Page 35 of Benedict’s Rejuvenation (Dark Patriots #5)

I sat in our bedroom, waiting for Kensy to come out and speak to me.

We had to work this out, and the only way to do so was to discuss it.

I knew it would be frightening for her, which was why I never brought up the topic.

Why the hell I thought tonight was the appropriate time to do it was beyond me.

I stupidly saw her comment as a segue to introducing it.

I had thought I could articulate it well enough that she’d understand how different it would be with me versus that fucker.

However, I bungled it and left her thinking our lovemaking wasn’t as sexually gratifying for me as I said, and that I would need the kink stuff at some point and would either leave her or seek it elsewhere and cheat on her.

I could’ve kicked in the door or picked the lock, but I wanted Kensy to come to me freely. I hated the thought of forcing her to do anything. I should’ve kept my mouth shut. I imagined if I told her before we had sex, like she suggested, we’d never have gotten to where we were.

What was done to her had to be horrendous. She’d told me tiny bits of it, but not specifics. When I found her out of bed, I wondered if the memories were close. I should’ve held her and seen if I could get her to open up about them.

I heard sniffs and small sounds that told me she was crying.

My heart hurt, and I had to fight to stay away from the door and not call out to her.

I’d give her another thirty minutes, and if she weren’t out, I’d have to do something.

Asking her sister to speak to her would probably be the best move, rather than kicking down the door.

I stiffened as I heard her let go with a screaming sob. “Please, please don’t. I can’t stand this. Not again. Stop. I’ll do what you said.”

I jumped to my feet and rushed to the door. She was sobbing hard. I knocked. “Kensy, baby, it’s Ben. Open the door,” I asked calmly.

When she didn’t answer, I knocked louder and said in a more demanding tone, “Kensington, open this door or I’ll open it. Do it now!”

When she still didn’t respond, I moved back and kicked the door right below the handle.

It made a loud creaking sound as it cracked and gave way.

Running inside, I found her curled over into herself on the edge of the tub.

She was rocking and crying. I rushed to her and placed my hands on her wrists to help her to her feet.

Her eyes were open. She was staring at me, but it was as if no one was home.

She attempted to kick me, but I evaded her legs. Then Kensy screamed in my face.

“I fucking detest you, and I’ll never submit or be yours! You disgust me. I’ll never be yours or love you!”

I knew she was saying it to Vadzim, but it cut to my soul to think she might tell me the same thing.

Then her eyes closed, and she went entirely limp.

I scrambled to get an arm around her so she wouldn’t fall, then move my other arm underneath her bottom.

I swung her up in my arms and hurried to the bedroom.

As I lay her on the bed, I heard loud knocking and concerned voices on the other side of the bedroom door.

I knew I couldn’t say it was nothing and expect them to leave.

I took a few moments to turn on the bedside light and go unlock the door, then called out as I went back to the bed, “It’s unlocked. ”

The door came flying inward. Keeley and Beau swiftly entered.

“What the hell did you do to my sister?” Keeley snarled.

She tried to shove me away from Kensy, but I refused to budge. Beau caught her up and eased her back from the bed. She struggled to get loose.

“I didn’t do anything to her like you’re insinuating. She had a flashback, and I had to get her out of the bathroom. That’s the crash you heard. I’d like to handle this on my own, if you don’t mind. I caused this to happen. I’ll fix it.”

“How did you cause it?” Keeley snapped.

“It was personal, Keeley. It pertained to sex. And before you ask, no, I didn’t attempt to assault her sexually. A topic came up that she found upsetting. Kensy wanted to be alone, so she was in the bathroom. Somehow, it led her to have a flashback, and I had to go in and get her.”

“Babe, I think we should let them work on this alone,” Beau said softly.

“No, if he’s making my sister have flashbacks with his talk of sex, then it’s serious, Beau. She needs her sister with her. You can leave if you want, but I’m staying. If Kensy doesn’t want me in here, she can tell me herself when she wakes up,” Keeley stated determinedly.

I wasn’t wasting my breath arguing. I turned my attention back to my woman.

She was lying there, still out cold. I straightened her robe and then tugged the sheet up to cover her more.

Nothing vital was showing, but another man was present in the room.

Make that three, I amended as I heard Heath and Justin whispering from the doorway.

“Is everything okay? We heard the crash and screaming,” Justin asked.

