Page 1 of Benedict’s Rejuvenation (Dark Patriots #5)

The young woman I held, quaking in my arms, made every protective instinct I had come roaring to the surface.

I knew it would be a miracle if we found Keeley’s sister.

And if that miracle occurred, it wouldn’t be pretty.

It never was when you were dealing with sick bastards who stole and sold people, used them for evil purposes, or kept them hostage in cults.

I pushed that last thought away. Now wasn’t the time for a trip down memory lane.

I was here to support my friend and comrade, Beau, and his woman, Keeley.

In the basement minutes ago, I found the woman, Kensington, or Kensy, as her sister called her, in a decked-out pseudo-room that looked like a luxurious bedroom.

It appeared beautiful on the surface until you saw the rest of it—the manacles, the whips, and other tools, among and opposite the pretty things.

They told a different story. Kensy might’ve been kept in a gorgeous display box, but it wasn’t a happy place.

I hated to think of what she’d been through.

When I saw her, cowering behind the bed, chained so she couldn’t go up the stairs, my stomach churned. The terror in her eyes was unmistakable.

“W-who are you? Where is he?” she whispered.

“Who? Never mind, whoever he is, he won’t hurt you again,” I told her softly.

She shook her head. “No, no, you’re lying. Why is he doing this? Why?” she sobbed.

“Kensy, my name is Benedict. My friends call me Ben. I’m here with my friends and your sister, Keeley. We came to rescue you.”

Her expression perked up at the mention of her sister, but then I watched the happiness die.

“You’re just saying that. He’s having you lie. He wants me to suffer. He’ll never let me see my sister again. He told me so,” she muttered. It was almost as if she were talking to herself.

“Kensy, I don’t know what to say or do to convince you I’m not trying to trick you.

Do you hear those sounds from upstairs? We’re clearing this house and capturing anyone who is here.

Your sister was brought here. She’s being rescued, too.

My friend Beau is with her. We work for a company called the Dark Patriots in Virginia.

Beau and I are operatives for them.” I said anything that came to mind, hoping it might trigger her to believe me.

“Keeley is here?” she asked, half-hopeful and half-horrified.

“She is. I can take you to her. Do you know where the key is to unlock that damn thing?” I gestured to the door and then to the chain and manacle around her ankle.

She studied me for a solid minute. I waited patiently.

I couldn’t rush her. If I did, she’d no doubt think I lied, and the last thing I wanted was to let her down, scare her more, or make her doubt me.

She’d suffered enough. It was my job to ensure that she never suffered again, to make her happy, and to live an extraordinary life.

Wait. Where did that come from? I was just here to rescue her and make the evil people pay.

Just as I questioned that crazy thought, Kensy answered me.

“It’s over there in that box on the wall at the top of the stairs,” she said softly.

Cautiously, I backtracked to find what she meant.

It was painted the same color as the walls and was small, so it was easily overlooked.

It was placed, no doubt, so that if she were allowed to walk the full length of her chain and stretch, it would remain just out of reach.

Talk about a mindfuck and torture. To know that your freedom was almost within reach, yet you were unable to access it.

God, what had that done to her? Anger boiled in my gut as I removed the key and returned to her.

Kensy was still cowering away from me when I got the door open and gently lifted her leg to unlock the manacle.

I saw it was lined, so it didn’t damage her skin.

As it fell away, I moved back to give her room to stand.

She eyed me for a few seconds before she tried.

Immediately, she fell back down. I waited.

She tried again and used the bed to stand.

However, when she tried to walk, she was so unsteady that I was afraid she would fall and hurt herself.

She didn’t appear malnourished, which made me wonder if she was drugged.

“Kensy, have you been given something? A drug?” I asked.

She gave me a hesitant nod before she answered. “Yes, he gave me a shot before he left. He doesn’t like me to be alert when he’s gone. I try…” her words petered off. It was as if she were afraid she had said more than she should.

“You try to escape when he’s not here,” I said as a fact, not a question. Kensy nodded.

It was good to hear she still had fight in her.

It would make her recovery easier. If she had been totally broken, I would have doubted her recovery was possible.

Before I could say more, Justin thundered down the stairs.

Kensy gasped and stumbled back toward me.

I moved forward to steady her. His gaze landed on her.

