Page 57 of Benedict’s Rejuvenation (Dark Patriots #5)

The swift, ragged inhale of breath taken by Aimée when Wynne walked into the room was audible.

I listened to her breathing speed up. I knew her heart had to be racing.

Wynne’s gaze was flicking around the room.

It landed on the open wall. I saw him sag.

The motherfucker had hoped we wouldn’t find her.

But with him dead, that meant she would’ve been left to die in there, probably never to be found.

As my fury built, I marched over to grab hold of Wynne. I dragged his struggling body closer to his victim, but not too close. I shook him hard as I snarled.

“There she is. You didn’t want us to find her, did you fucker?

You thought if you died, she’d die too, and what, you’d be together in some sick heaven you dream of.

It’s never happening. Aimée, he’s never gonna hurt you or anyone else ever again.

I promise you that. We’re gonna get all the information he has on this business that he and his buddies here are in.

We’re tearing that goddamn thing apart.”

“We had no idea he had anything like this down here,” Luan whined.

I was surprised when our victim spoke up. She lifted her head to stare first at Wynne, then at the other men.

“Liar! He’s lying. They’ve been here before and in this room. Those five and another one would occasionally visit and watch him hurt me. They’d give him pointers on how to train and punish me. Josh wanted to have me as his perfect toy,” Aimée whispered.

“Shut up! I didn’t give you permission to speak!” Wynne snapped.

It was Keeley who punched him in the face. “You’re the one who needs to speak when told. You don’t talk to that poor woman.”

“I believe we need to get this done. The night is slipping away. We have to be out of here before the next shift of guards, his cook, and butler arrive,” Undertaker reminded us.

Sloan moved closer to Kensy and Aimée. “Hi, Aimée. My name is Sloan. This big, gruff fella is mine. We hate to rush you, but we’ve got to ensure justice is done to these animals.

You don’t have to be here for that. Kensy will take you upstairs, and you can wait there together.

However, first, we need to determine if you require immediate medical attention.

Have you been injured in some way that you can’t wait to see a doctor? ”

“I want to see a doctor, but it’s not urgent. As for going upstairs, I assume that when you say you’ll ensure justice, it means they won’t be arrested or stand trial. You’ll kill them here.”

No one said yes. We just stared hard at her. She understood. “Good. They don’t deserve more than that. I think I need to be here to see it. I know it’ll be ugly, but I can take it. I’ve been living with ugly for the past…wait, what month is it?”

“It’s the middle of October,” Kensy replied.

“Then I’ve been here for about a month and a half.

It feels like a year. Do whatever you want.

And if I can help, I’ll tell you what I’ve overheard.

He liked to brag and tell me what a bigshot he is and how he gets away with what he does.

I’ve seen them, and another guy they call Xandros, and heard some names. ”

This made us perk up. She could know way more than she thought.

“Keeley, will you find a notebook and pen upstairs in his office and bring them down? You and Kensy can sit with Aimée and help her write down her memories. We’ll need it in writing.

Don’t stress if you can’t recall something.

Just let it flow and write it down. As for the rest of us, two upstairs to watch for uninvited guests just in case, and the rest, we’ll be busy conducting this orgy of pain,” Beau gave a chilling smirk as he said the last part.

There was a lot of movement and scurrying, but in a few short minutes, everyone and everything were in place.

We’d taken the culprits and secured them to a variety of things in the dungeon.

The actual bars of the cells allowed us to secure two men with their arms and legs spread.

For others, it was the spanking bench and St. Andrew’s cross, which I knew reminded Kensy of Vadzim’s prison.

Wynne was tied to the small bed that was in the far corner.

The final one ended up in a hardback chair as his spot.

I went into a fog where nothing outside of here and now existed.

And I recognized it in the rest of my team.

We were determined to get everything we could from these pieces of shit.

The cries of terror and pain, pleading, crying, and threats became a loud symphony.

There was the smell of tears, piss, vomit, and shit, but the biggest one was the overlying stench of blood.

God, as bad as it sounded, I missed this smell on a rare occasion.

Two hours later, only five men remained alive.

Abram’s heart gave out. Those who remained were in terrible shape.

As the pain increased, they gave us more and more information.

As they did, Sloan was busy on a small tablet, recording it and interfacing directly with the corporate office.

They would take the recording and study it, then use it to follow up on clues and begin the process of dismantling this ugly business.

They had been using the modeling ruse for three years.

Each man here, with Wynne as the front man in the States, lured the women to supposed fashion shoots.

Wynne would ask them not to talk about it, due to his dislike of more attention from the media.

They trusted him since he was such a public figure.

Aimée had been one of the few who didn’t take the bait, so they snatched her off the street one night when she was coming home from work.

It seemed that Wynne had become obsessed with her.

And when he saw Kensy and Keeley at the gala, he began to plan to have a harem of three.

Women who could almost pass as triplets.

The photoshoot he was attempting to set up for the sisters would’ve been where they were taken.

Beau and I would’ve been killed or lied to.

Names, locations, schedules, and more at first leaked out, but were now pouring out of them.

The women had finished writing out everything Aimée recalled.

With that done, she, Kensy, and Keeley came to stand before Wynne.

He was barely capable of lifting his head, but he did.

The possessive gleam was still there when he saw them side-by-side.

“God, so perfect. You would’ve been the ideal toys. I would’ve kept you forever. Think what our children would’ve been like,” he croaked.

An enraged, strangled scream came rolling out of Aimée’s throat. She launched herself at Wynne. Her nails became claws as she raked his face and neck. His face was beaten to hell, so it was doubly painful to be clawed. He tried to turn his head away, but it did no good. She drew even more blood.

“You bastard! You heartless, sick, ungodly monster! How dare you do what you did to me and so many others? You had no right. The thought of having a child with you makes me want to slit my throat. Which is why, as soon as we’re done here, I’m going to a doctor and have him get rid of the baby I’m carrying.

You’re evil will die tonight,” she shrieked.

The revelation that Aimée was pregnant surprised us, but it sent Wynne into a tailspin of crying, yelling, begging, and threatening to get her not to have an abortion.

He talked delusional about them living and raising the baby together.

He turned to Kensy and Keeley and told them they’d form a happy family with him and Aimée.

It was too reminiscent of the multiple wives’ crap from the Church of Converts. Finally, I’d heard enough.

We’d gotten all we needed, as far as we could tell.

The others were talked out and hanging on by a thread to life.

I withdrew my handgun and pressed it to Wynne’s forehead.

Before I pulled the trigger, I told him, “May the fires of hell burn twice as hot for you, you sick fucker. Say hello to my father and fake brother-in-law.”

The shot was overly loud, even to me. His body went limp.

It was the signal for the others to do the same thing to the remaining men.

The silence that descended was eerie. As I stood there taking it all in and knowing we had to get the cleanup team in here fast, all I could think about was my life ahead of me, with Kensy at my side.

It might not be pain-free, but it would be incredible.