Jon shook his head. “A shame. I’d have enjoyed meeting him and showing him exactly what I think of a—”
“You’d have to get in line.” He could see Jon questioning what James’s motives were as well. Bennett got up and threw a twenty-dollar bill on the bar. Holding up the envelope, he said to Jon, “Send me the bill for this.”
Jon raised a hand and said, “I’m sure there’ll be a day that I need your services.”
As Bennett left the bar, he pulled out his cell phone. “Doug. I’m going to be longer than I thought.”
“So what happened?”
“I can’t even tell you on the phone. This clusterfuck just keeps getting worse. I need to go find these mothers,” Bennett said, his voice filling with tension and disgust, and he knew Doug heard it.
“Want some company?”
Having someone like him on this delicate research expedition was probably wise. Even if it’s just to calm my ass down so I don’t kill anyone. Because if he was right, the truth was going to be more perverted than anyone could imagine. He also needed to remind himself that when they found the mothers, they too were victims of Henderson. Hearing his name, or news of their children, wasn’t going to be easy for them. Having Doug with him became a necessity.
“Get your passport and meet me at the airport. We leave tonight.”
Bennett ended the call and searched for Zoey’s number. He wanted to call her, but right now he didn’t want her to hear his voice. Some things are just best done in a text.
Sorry, sweetheart. Got called away on a job. Leaving the country but will be back. I promise. Bennett.
She may have fired him, but as far as he was concerned, this job was far from over. Until he knew exactly what happened and where their mothers were, he wasn’t going to rest. Shaun might not want to know, but I do.
This mission just became very personal to him. God, I hope I’m wrong. It can’t be what I think. Henderson really couldn’t be that fucking evil, could he? If he were, no family member ever would want to know that information.
Bennett made travel arrangements. He was lucky he’d made friends with people who offered assistance without question. This was something he couldn’t share, and didn’t want to either. As he raced up I-95 heading to Boston, he realized he’d totally forgotten about stopping at the piano shop. The music, the piano, her reaction that morning, none of it mattered anymore. It seemed so insignificant in comparison to what he’d learned from Jon.
His phone dinged with a texted message. Be safe. Damn, Zoey, I love you. He wanted to tell her and he would. When he got back and they were face to face. She deserves so much more than I can give her.
Zoey normally would’ve fallen into a dark place, feeling abandoned again. But even without him by her side, she felt him with her. It was something she couldn’t explain and didn’t want to question.
Closing her eyes, she sat at her piano and let her fingers do the talking. Playing as she’d never done before. Enjoying her new self, her newfound freedom. For the first time in her life, loving herself. She was no longer James Henderson’s daughter. She was Zoey Henderson, a strong woman capable and accepting of love.
It was wonderful not to be drowning with insecurities. Not that they’re all gone, but they’re not crushing me, ruling my every thought. She was filled with so much more now. If Bennett hadn’t come into her life, none of this would have happened. She wasn’t one who had believed in fate, but now she believed anything was possible.
Zoey knew Bennett was going to return to her. When he did, she wasn’t going to hold back her feelings any longer. Even if her love wasn’t reciprocated, she was going to tell him. She owed it to herself to say the words at least once in her life. And to mean them with my whole heart.
She never even noticed her fingers had stopped moving. What had been her only private outlet her entire life wasn’t where she needed to express what she couldn’t say. Music was still in her heart, but she was no longer afraid to verbalize her thoughts, her feelings.
Zoey sat there smiling for what seemed like an eternity. Then she got up, opened the bench, and pulled out a music book. She found a song composed by someone else and let her heart feel what someone else was trying to say. Fingers dancing across what had previously been her best friend, her confidante, she now found something else, something new. She tried to name it, but not many people would understand “fingers dancing across my confidante.” So, “fingers coasting over ivory” might be better or perhaps “Fingers: coasting over ivory.” And in the naming she found something she’d searched for since she was a child. Peace.
Chapter Seventeen
Bennett had never expected to be gone two weeks. He knew finding six women without names or pictures wouldn’t be easy. When he packed, he’d prepared in the best way he knew how: cash heavy. Money usually talked and opened many doors in a place like that, but somehow the locals were resistant even to bribery.
He knew he had the right place because all he had to do was show a picture of Henderson and they clammed up. These people were not just scared of him. They were petrified. He understood why. The man was vicious and had the power and money to decimate a place like this. What he couldn’t get them to understand was Henderson was dead. He couldn’t hurt them any longer.
“I don’t think you’re going to get anyone to talk. Look around, Bennett. These people are even afraid to be seen talking to us. All they do is whisper among themselves. I’m not sure how safe we’re going to be much longer if we keep pushing.”
