Goddess of Vengeance - Jackie Collins [46]
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Since the death of her husband, Sidney, Peggy Dunn was beginning to realize that without a rich husband by her side, she was simply another lonely Manhattan widow. At first her friends had rallied, making sure that she was still included on dinner dates, events, and parties. But as the months drifted past, she began to notice that the calls became less and less, until she was fortunate to receive one dinner invitation a month. One a month! For a woman who was used to going out five nights a week, this was shocking. She was sixty years old, a decade younger than Raquel Welch, and like Raquel, she was still an attractive woman. Not as beautiful as the eighteen-year-old girl King Emir Amin Mohamed Jordan had plucked from the chorus of a Vegas show and whisked back to Akramshar to become his fifth wife, but beautiful all the same. Her hair – thanks to one of the best colourists in New York – was still flaming red. Her skin, smooth and pampered – thanks to weekly facials and twice-a-week massages – was still impeccable. Her body was passable, in spite of an extra ten pounds she couldn’t seem to lose.
When Sidney died, she had quite expected to meet someone else. However, that hadn’t happened, and being alone did not suit her.
She was angry at her only child, Armand, a man who had made quite a name for himself in business – and only because of the money the King had given him on his twenty-first birthday, plus Sidney’s advice about how to invest it wisely.
Armand was a billionaire simply because of the two men in her life. He had her to thank for his good fortune. And how had he repaid her? Not in any way she could see. When Sidney was alive the three of them had dined every few weeks, but since Sidney’s unfortunate demise she’d hardly seen her son, and every time she called him, he always seemed to come up with a work-related excuse. Furthermore, Armand had never married and therefore had no children. At forty-two years old he was still single.
Peggy did not think it was right that he had not presented her with grandchildren. For a while she and Sidney had feared that he might be gay, but then they’d run into him at various events around town, and he’d always had a pretty girl on his arm, so that had assuaged their fears.
‘He’s merely a late starter,’ Sidney had assured her. ‘Does not wish to get tied down for now. It’s understandable.’
Sidney was always so smart about everything. How she missed him.
However, the time had come to do something about Armand, and she fully intended to. If he couldn’t pick a wife for himself, she would do it for him. As his mother, it was her duty.
When he called, she was ready.
‘How was your trip, Armand?’ she asked.
‘The same as usual,’ he replied.
‘And the King?’
‘Nothing changes.’
‘Any new wives?’
‘I do not notice such things.’
Of course he doesn’t notice such things, Peggy thought, slightly aggravated that her son never had any juicy gossip when he returned from his yearly visit.
‘Well, anyway,’ she said, ‘I wish to see you.’
‘When I get back,’ Armand said, wondering what the hell she wanted now.
‘You just got back,’ Peggy said, pointing out the obvious.
‘I know,’ he said impatiently. ‘But tonight I fly to Vegas for an important meeting.’
‘What time tonight?’
‘Does it matter?’
‘Yes, Armand, it does,’ she said, keeping her tone even. ‘Because tonight I am coming with you.’
Chapter Seventeen
Upon awaking early Thursday, Bobby was pleased with himself. He had not answered his door to the 4 a.m. caller, whom he was positive was Zeena. His only fear was that she might have been accompanied by a bodyguard who would be quite capable of springing the lock on his front door. Fortunately this had not happened, and after fifteen minutes the ringing had stopped and he’d gone back to bed. Now it was morning and he was safe.
Man! What an insane situation. Scared of an ego-driven superstar desperate to get in his pants. Who would believe it?
After shaving and showering, he called Denver who was at work. ‘I’m hoping to catch a three o’clock flight out of