Nicki found herself momentarily speechless with his callousness. “I never belonged to you, you rotten piece of shit.”
He waved it off. “I bought you. From your dear, devoted mother herself.”
“You can’t buy children!”
“Of course you can. It is done all the time. Do you think there are not still places today where families barter their children for food, shelter, other necessities? Then there are people like your mother, who do it for drugs and sex and the freedom of not having to care for you anymore. Don’t kid yourself, Nicolette. Naivete doesn’t suit you.”
Naivete? Nicki couldn’t remember a time in her life when she was ever na?ve.
“You had a better life because of me,” he continued. “Fine food, your own private room, and beautiful clothes.”
“I was fourteen.”
“Old enough.” He shrugged again, without even a glimmer of remorse. The man was truly delusional.
“Are you still buying kids, Benny?”
Benny grinned. “Jealous, pet? Actually, you were always my favorite, Nicolette. Dark. Fragile. Intensely sexual.”
“Two out of three, Benny.” Muffled thuds sounded through her earpiece, though Benny could not hear. Fisher and Brookes were taking care of Benny’s henchman even more efficiently than usual, and she knew why. They wanted to get to her before she did something... irrational.
“So tell me, Nicolette, why you are here. Surely you must have expended a lot of effort to find me.”
She had. Benny had covered his tracks very well, but once she’d heard his name come up the year before in a raid, she knew she wouldn’t rest until she tracked him down and hunted him like the rabid animal he was. It probably would have been much easier if she’d been able to use her team’s resources, but this had to stay personal. Only Taser knew the gory details of her past; even now, she was sure her partners knew only the bare minimum.
“I did, but you know what, Benny? You’re worth it.” She reached into her cat suit and pulled out a small dart and a blow pipe. She loaded and fired the poison-tips into his legs.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” he roared, loud and clear enough to be easily heard on the first floor.
“Immobilizing you,” she said matter-of-factly. The fast-acting toxin was already numbing his legs. Nicki was a big fan of them. Completely organic, used for centuries by African tribesmen, wouldn’t show up on any normal autopsy. No one knew more about untraceable poisons than Nicki, and in her opinion, there was nothing better. Two more, one in each arm, quickly followed.
Fisher’s voice sounded clearly in her earpiece. “First floor’s secure. Brooks is calling for a cleanup crew. Nix, hang tight, we’re on our way up.”
She was running out of time. They would never permit her to draw out Benny’s fate as she wished, as she’d dreamed of doing all these years. The paralytic was fast, but not that fast. Still, she had no choice. She might be robbed of meting out her vengeance in its entirety, but she would not be robbed of this.
Grabbing Benny’s robe, she ripped the sash out of it and promptly stuffed it into his mouth. A searing pain slashed through her abdomen. She looked down to see a blade in Benny’s hand. She cursed herself; she was better than this. She knew Benny always kept one or more weapons within reach. Ignoring the pain, she grabbed the dagger-like blade from his fast-softening grip then reached behind him, extracting a small handgun as well.
Footsteps were clearly audible on the stairs now. Judging by the triumphant look in Benny’s eyes, he thought they were his guards responding to his shout.
Nicki pushed open Benny’s legs and settled herself between his knees. Looking into his face, she let him see the near-maniacal gleam in them. “You don’t know how long I’ve dreamed of this,” she whispered. With one hand she grabbed his manhood; the other held the blade she had taken from him.
Benny’s muffled screams were like music to her ears as she took one effective swipe.
Fisher broke through the door first. “Jesus Christ!” he yelled, freezing as he tried to process the scene before him. Nicki barely moved as if transfixed, holding Benny’s severed member in her hand, covered in blood. She was only vaguely aware of his presence.
“Fucking hell! Nix, Nix, sweetheart, look at me,” Fisher commanded. She did. She turned her head slowly, seemingly oblivious to Benny’s anguished, choking screams. Her eyes were silvery, like the moon; her expression, completely blank.
“She’s in shock, Fish,” Brookes said, pushing past him. He took two steps before Nicki dropped the blade and Benny’s appendage and picked up the gun.
“Whoa, Nix. It’s me, Brooksie, remember? Darlin’, we’ve got to get you outta here now, feel me?”
Nicki blinked. Then she picked up the gun, pointed it right between Benny’s eyes, and fired.