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

he has brains as well as brawn.’

So it’s brains she’s after, Michael thought. Well, she certainly ain’t getting them from me. I’m the jerk who allowed myself to get set up. The dumb fuck who sat in jail for five years.

He was angry and frustrated, and as each day passed he was getting more so.

Had to come up with a plan. Had to do something soon. Couldn’t sit around and do nothing.

A few nights later the Delagado twins came back. Max and Tina had already left for a wedding, and Michael was supposed to meet them later.

As soon as they arrived, Catherine went upstairs to check that both children were asleep, then she took out her schoolbooks and settled at the kitchen table.

Beth wandered into the living room.

‘Hi, Michael,’ she said, giving him a sexy smile as she perched on the edge of his chair.

‘Hi, schoolgirl,’ he answered.

He had to admit she was quite an exotic beauty, with her long black hair that hung below her waist, devilish brown eyes, and full pouty lips. She was wearing tight blue jeans and a checkered shirt tied at the waist, exposing a couple of inches of taut, tanned flesh.

‘Missed me, did you?’ she said, giving him a flirtatious look.

‘Oh, sure,’ he said, playing the game. ‘Missed you desperately.’

‘I’m not surprised,’ she said, with a secret smile.

‘How was school today?’ he asked.

‘Same as usual,’ she replied, pulling a face. ‘I have to sit in a class full of baby boys. Don’t you hate baby boys?’

‘What’re baby boys?’

‘Boys who don’t know anything about girls,’ she said vaguely. ‘I like men. Real men.’

‘You do, huh?’ he said, wondering why there hadn’t been any girls around like her when he was fifteen.

‘Oh, yes,’ she said, licking her full lips.

‘And how many real men have you known?’

‘You’d be surprised.’

‘I bet I would.’

‘Plenty,’ she said confidently.

‘Yeah?’

‘Yeah,’ she said, imitating his voice, her brown eyes throwing out a challenge.

He laughed. ‘You’re a nutcase.’

‘Takes one to know one,’ she retorted, playing with a delicate amethyst crucifix that hung round her neck on a thin gold chain.

‘Fifteen, huh?’ he said, yawning. ‘You’ll be somethin’ when you grow up.’

‘Believe me, Michael, I am all grown-up.’

‘Says the schoolgirl,’ he teased.

Her brown eyes flashed. ‘In Cuba we grow up fast.’

‘I can see that,’ he said, getting up.

Her pouty lips got even more so. ‘I break men’s hearts.’

‘Thanks for the warning.’

‘I really do.’

‘Don’t doubt it.’

‘My daddy told me I can get any man I want.’

‘He did, did he?’

‘Uh huh.’

‘And where is your daddy?’

‘He’s a political prisoner in Cuba,’ she said matter-of-factly. ‘He arranged to get us out of the country. We’ve been here six months.’

‘That was smart of him.’

‘I think I like America–except for the baby boys. They’re no fun. In Cuba the boys are more…adult.’

‘You speak perfect English.’

‘Our father taught us that education is important.’

‘Another smart move.’

‘Yes, we grew up learning several languages.’

‘And your mom, where’s she?’

‘Ran off with another man when we were three. She was wild–exactly like me!’

‘An’ you’re proud of that?’

‘You can talk,’ she said sharply. ‘Weren’t you recently released from prison?’

Jeez! Bad news travels fast.

‘Gotta go,’ he said, heading for the door.

‘Too bad,’ she said, following him.

He was half-way through the door when she called out, ‘Had any pussy since you left prison?’

He stopped, quite shocked. ‘What?’

‘Just asking,’ she said innocently. ‘No harm in that, is there?’

He shook his head in wonderment. This girl was something else. ‘Ask me again in five years when you’re all grown up,’ he said.

‘Ha!’ she replied. ‘You don’t know what you’re missing!’

Yeah, and he had no intention of finding out.

By the time he met up with Tina and Max, Tina had lined up two new prospects–a buck-toothed brunette and an anorexic redhead. They both leaped on him like ants on peanut butter, plying him with questions, and in between the questions telling him all about themselves. As if he cared.

‘I’m gettin’ an earache,’ he complained to Max.

‘I got a hunch you should bang the redhead,’ Max said, with a ribald laugh. ‘She needs it most.’

‘You bang her.’

‘I’m a married man.’

‘You gotta tell Tina to stop fixing me up.’

‘Why? You wanna get your rocks off, dontcha?’

‘I can do it on my own time.’

‘Then do it,’ Max said. ‘You’ve been out a week, or didya get a taste for somethin’ different in jail?’

‘Screw you, Max. That’s not funny.’

‘Then why aren’t you horny?’

‘You want the truth or a lie?’

‘I’ll take the truth.’

‘I went to a hooker the day after I got out,’ he lied. It was easier to tell a fib rather than start explaining why he wasn’t in the mood for sex.

Max’s eyes bulged. ‘You did what?’

‘Yeah. I paid for it. First time.’

‘Why’d you do that?’

‘’Cause I don’t need to take a girl out an’ sweet-talk her into bed, make her think it means anything when it doesn’t. Right now I gotta concentrate. So do me a big favour, no more of Tina’s fix-ups.’

‘Holy crap!’ Max said. ‘You paid for it. Jeez! What was it like?’

‘Uncomplicated,’ he said. ‘And right now, that’s the way it has to be.’

A few nights later, Tina announced that the Delagado twins’ Aunt Gloria was having a party to celebrate the girls’ sixteenth birthday.

‘I promised her we’d drop by,’ Tina said. ‘She’s quite a fabulous character. It’ll be a blast.’

‘We can’t leave the kids alone,’ Max pointed out.

‘Yes, we can,’ Tina replied, determined to go. ‘What’s the big deal? They’re in bed asleep, and we’ll be right next door.’

‘I’ll stay with the kids,’ Michael volunteered. ‘You two go enjoy yourselves.’

‘That’s not fair—’ Tina began.

‘You might as well make the most of me,’ he said. ‘Any day now I’ll be outta here.’

‘If you’re sure…’ she said, reluctant to leave him behind.

‘I’m sure,’ he said firmly. He had no desire to go to a sweet sixteen celebration–staying home was a far more tempting prospect.

Earlier in the day he’d met up with his old prison pal, Gus, who’d told him there was something coming up that he might be interested in.

‘What?’ he’d asked.

‘I’ll let