Page 126 of Mia

Ignoring him, Mia went over to the sheet behind the deceased DuPonts. She pulled it off, revealing Mr. James’ personal stretching device. When the clean up crew arrived while everybody was out, we were confused what the hell they were bringing in. Once they got it set up, I was intrigued. One, I’d never seen any shit like this in real life. Two, why the hell did that man have this to start with?

“Oh, shit!” Smoke said. “Now that is some medieval shit right there. I don’t have anything like that. Aye, let me crank that bitch.”

He was too excited to use this damn machine.

“Help me get him up there and the job is all yours,” I said.

“Bet.”

This big muthafucka didn’t need my help at all. He grabbed JacQues up by the back of his shirt and pants and lifted him from the ground with ease. Carrying him over to the table, he dropped him on his stomach, then flipped him onto his back. We worked quickly to secure him in the straps. The machine had a strap to go around his neck too.

“Just shoot me!” he begged.

“A bullet is too good for you,” Mia said. “I want you to feel every ounce of pain. You owe me that.”

She slapped his face and took a step back. She walked over to the cart of weapons and stooped to grab something from the bottom. Standing to her full height, she emerged with a mitten covered hand and a liquid bottle. As she neared us, she twisted off the cap.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Acid strong enough to burn through the skin on contact.”

Giving a nod to Smoke, he started cranking the machine while she slowly poured the acid all over JacQues. As his body stretched, he screamed and begged us to just end him right there. There was no mistaking the sounds of his bones cracking as his limbs were stretched past their limits. His skin was ripping as well. The acid burning his flesh left a putrid stench in the air.

When his cries subsided into whimpers, Mia held up a hand to stop her brother. She approached the table and looked down at JacQues.

“I think I’ll give you the courtesy of knowing why I came for you before you die. My father and grandfather both run a vigilante organization for victims of human trafficking and sexual abuse. You and people like you are the reason we exist. You think you can just take and there be no consequences. That’s where you’re wrong.

“For every life you stole, figuratively and literally, I hope this was worth it. People like you are the reason my family will always eat. You are just one of the many sick muthafuckas that got exactly what was coming to them. Before you go, I want you to know we found so many people in your possession. And while they will finally be able to go home to their families, you and yours are gonna rot in hell.”

She spit in his face, then stepped behind the machine and started cranking the strap attached to his neck while Smoke cranked the ones attached to his arms and legs. As it tightened and stretched, his eyes bulged. Then we heard the fatal snapping of his neck. Mia stopped and stepped from behind the machine. For a long time, she stared at him.

I made my way over to her and pulled her into my arms, where she collapsed in a fit of tears, releasing a gut-wrenching cry.

“I got you,” I said, holding her up. “I got you, baby.”

This shit was finally over.

We had justice for his victims and our daughter.

I was ready to go the fuck home.

BACK AT HOME

Iplaced the flowers in the small vase attached to Eden’s crypt before stooping to kiss her nameplate. This was the first time I’d been here since we came home. I needed to get myself together before I could step into her sacred space.

“We got him, baby,” I whispered.

It had been two weeks since we’d been home, and I was finally feeling like myself again. I’d been in a dark place in Paris. For a long time, I’d only ever used my gun to take a life. Tapping into that other side of me was draining. When we finally got back to the house after everything went down, I passed out from exhaustion. I slept for damn near a full day. By the time I woke up, most of the team had already left to go home.

Only my family and in-laws remained. My brothers said they weren’t leaving without me. I’d woken up to all of them in my bedroom. Deuce was sleeping in a chair. Maceo was at the foot of the bed. KD had made a pallet on the floor, and Smoke’s big ass was curled up on that little ass chaise. I couldn’t help but snap a picture and send it to the group chat with my girls.

I was lucky to have people who loved me enough to put their comfort aside to ensure I was okay. Since we’d been back, they had been over to my house every morning with the kids. When one showed up, it wasn’t long before the rest followed, and Senior was pulling up too.

I think they were all worried about my mental health after watching me torture these people. I was fine, however. The day after we got home, Titan and I were sitting on Dr. Baxter’s couch unpacking our feelings. I cried, but I didn’t regret a thing I’d done. JacQues Dupont deserved to be scrubbed from the face of the Earth, and so did his family for being a part of his shit.

Nolan and Quaid swiped every dime from his account and put it into a Swiss bank account. They were slowly working to disperse part of the funds to the victims we were able to rescue. Part went to everyone involved in the case. And the other half went into the Dillinger Foundation's accounts.

Paris news was still speculating about the disappearance of JacQues and his family. Quaid and Nolan had worked overtime to cover up everything by planting key evidence in his emails, phones, and electronic devices. By now, everyone knew he was running a human trafficking ring and owned the brothel. His client list had been made public and arrests were happening. 0He was wanted for questioning in the murder of Jazmine and the Johns from that fatal night, but they would never get any answers from him personally.