Page 14 of Benedict’s Rejuvenation (Dark Patriots #5)

Today was Friday. I’d survived my first week of work and almost seven days without Ben.

He’d flown out last Saturday. It had been hard to keep myself from moping in the evenings.

He couldn’t talk to me every day. Due to his work and the fact that he might be in the middle of something at any time, I always let him initiate contact.

When he didn’t, I automatically worried something had happened.

I received a quick text on Tuesday saying he wasn’t able to call that night and he’d be dark for a couple of days, but he’d call me when he could.

From living with Beau, I knew enough to know what Ben meant by “going dark.” He was doing something perilous.

I discovered my sleep was disturbed. For the first three months after my rescue, I hardly ever slept a whole night.

It gradually improved over the past three months until I slept most nights until morning.

This mission of Ben’s had me waking up more than a couple of times a night.

I had to remain in my room and quiet, or I chanced waking up Beau and Keeley.

I wasn’t ready for their questions. My sister did mention to me yesterday that I looked tired.

I waved it off as I stayed up late reading the past two nights.

If I didn’t hear from Ben tonight, I’d have to take a sleeping pill.

I detested them because they left me feeling hungover and scatterbrained the following day.

I shut down my computer at four sharp. I had to be available during regular business hours, from nine to five, but the actual time I did the work, unless it was time-sensitive, could be done on my schedule.

So, if I wanted to work ten or twelve hours one day and cut it short the next, I could—as long as I had my phone with me and work could call me.

I got up and stretched. Keeley was having a night out with Beau.

He’d worked on an assignment this week, but it was in Colorado, so he was only gone a couple of days, and the rest of the time, his work was done remotely.

Keeley had done her shifts for the week.

She had told me not to wait up. I wandered into her bedroom to see how she was doing and to check out her outfit.

She was seated in front of the mirror doing her makeup.

“You’re all done, I see. Tell me which outfit you think I should wear out of the three on the bed. Beau said it was a nice place but not super fancy,” she said.

On her bed, there were pants, a pretty top, and two dresses. One dress was to her knees, and the other was a maxi dress.

“Do you want me to say which one I like best or what I think Beau will enjoy the most? You’ll be gorgeous in all of them.”

“What Beau will enjoy, of course,” she said with a laugh and a wink.

“He’ll want the shorter dress and those black heels,” I immediately said.

“Why do you say that?”

“The way it’s cut, it’ll hug your curves more, and those heels will show off your sexy legs even more. You make me want to hate you sometimes. You won’t make it home without him pulling over and ravishing you along the road. I definitely won’t wait up.” I smirked.

“Why would you hate me?”

“You got the better curves and two extra inches on your height.”

“Please, as if that makes a difference. I’ve been out with plenty of men who wanted me to have less prominent curves. And those two inches don’t make a difference…unless we’re talking about cocks, then it’s a whole different story.”

I burst out laughing. I moved Keeley’s clothes over and lay on the bed. It reminded me of the times I did this before I moved away.

“Most certainly, inches count then. And don’t forget the muscles, chiseled features, and tattoos. Oh, and for some, chest hair is a must. I like the guy to still be near eye level when I wear high heels,” I added.

“Mmm, you’re describing my man to a T. I guess that means I have to keep him.”

“If you don’t, there will be women celebrating that he’s free,” I warned her just for fun.

“And I’ll be cutting bitches. That man is mine. I’m not letting him get away,” she growled.

I giggled at the fierce look on her face at the thought. “Calm yourself, before you scowl off your pretty makeup. Is there anything I can do?”

“Since you’re offering and I’m wearing a dress, will you do my hair in those curls you make after you put your hair up? I can never get it to look the same as you do.”

“That’s because you run out of patience every time. And since we’re ensuring you hang onto that fine man of yours, I have to do it,” I teased.

Over the next half hour, we talked, laughed, and reminisced over times when we’d help each other prepare for a date.

By the time she was done, Beau was home.

She didn’t let him see what she was wearing.

Instead, she stayed in her robe while he got showered and dressed.

