Read Online 1978 - Consider Yourself Dead by James Hadley Chase - Free Book Online
Authors: James Hadley Chase
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throw up his job and get out of Paradise City. What a sucker he had been!
‘Something bothering you, Mike?’ Marvin asked as he pushed aside his empty plate.
‘I’m fine . . . just not hungry.’ Frost stood up. ‘I guess I ate too much for lunch.’ He looked at his strap watch.
‘You signing off?’
‘Yeah. There’s a good movie on the tube. Watch out for Old Creepy,’ then nodding, he left the guardroom.
Frost stacked the plates on the tray, and put the tray on a chair by the door. Then lighting a cigarette, he slumped down in the armchair, facing the TV monitors.
Would Marcia get him out of this hole? he wondered. He decided she wouldn’t. He couldn’t imagine her giving him four thousand dollars to settle a crazy bet. That he couldn’t imagine! There was something about Silk that made Frost uneasy. Silk looked the kind of vicious bastard who would alert a tough debt collecting service, and if Frost failed to pay up, he would get cornered one night by an experienced gang who could break both his arms.
He knew all about the collection-of-debts-service. The only solution was to throw up this sweet job and return to New York.
He heard the door open behind him and he looked around. Suka was collecting the tray.
‘Signor Amando has left for Frisco,’ Suka murmured. ‘He returns tomorrow,’ and he went out, shutting the door.
Frost shrugged. Now that he would be forced to leave.
Paradise City, Amando could get screwed for all he cared.
The drag was that by leaving after only two nights of duty, he wouldn’t get paid. His money was running dangerously low. By the time he had paid for his air ticket to New York, he would have very little left. What the hell was he going to do in New York anyway? He had already looked for a job there, and nothing had come up.
For the first time since he had left the Army, Frost began to be worried.
He was still worrying, staring at the monitors, when he heard a sound behind him. His hands dropped on to his gun butt as he got to his feet and he swung around in one swift movement.
A girl stood in the doorway, smiling at him.
Gina had watched Amando drive away in the Rolls, then she had taken a shower, hesitated before her vast wardrobe, then selected an emerald green cocktail dress that fitted snugly, revealing her curves: a dress she hadn’t worn since leaving Rome. The dress could be unzipped for immediate action, and when going to a party, immediate action was what she wanted.
Frost’s eyes opened wide as he looked at her. He guessed she was Gina Grandi. He hadn’t expected her to be so spectacularly exciting. As his experienced eyes ran over her compact body, he knew she was naked under the dress.
‘Hi!’ she said. ‘You’re the new guard.’
Frost felt lust stir in him.
‘Mike Frost,’ he said. ‘I know who you are.’
Gina regarded him. What a beautiful hunk of man! she thought, and moved into the room, closing the door behind her.
‘Do you like the job . . . Mike?’
He scarcely heard what she was saying. He knew for sure that she could be taken. His experience with women over the years had taught him to know the signs, and the green light was flashing.
‘I like it a lot better now,’ he said. He didn’t hesitate. What had he to lose? He walked to her while she stood, waiting, and when he reached her, she slid her arms around his neck and thrust her body hard against his.
His lips came down on hers and her tongue darted. They stood, straining against each other for a long moment, then she pushed him away, smiling at him.
‘Let’s have fun, Mike. Not here . . . in my room.’
Holding his wrist, she pulled him into the big lobby and up the broad stairs, along a corridor and into her spacious bedroom.
She was naked and lying across the bed as Frost shut the door.
* * *
Frost came awake as the clock downstairs chimed two.
Hard, white moonlight came through the big window and lit up the bed. He looked down at the sleeping girl
‘Something bothering you, Mike?’ Marvin asked as he pushed aside his empty plate.
‘I’m fine . . . just not hungry.’ Frost stood up. ‘I guess I ate too much for lunch.’ He looked at his strap watch.
‘You signing off?’
‘Yeah. There’s a good movie on the tube. Watch out for Old Creepy,’ then nodding, he left the guardroom.
Frost stacked the plates on the tray, and put the tray on a chair by the door. Then lighting a cigarette, he slumped down in the armchair, facing the TV monitors.
Would Marcia get him out of this hole? he wondered. He decided she wouldn’t. He couldn’t imagine her giving him four thousand dollars to settle a crazy bet. That he couldn’t imagine! There was something about Silk that made Frost uneasy. Silk looked the kind of vicious bastard who would alert a tough debt collecting service, and if Frost failed to pay up, he would get cornered one night by an experienced gang who could break both his arms.
He knew all about the collection-of-debts-service. The only solution was to throw up this sweet job and return to New York.
He heard the door open behind him and he looked around. Suka was collecting the tray.
‘Signor Amando has left for Frisco,’ Suka murmured. ‘He returns tomorrow,’ and he went out, shutting the door.
Frost shrugged. Now that he would be forced to leave.
Paradise City, Amando could get screwed for all he cared.
The drag was that by leaving after only two nights of duty, he wouldn’t get paid. His money was running dangerously low. By the time he had paid for his air ticket to New York, he would have very little left. What the hell was he going to do in New York anyway? He had already looked for a job there, and nothing had come up.
For the first time since he had left the Army, Frost began to be worried.
He was still worrying, staring at the monitors, when he heard a sound behind him. His hands dropped on to his gun butt as he got to his feet and he swung around in one swift movement.
A girl stood in the doorway, smiling at him.
Gina had watched Amando drive away in the Rolls, then she had taken a shower, hesitated before her vast wardrobe, then selected an emerald green cocktail dress that fitted snugly, revealing her curves: a dress she hadn’t worn since leaving Rome. The dress could be unzipped for immediate action, and when going to a party, immediate action was what she wanted.
Frost’s eyes opened wide as he looked at her. He guessed she was Gina Grandi. He hadn’t expected her to be so spectacularly exciting. As his experienced eyes ran over her compact body, he knew she was naked under the dress.
‘Hi!’ she said. ‘You’re the new guard.’
Frost felt lust stir in him.
‘Mike Frost,’ he said. ‘I know who you are.’
Gina regarded him. What a beautiful hunk of man! she thought, and moved into the room, closing the door behind her.
‘Do you like the job . . . Mike?’
He scarcely heard what she was saying. He knew for sure that she could be taken. His experience with women over the years had taught him to know the signs, and the green light was flashing.
‘I like it a lot better now,’ he said. He didn’t hesitate. What had he to lose? He walked to her while she stood, waiting, and when he reached her, she slid her arms around his neck and thrust her body hard against his.
His lips came down on hers and her tongue darted. They stood, straining against each other for a long moment, then she pushed him away, smiling at him.
‘Let’s have fun, Mike. Not here . . . in my room.’
Holding his wrist, she pulled him into the big lobby and up the broad stairs, along a corridor and into her spacious bedroom.
She was naked and lying across the bed as Frost shut the door.
* * *
Frost came awake as the clock downstairs chimed two.
Hard, white moonlight came through the big window and lit up the bed. He looked down at the sleeping girl
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