Doug was right. He’d been here too long, and not one lead. Bennett didn’t believe an attack would come from the people of the town, but he did see looks from the local authorities that put him on alert. They won’t have any issue throwing our asses in jail and making us disappear for a very long time if we’re not careful.
Another night in what they called a hotel here was more than he could stand. He’d rather sleep out in the elements than on that piece of foam.
“Pack up. We’re out of here.”
Doug flew out of the chair as though he’d been waiting for those words all week. Bennett wasn’t as excited. It meant he was giving up. That wasn’t a word he ever used. Reluctantly he threw his clothes in his duffel bag.
“Ready,” Doug said within minutes.
Really? I didn’t even see you pack anything. Or was it packed already? It didn’t matter at the moment. They were leaving exactly as they came. With the same questions and no answers.
They went downstairs, Bennett paid for their stay, and requested a driver to take them to the small private airport. The only good thing was he had a friend who’d been kind enough to lend him a small private jet and pilot for an extended time. He knew nothing came free. One day he’d need to repay the favor and would be happy to do so.
As they waited outside in the heat, an old beat-up Volkswagen van pulled up. The driver was a gaunt young man with a hat pulled down over his eyes. That raggedy thing looked like something from the sixties; the driver was as nervous and suspicious-looking as they came, and Bennett wasn’t sure if either of them were safe. He would remain on high alert until they were on that plane and out of there. All we have to do is get to the airport.
Bennett texted the pilot, letting him know they’d be ready for takeoff in an hour. He knew the pilot was going to be ecstatic about the news.
They left the unwelcome town behind. Suddenly the driver turned onto a dirt road that obviously wasn’t traveled often. Bennett and Doug looked at each other. Something wasn’t right.
Not far down the road the driver came to a stop and turned off the engine. Bennett didn’t want the driver to be aware he was being watched closely, so he played it calm and cool.
“What’s wrong with the van?” Bennett asked.
Without uttering a single word, the suspicious driver reached into his pocket. At that moment, Bennett hated like hell that he didn’t have his gun on him. He knew they’d made some enemies on this expedition. Before he could re
ach the man to block whatever was coming their way, the man held up a picture. Bennett froze, adrenaline still pumping. Cursing, he snatched the photo from the man’s hand. Looking at the worn and tattered paper, he saw a young girl. Sweet-looking child, with dark brown, almost-black, eyes. She was smiling and held a dirty, battered rag doll. She must’ve been about five, maybe six years old.
“Who is this?” Bennett asked.
“She was my older sister.”
“What happened to her?” Bennett inquired.
The man shook his head and said softly. “Dead.”
He looked at the picture again. This was his older sister, and this guy looked to be in his early thirties. “How old was she when she died?” Bennett tried to prepare himself for the answer he knew was coming.
“Eighteen. My sweet sister, dead.” The man couldn’t even look Bennett in the eyes as he spoke. Even now he was overwhelmed with pain.
Bennett had figured that much out when he said the word was instead of is. He hated asking but needed to know. “How?”
“During childbirth.”
Doug and Bennett exchanged looks. They’d seen this man lurking in the shadows several times and now it made sense. The driver’s sister had to be one of the mothers they’d been searching for, but he was afraid to approach them in public. Which one they didn’t know. But they could easily figure it out if they knew the date of death. It should match up with one of the birth certificates. Bennett wasn’t sure if he wanted it to be Zoey’s mother or not. No matter what she’d said about not wanting to know her mother, he was sure she’d change her mind if given a chance.
“When?”
The man rattled off the month and year. Bennett thought back to the dates in his records. Logan’s mother. Shit. Logan was the second oldest, and even after one of the girls dying, Henderson came back and took another girl. Bennett pulled out his cell phone and took a picture of the photograph before handing it back to the driver.
Bennett couldn’t hate Henderson any more than he did then. His heart went out to Zoey and her mother. Zoey, if you only knew how you came to be. You were the fourth child. Your mother was a virgin. The virgin for the fourth time. He knew it wasn’t something he would ever utter to her. Words that no child wants to hear no matter how strong or prepared you are. What a sick bastard. Six children. Six virgins. Death was too good for James.
Doug spoke for the first time since they got in the van. “Why are you telling us this now? We’ve been here for two weeks, and we’ve seen you around. You know why we’re here. Who are you afraid of? We know it’s not us.”
The man nodded. “I’m afraid for my own daughters. They will be coming of age and—”
“James Henderson is dead. He can’t hurt them,” Bennett explained again.
