Deadly Embrace by Jackie Collins (ebook reader for manga TXT) 📕

‘Tell ’em to turn those fuckin’ lights off,’ he yelled angrily at Cole, ‘or we ain’t comin’ out.’

‘Turn the lights off!’ Cole shouted, knowing that his voice would make them think he was one of the bandits.

Nothing happened.

‘Turn the lights off or we aren’t coming out,’ Cole shouted a second time.

A beat of three and the lights were switched off. Madison’s stomach turned over. This was such a perilous situation. What if the keys weren’t in the van? What if it didn’t have a full tank of gas? What if the police marksmen began shooting?

Anything was possible. She remembered a robbery that had taken place in Beverly Hills a few years ago at a jewellery store on Rodeo Drive. As soon as the hostages left the store and were in the parking lot, gunfire had started. At least one of the hostages had been killed.

The unruly procession, looking like a giant moving tent, began heading down the alleyway towards the van.

In the middle of the night, Sofia awoke from a violent nightmare. She sat up, shivering and scared.

Gianni had tried to insist that she sleep in the bed and he would take the couch. She’d uttered a firm no. ‘If I’m in your bed, you’ll get another room as soon as I’m asleep,’ she’d said accusingly, ‘and that’s not cool, ’cause I can’t be alone tonight.’

‘Very well,’ Gianni had answered patiently. ‘I’ll take the bed and you will sleep on the couch.’

Now here it was, pitch black, and she was frightened. Ever since she was a little girl she’d experienced nightmares. It probably had something to do with the fact that her mom was always out working and Vincent was never around because he was so much older than she and was busy doing his own thing–which meant that most of the time she was left alone with different babysitters. She’d never liked any of them: they were always mean and nasty. There was one who had been particularly nasty, but she didn’t care to go there.

She got off the couch, clad in a big white T-shirt Gianni had loaned her. Then, tripping over a foot stool, she made her way into the bedroom.

Gianni was asleep in bed, a book propped in front of him, his reading glasses half-way down his nose.

She removed the book and glasses. He didn’t stir. Next she turned off the bedside light and crawled into bed beside him.

Sometimes she was overcome with loneliness. It was as if there were nobody in the world who cared about her. And yet, in spite of their differences, she knew her mom cared, and Michael–in his own way. And big brother Vincent, who’d always been very protective of her. When she’d started dating as a teenager, he’d practically killed one of the boys she was seeing.

‘You’re thirteen, too young to date,’ he’d warned her.

‘I’m not too young to do anything,’ she’d answered back, realizing it was impossible to lead a normal life with an overbearing brother like Vincent watching her every move.

Actually, she’d always fancied Vincent’s best friend, Nando. Sad to say, Nando had never so much as glanced in her direction: she was far too young for him to bother with.

She edged closer to Gianni. He wouldn’t notice if she cuddled up to him, would he?

And that’s exactly what she did. She cuddled up to a man she’d known only a couple of hours, spooned into his back, and fell into a deep sleep.

Jolie had a special song that always put Nando in the right mood, a combination of soul with just a touch of rap: it was Usher’s ‘Good Ol’ Ghetto’. The beat was perfect–slow and funky. And Usher’s raspy sexy voice put her in the right mood for fun.

She went to her closet and took out the appropriate items of clothing–a skimpy pink bandeau top and short black rubber skirt. Under the clothes she wore a crotchless thong, a front-fastening nippleless bra, and thigh-high lace stockings. Shiny leather boots and a gold coin on a chain round her neck completed the look.

Living in a city jammed with strip clubs, lapdancers, naked women, and lavish nude shows, Jolie had come up with the perfect answer to keep her man happy at home, or at least try to–because Nando was hardly the faithful type.

She shook out her long raven hair, spritzed Angel from head to toe, switched on the Bose CD player, and entered the bedroom.

Nando was lying on the bed, hands behind his head, an anticipatory grin on his face.

Attitude. She had it down as she swayed towards him, undulating her hips to the throbbing beat, running her hands up and down her thighs, thrusting her pelvis at him.

‘Oh, babee!’ he crooned. ‘Take…it…off.’

Slowly, in time to the music, she began peeling down her top. Then, leaning over him, she encouraged him to unfasten her bra. Her breasts tumbled out.

‘Nice titties,’ he said, leering, as if it was the first time he’d seen them.

They’d been married three years. The sex still sizzled.

She grazed his mouth with her nipples, then pulled up her rubber skirt and straddled him.

He was still fully dressed, so she dry-humped him in true lap-dancer style.

He enjoyed every minute, especially when she unzipped his fly and gave him a memorable hand-job. What a wife! She understood everything. She especially understood that sometimes a man liked to feel as if he were fourteen again.

When they were finished, he reached into his bedside drawer and handed her a thousand bucks.

She took it.

‘Cheap at the price,’ he said, still grinning.

‘I know,’ she said, with a secret smile. ‘I’m thinking of raising my rates.’

‘Get dressed, we’re goin’ out,’ he said.

‘Where?’

‘I’m takin’ you to meet my future partners.’

‘What about Vincent?’

‘Fuck him.’

‘Surprise,’ Michael said, greeting his son at the door.

‘Jesus Christ!’ Vincent exclaimed. ‘Where did you come from?’

‘Nice greeting.’

‘Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?’

‘Complicated story.’

‘Where’s Mom?’

Dani emerged from the bedroom. She’d put on a pale blue shirt, sleek black pants, and secured her