Claire's heart was pounding in her chest. The Tops seemed to go on forever, the bright lights lighting up the area. Benny was here, she had gotten a tip and now she was going to give him what he deserved.
"When we get in, wait in the casino. Just play it cool." She said to Boone. He nodded and they went in.
"Hey, hey, babydoll welcome to the tops!" The Chairman was handsome, probably one of the most well-groomed men she had ever seen. Sleek hair, a clean suit, a nice smile. She nodded towards him and started towards the main room.
"Whooooah there, pussycat, I'm going to need your weapons." He said half-smiling and stepping in front of her. Two men joined his side, Claire smiled complacently.
"Of course, I understand. I can pick them up on the way out, yeah?" She asked, handing the men what she was carrying, save for a pair of brass knucles, which she covertly slipped out of sight.
"Most definitely, safe and sound here, you just make sure you have a good time." The Chairman winked, Claire and Boone moved into the casino, Rex trailing happily behind them. The sound of people laughing and talking filled the air, gamblers sat around card tables, casino staff worked the room, but none of this caught Claire's attention. She was practically tranced, she walked forward steadily, her eyes darting around the room a mile a minute.
Then she saw him.
Standing at the far end of the room, that tacky checkered suit, that big, fake smile that would put the Chairman at the front to shame, there was no mistaking Benny from the people around him. Claire stopped, her companion stopping behind her.
"That the guy?" Boone asked, catching on to where she was looking.
"Most definitely. I want you and Rex to stay here. This is something for me." She didn't look at him, her words were there but her mind was a million miles away.
"I'll sit tight. We'll be ready if you need help." He said.
Claire walked away, making a beeline towards Benny and his crew. Boone watched as her walk became a saunter, how she began to make an effort to have her hips swing just the right way, the way relaxed and looked like a woman who wasn't walking, but instead floated across the room to the man who had shot her.
Standing so far away he couldn't hear a word she was saying. Benny's face contorted in horror upon seeing her, but Claire began flipping her hair, running her hand down his tie, really selling herself to him so his frightened stare turned into a frisky, mischevious grin. The two were standing close. Claire was whispering something to her and Benny was returning the favour. The two bantered, it made Boone uncomfortable. Then, Claire grabbed the end of Benny's tie and pulled him away, the two dissapeared into an elevator. The waiting game would begin: Boone looked down at Rex who was panting happily beside him and sighed.
"It wasn't your fault, Benny, it could have been any courier..." Claire said, sweet-talking Benny as he sat on the bed, taking off his suit jacket.
"Well you know, baby, no hard feelings right?" Benny grinned and pulled Claire down on top of himself. "There is, however, plenty else that's hard in here." His voice was playful and low. Claire smiled.
"Oh Benny, you're a poet, trying to butter me up with words like that..." She traced a finger down his abdomen and along his pantline. "But you do realize I'm going to turn your face into much, correct?" Benny's eyes widened, his gun was in his suit jacket, which he had tossed across the room after taking it off, and now Claire had him pinned, her fist coming down hard into his face, the loud snap of cartelidge in his nose getting obliterated by the knuckles she wore. He cried out in agony, grabbing at his face and rolling off the bed towards his jacket.
"You little bitch!" He screamed. "I should have made sure you were dead you fucking whore!" He blindly crawled across the floor to try and reach his gun, one hand over his broken nose which poured blood like a faucet. Claire pounced at the ugly coat and whipped out the gun, bringing a swift kick across his face and rolling Benny onto his back.
"Poor, poor Benny." She sneered. "You shot me in the face and hadn't even bothered to romance me one bit first, poor form. Poor, poor form." A smile crossed her face as she pressed a pillow over Benny's face to silence the gun shot, pressing the tip of the gun against the pillow so it rest between his eyes.
"Here, sweetheart, let me show you how this is done."