Page 131 of Compulsion
Sweat appeared on his brow.The lights overhead shone down on him.“There’s a rush.A rush that comes because I did theright thing.”
“You got that rush again when you killed Conry Harding?”
“No one grieved for that bastard.His poor wife wanted him in the ground.He’d hurt her.Bet the woman wanted to give me a medal.”
“And Atlas?You came after him because…?”
“He’s evil.You fucked true evil, and you got off on it.”His hand had fisted around the vial.“Those reporters—they were live streaming you outside the cabin.I heard the things you said about me.I saw the way youlooked.Messy hair.Wrinkled dress.His hands stayed on you.He touched you like he owned you.You’d probably fucked in the car, and then you stood there, having fucked the devil, and you had the nerve to call meweak!I had the bomb in the limo.I’d put it there days ago.I could have made it go off at any time.I did it then, though, because I had to getyou.I was going to—” Benedict stopped.
She finished, “You were going to punish me because I, um, fucked evil?”He probably wouldn’t appreciate it if she told him that she’d made love with evil.
“You are evil.Born that way.Just like the others.”
“The others on my list.”Her hands twisted in the cuffs.“Others like…Tonya Johnson.”
A nod.
“Westin Blanchard,” she stated as she leaned forward a bit, wanting to make sure she’d be able to yank her hands up when she stood.
“I’ll get around to him eventually.Got to wait for the Feds to cool the hell down first.”He turned away.
“Hatch Davis?”
His shoulders stiffened.“Got him days ago.His body will be found soon enough.”
Her heart slammed into her chest.“But Hatch never hurt anyone.If you have my files, you know…Hatch never hurt anyone.”
“Didn’t have all your files at the time.Just had his name.Knew who his prick of a father was.”His back was still to her.“Hatch was easy to kill.Dumb kid just walked right up to me when I asked for directions on the walking trail.”
“He wasn’t evil.”She had to blink, quickly, because tears filled her eyes.“He’d never done anything wrong.Not a single thing.”
“Evil is in the blood.Your mistake is that you think you can make them better.You think they won’t be like their parents, but they were born evil.Eventually, that evil will show.It’s just a matter of time.By killing them, I’ll save others.I’m doing the right thing.”
Was that the lie he told himself?Or did he truly believe those words?
“A lot of names are on your list, Lily.I’ll take care of them all.Sooner or?—”
She shot to her feet.Yanked her arms up and ignored the ache in her shoulders.If he’d wanted her to stay in the chair, he should havetiedher to it, not just cuffed her hands behind her back.She lunged forward, even as he began to turn back toward her.Lily slammed her whole body into him.She hit him as hard as she could, and they both fell to the floor.But she scrambled back immediately.She rolled.Twisted.She heaved up to her feet.
“You bitch!”
She drove her foot into his face.Once.Twice.Three?—
He let go of the glass vial.Benedict caught her foot, and he yanked her toward him.Lily fell down.She landed on her ass as she slammed onto the wooden floor.Shouting, Benedict jumped on top of her.Blood dripped from his broken nose.His jaw looked twisted.Maybe broken from her kicks?His fist pulled back.“You are going to pay?—”
A door flew open.Slammed into a wall with acrack.
Both Lily and Benedict whipped their heads toward the sound.And in the doorway, standing there, glaring, shoulders so broad they nearly touched the wood on either side of him…
Atlas.
Atlas…holding a gun.Aiming it straight at Benedict.
“Get away from her!”Atlas bellowed.
Benedict glanced back at her.A smile teased at his lips.“Guess you did matter to him, huh?”Then he yanked the gun from the holster on his hip.He whipped it up, lightning fast, and blasted a shot toward the door.Toward Atlas.
“No!”Lily screamed.