His reaction to her hair and makeup had been passionate. I tiptoed out.

I kept myself busy with this and that until they left.

Beau continued to compliment her on her appearance as they said goodbye.

Closing and locking the door, I looked around.

I wasn’t hungry enough to bother to cook.

It was seven o’clock, and dark outside. I knew I wasn’t interested in watching television.

I could try to read, but it might not be a good idea with how distracted I was.

I kept checking the time and wondering if I’d hear from Ben tonight. He usually called around eight.

When eight o’clock came and went, I resolved myself to another day without contact.

Going to the kitchen, I poured myself a large glass of wine and went to my bathroom.

I stripped, ran the tub full of hot water and bubbles.

I turned on the music and prepped the room.

Most people would listen to something soft and relaxing.

I was in the mood for hard metal. Keeley hated it, so I usually didn’t play it.

Tonight I could. The final step was to light a scented candle, then slip into the water.

I closed my eyes and tried to let everything go and relax.

???

“Come, my pet. You know that you enjoy this,” Vadzim said.

“No, I don’t! How many times do I have to tell you that? I want to go home. Please, just let me go. I won’t say a word to anyone. I want my sister,” I pleaded.

The fire across my ass and back, where he’d spent the past half hour beating me with the cane he held, was growing worse.

I couldn’t hold back my tears. I knew he wanted me to cry.

I was determined not to give them to him, so I fought to stifle them.

I’d been here for two weeks, and I detested every second I was there.

I screamed, and I got beaten. If I fought him, he liked it, but only at certain times.

Other times, he wanted me to submit. Vadzim refused to allow me to have any clothes.

He stated I had to earn them. Plus, he preferred to see my body.

Which meant that when Slava and Nikita were around, which was all the time, they saw my nakedness.

At first, I was terrified Vadzim would give me to both of them.

It didn’t take long to discover Vadzim was possessive of me.

I just didn’t know if it was enough to prevent him from sharing me with others.

After leaving me there with Slava the first time, I asked why he trusted him alone with me.

That was when I discovered Slava was the only one he trusted because he was a eunuch, and they’d been together since they were kids.

I was never left alone with Nikita. There was this look in his eye that told me he wouldn’t be above forcing himself on me if he could get away with it.

And I thought Vadzim knew it because he never left him there, even when he had other guards to protect him. He always took Nikita with him.

“What have I told you about lying to me? Tell the truth! You adore this, and being my precious pet,” he snapped back.

Uh, oh, I knew that tone. He was out of patience, and if I didn’t go along with what he said, he’d be horrid. Even knowing this, I refused to back down. I was feeling wild and out of control inside. Let him do his worst. If he went too far, I might die. At least it was an escape.

I looked him in the face and said, “I hate it and you. I’ll never be your pet.”

I wasn’t expecting the furious frenzy that overtook him. Vadzim grabbed my hair and dragged me over to the spanking bench. I fought, but I wasn’t a match for him. He threw me down on it. Before I could scramble away, he restrained me, with help from Slava, so that I couldn’t move.

I discovered how out of control Vadzim could become, and it was the first time he left a lasting mark on my skin. I screamed and screamed for him to stop, but he wouldn’t listen. My back and ass were in agony. Trying one more time, I shouted as loudly as I could.

“No! Stop! No more!”

A loud, crashing sound jerked me back to the present.

I gasped as I sat up in the tub. I automatically covered my tits with one arm.

I was reaching for the gun I’d slipped under my towel when it registered who the man was coming toward me.

I blinked to make sure I was seeing correctly.

I was. Ben came to a halt, inches from the tub. I stared up at him in shock.

“Ben, what are you doing here? And why did you destroy my door?” I questioned him.

“Jesus Christ! You scared me to fucking death,” he shouted. Then he glanced around and went to the counter where my music was. He turned it off.

By then, I realized I needed to hide myself, so I sank to the point where the suds left would help cover me. In general, I had never been overly modest, but since what happened and the scars, I found I was.

“Mind telling me what you’re doing in this house and what my poor door did to you?”