘marry an irresistible woman an’ you’re gonna have guys hittin’ on her. It comes with the territory. I should know,’ he added, placing his arm round Jolie’s smooth bare shoulders. ‘Look at the beauty I got.’

A guilt hug, Jolie thought. He’s screwing someone else, the bastard.

‘So,’ Nando continued, ‘we all gonna sit here with long faces, or we gonna have ourselves a good time?’

‘A good time, please,’ Jenna said, cheering up. She liked Nando: he always put a smile on her face.

‘That’s my girl,’ Nando said, winking at her. ‘Now why don’t you an’ Jolie go powder your noses or whatever you girls do when you spend three hours in the head? Vin and I got somethin’ to discuss.’

‘What would that be?’ Jolie asked. Nando silenced her with a look. ‘Okay, okay, we’re going,’ she said, getting up hastily. ‘C’mon, Jenna.’

‘I just went,’ Jenna complained.

‘C’mon,’ Jolie repeated. ‘The guys need private time. Maybe we’ll hit a few slot machines instead of the ladies’ room. Got any change?’

‘You know I don’t like you to play,’ Nando said, the smile slipping from his face.

‘Big deal!’ Jolie said. ‘Slot machines. I can really break the bank, can’t I?’

Nando threw her another look.

Jenna got up from the table. ‘I hope you’re planning to apologize to Andy Dale,’ she said stiffly, directing her words to her husband. ‘I have no idea what you said to him, but whatever it was, he didn’t look happy when he came back. You embarrassed me.’

‘I embarrassed you?’ Vincent said incredulously.

‘Yes,’ Jenna said, slightly unsure of herself.

‘Baby,’ Vincent said, shaking his head, ‘if you think that was an embarrassment, you ain’t seen