“We’re working on it. There’s no one breaking in. Kensy had a flashback,” Beau explained.

“We’ll be nearby if you need anything,” Heath added.

“Thanks,” I told them without turning around.

Keeley had come around the bed and was sitting on the other side of her sister. She held one hand, and I had the other. I noted the peeks at me she kept sneaking. I sighed.

“Keeley, you can look all you want, but you’re not gonna find me morphing into some kind of monster set on harming your sister.

It was a topic we should’ve discussed. It came up unexpectedly, and she became upset, needing time to think.

I gave it to her until she started screaming.

I knew she had to be having a flashback, so I kicked in the door and got her. ”

“Why lock herself in the bathroom, unless she was afraid. She could’ve asked you to leave. Or come to talk to me.”

“I suggested she let me get you, and she said no. As for why she locked it, I think it was an automatic response. I didn’t lay a finger on her, nor did I threaten her.”

I was beginning to feel upset with how Keeley was making me feel, as if she mistrusted me. I’d done nothing to make her think I’d hurt Kensy. I would’ve said more, but a soft moan from Kensy and then her shifting on the bed brought my focus to where it was needed.

“Kensy, babe, it’s Ben. Are you alright? Open your eyes and talk to me,” I asked.

“Kensy, it’s Keeley. Tell me what happened,” her sister added on the tail end of mine. Beau had moved over to stand behind Keeley. He gave me a sympathetic look.

Kensy’s face wrinkled up in confusion before she blinked her eyes open. Her gaze met her sister’s first. “Keeley, what are you doing in our bedroom?” she asked hoarsely. Kensy cleared her throat.

“I’m here because I heard my sister screaming and a loud smashing sound. We get here to find you unconscious. That one says you fainted, and he wants us to leave so he can talk to you alone. I told him no.”

Keeley mentioning me caused Kensy’s gaze to shift to me. I braced myself to see fear, disgust, or even condemnation in her eyes. What I saw was confusion.

“Ben, what is she talking about? What got smashed? Why did I scream?” my hummingbird asked.

“Do you remember waking up and being out on the deck? I came out, and we got talking, and I mentioned something personal between us. You got upset and went to the bathroom to think. I was waiting for you to come out so we could talk it over,” I prompted.

Her confusion melted away, and I noted consternation and something else.

“I’m remembering now,” she softly replied.

“What did he say that upset you so much? He said he didn’t hurt you. Is that true? You don’t need to stay here with him. Come on, there’s another room next to ours you can use,” Keeley said.

“Beau, I think it’s time that you took Keeley back to your room. Kensy and I have personal things to discuss,” I told him.

I didn’t want to say something shitty to Kensy’s sister, but I was on edge. Her pushing Kensy to walk away before we could talk and insinuating she thought I was capable of hurting her sister pissed me off.

“Kensy, do you need Keeley or me to stay? Do you want a new room?” Beau asked point-blank.

“No, I don’t need a new room, and I don’t need anyone to be a part of our discussion. Please go back to bed. If I need someone, I’ll call,” she said clearly and without hesitation.

“Keeley, we’re leaving,” Beau said as he hauled her off the bed. He didn’t do it roughly, but he did have to put some strength behind it since she tried to resist.

“No, but I need to—” her protest was cut off by her man putting his hand over her mouth. Keeley glared up at him.

“Keeley, stop it. I’ll be fine. Go with Beau. I’ll talk to you when it’s a civilized hour,” Kensy said.

I followed the two of them to the door. As I shut it, Keeley gave me a warning glare.

I locked the door so we wouldn’t have her barging in on us.

I cautiously walked to the bed. I stopped when I was still two feet away.

I didn’t want to crowd her or make Kensy feel that I was threatening her in any way.

I had no idea what all went through her mind in the bathroom before the flashback.

I was scared. What if she were about to tell me that she wanted nothing to do with me?

My hinting that I shared anything in common with Boyko could be too much for her to bear.

Even if I didn’t hurt her the way he did, the possibility I’d become him might scare her too much to risk it.

I wasn’t sure whether I should let her speak first or present my case.

When she said nothing, I did. “Can I sit on the bed, or do you want me to take the chair?”

“The chair is best, I think.”

Her answer made my stomach drop. Son of a bitch, she was about to tear my goddamn heart out. I felt nauseous as I took my seat.

“We need to talk about what you said to me before I went into the bathroom.”