Another small excerpt from my next Radwinter novel. Thomas Radwinter and his two friends, scary David Hollis and smooth but tough Syracuse have a confrontation with two crooks in a deserted hotel called the Swiss Cottage. It’s high in the hills, miles from anywhere, which is probably why the place went out of business.
“It’s all about money isn’t it,” said David unexpectedly, menacingly. “You were asking Sylvie for money weren’t you, threatening her, telling her you’d go to the police. Well mates, you go to the police, you tell them and you see how quickly you’re banged up, and then you watch your backs.”
I can’t tell you how terrifying this was. Syracuse took in a big breath, pretty alarmed too. It took me back to my school days when David had bullied me mercilessly, I recognized this quiet voiced threat and my own knees almost knocked in remembered terror.
“Go on, David,” I said, just thankful my voice sounded normal and not the hysterical squeak which I hoped wouldn’t emerge.
Paul and Lee were virtually crawling backwards up the steps, and I would have been too in their position.
David glanced at me, and I hope I read his thoughts correctly, because I nodded, just hoping he wasn’t going to rip their heads off or any other part of their anatomy.
“You get in your car and you fuck off, and you never fucking come back, and if I hear even a whisper of your footfall in these parts then you’ll be more disappeared than Jack Monet.”
He suddenly lunged forward and grabbed Paul, heaved him to his feet and shoved him towards where the Range Rover was parked. Lee was inching his way up the stairs but David’s long arm caught him and he was lifted as if a feather weight, spun round and held above the ground, his feet barely in contact with it.
“You could no more be Jack Monnet, than I could! You could never be man enough to be Sylvie’s husband!” David shook him so violently I thought he might break his neck but then set him on his feet almost gently. He brought his face down to virtually touching Lee’s. “Now fuck off, and don’t come back, and don’t think about sending anyone here in your stead. You’ve seen me, but you’ve not seen my brothers!”
I was trembling with fear, felt almost sick with it, and in fact as Lee tottered away he had to stop to vomit, before scampering into the 4×4.
I was still shaken by the plunge through the floorboards, and was somehow back to being a weedy fatty in the face of the strong blokeyness of the other two.
It started with a jerk and careered away, and as it left, I felt the terror leach away and I felt weak and as sick as Lee.
“Glad I’m on your side, David,” said Sy, his voice slightly squeaky.
If you haven’t yet read my Radwinter novels, and haven’t met Thomas and don’t know how he became friends with the person who had bullied him without mercy at school, here’s a link to the first in the series
Lois Elsden 