“Good, you found her. Beau has Keeley. I’ll let them know. You should bring her upstairs,” he said as he took in the surroundings. His look of distaste at the items he noted was clear. Without waiting for me to say a word, he bounded back up the stairs.

Moments later, we heard him call out cautiously, “Beau, I think you and Keeley need to get in here.”

I felt the shivers running through her body as I held her. I knew there was no way she could make it up those stairs herself.

“Kensy, I’m going to pick you up. All I’m doing is carrying you up to see your sister. You’re safe,” I told her.

I swept her into my arms without allowing her time to freak herself out. God, she was so slender and light. She whimpered as I took her to the steps and then up them. I heard her mumble, “It’s a trick. He’s tricking you again.”

I heard movement in the kitchen above, where the door to this prison was. As I cleared the doorway, I noticed Justin, an unconscious detective, Arnie—who was a military buddy of Kensy and Keeley’s deceased dad—Beau, and Keeley were in the room.

Keeley stared at me for a couple of seconds, not saying or doing anything, then she let out a scream and ran toward us.

I reluctantly sat Kensy in a chair at the table.

Keeley was sobbing, and Kensy was bawling.

Keeley dropped to the floor next to her sister’s chair.

Keeley raised enough to wrap her arms around her sister.

Kensy seemed to be clinging tightly to her big sis.

I was close enough to hear what Kensy was muttering repeatedly.

“You found me. I can’t believe you found me. Oh my God, if this is a dream, let me die.”

Her sister eased away from her and replied, “It’s not a dream. We’re really here. You had to know I would never stop looking until I found you.”

Beau came forward and placed his hand on Keeley’s shoulder, so she glanced up at him.

“Babe, let us clear the house first, and then we’ll talk to your sister. She has to be overwhelmed. Give her a minute.”

When we entered, I noted that Reed, another of her dad’s former buddies, had gone down to the basement. He came back through the doorway.

“The basement is clear,” Reed said in a shaky voice. Undoubtedly, he was upset over the room below.

Keeley blinked as she briefly scanned the room, pausing on Detective Chase’s unmoving body before speaking.

“His wife is upstairs in the bedroom I was in. She’s knocked out and secure. I didn’t check the other rooms to see if anyone else was there. I should’ve.”

The sound of soft footsteps made me turn. Moments later, Heath, Aryan, and Dickie walked into the room.

“The only one upstairs is a woman tied to the bed. She’s out. The rest of the place is empty,” Heath said.

He was another Dark Patriot operative with whom I often worked.

He and I had been in the Army together, and I considered him my best friend.

I was at the sink getting Kensy a glass of water.

She had to be thirsty. I was almost back to her with my offering when suddenly, Kensy reached out and grabbed her sister’s arm.

Keeley turned to look at her. I saw the fear on Kensy’s beautiful face.

God, how I hated it, but I understood. She was still trying to process that she had been rescued and that this was real.

“We have to get out of here before he returns with Vadzim.”

“Who returns?” I asked as I handed her the glass of water. She took it with shaking hands and gulped down a couple of mouthfuls before she answered.

“Slava. He left to get Vadzim. We have to leave before they get back. Hurry,” she said.

Kensy attempted to stand, but she fell back into her chair.

“You just rest there and let us worry about this, Vadzim and Slava. You’re safe now,” I told her.

“Who are you?” Keeley asked. I hadn’t had a chance to meet her like the others had.

Beau answered for me. I was still watching Kensy. She was looking nervously around the room.

“Keeley, sorry, this is Ben. You know Heath. You’ve heard me speak of these guys.

Kensington, my name is Beau, and these other guys you don’t recognize are Aryan and Justin.

We all work for the Dark Patriots. We’ve been helping your sister find you.

I gotta admit, coming here to rescue Keeley, we didn’t expect to find you.

We have so many questions, but the priority is that we need to know who Vadzim and Slava are. ”

Kensy appeared to listen to what Beau said, but didn’t immediately answer him. I was about to repeat it when she responded. The drug must still be messing with her thinking process.

“Vadzim is the one behind this whole operation. He brokers deals with rich and powerful people in his home country and other parts of the world, primarily for American women and those here to get women from other countries. Slava is one of his men. He was the one left here to guard me.”