“He is only one man. Others have come and still do. Our daughters are not safe. Not with the power they hold.”
Others. Still. Come. What the fuck? This horrific story was not just about the Hendersons any longer. This twisted, dark journey just became human trafficking. Rich men abusing their power for unpardonable reasons. Doug put a hand on Bennett’s arm, trying to tell him to stay cool. He was right. There’d be plenty of time to explode later. Right now he needed to get everything he could from the one man who was willing to talk to them.
“What do these men do?”
“They come. Pay government official to have sex with daughters. They want only the pure. They take them away from us. When they come home, our daughters no longer who they were. They are mothers without children. Women who no man here wants as wife. Many leave and never come back. Too much shame they feel.”
Fucking hell. Henderson had come here and paid for virgins to fill his disgusting need. Oh, God. I can’t ever let her know that. That’d be worse than anything she’d experienced from her father. She’d carry a guilt that wasn’t hers to carry.
“Do you know who the other women are?”
The man turned around in his seat and started the van. Without answering, he continued toward the airport. Bennett understood that he wasn’t willing to share for any other reason except to protect his own children. He wanted to ask how many daughters he had, what their ages were. Were they at risk of being sold now? But he wasn’t in the position to stop it. He was going to need help. And a lot of it.
When they arrived at the airport, they grabbed their bags. Bennett pulled out all the money he had on him, which was substantial in that country. Then he had Doug and the pilot do the same. Giving the money to the man, he said, “Use this to protect your family for now. But trust me, I’ll be back, and I’ll do everything I can to stop what’s happening here. It’s going to take time. You should leave this place if you can. But trust me, I will bring help.”
The man looked down at the money. As his eyes filled with tears, he said, “Help our daughters. That’s all we care about.”
Bennett and Doug boarded the jet. As they took off, Bennett looked at the picture of Logan’s mother again and closed his phone. Looking at it wasn’t going to lead him in the direction he needed to go. Putting a stop to what was happening was going to take a hell of a lot more money than he had. And going up against a corrupt government wasn’t something he could do on his own. Even with his Marine brothers, they couldn’t fight a country.
“What are you going to do? Are you going to tell Zoey?”
Bennett didn’t even look at Doug. “No. But I need Henderson backing.”
“Going to Shaun?”
“Nope. I’m going to the one person who might know how sick their father was.” Brice.
“You know you can count me in for whatever you decide to do. It might’ve been a long time since I carried a gun, but don’t think for a minute I’ve forgotten how.”
Bennett opened his eyes and looked at Doug. It was the first time he’d ever seen Doug as a fellow former soldier. He had the don’t fuck with me look. “I think we’re going to need all the help we can get.”
Making a plan was going to take time. Nothing at this level could be done effectively if they wanted to make the impact that was necessary. It was a change that needed to sweep through the country and make them more afraid of the repercussions, than what money might come their way.
“I’ll keep you posted after I meet with Brice. Hope you’re in for the long haul because this job just became long term without pay or benefits.”
Doug nodded. “Just the way I like them.”
The rest of the flight was quiet. Bennett had texted back and forth with Brice to set up a meeting as soon as they landed. He knew it would’ve been better to shower and put time between what he’d learned and visiting the family. He couldn’t stop imagining who else would be hurt before they got back there. This wasn’t something new to their way of life. Brice was turning forty and Dean almost thirty. Something like that wasn’t going to be easy to change. But no matter what it took, how long it took, he was going to do something. Zoey’s mother will not have suffered in vain.
As Bennett entered Brice’s office, he could tell by the look from Brice that the last two weeks had taken their toll on him. He hadn’t shaven, and he probably smelled. None of it mattered to him. He needed to know if Brice would be on board or not.
“I take it you’re not here about my sister,” Brice said as he pointed to a chair across from his desk for Bennett to sit in.
“It’s about all of you. I suggest canceling the rest of your meetings today. This visit is going to take a while.”
Brice leaned back in his chair, looking at him for a moment before picking up his phone and relaying to his personal assistant to hold all calls and cancel all meetings. He didn’t want to be disturbed.
“You’ve got the floor, Bennett. This better be worth my time.”
They spent the next three hours going over everything he’d found out. Brice insisted on knowing who had assisted him in gathering this intel. He wasn’t about to divulge those names. It wasn’t about his reputation as much as it was protecting his
sources. His word to them was everything. If Brice couldn’t respect that, that was his problem.
“Are you going to tell Zoey about this?” Brice asked, his voice filled with concern.
That was the one thing he’d battled with the entire flight. He didn’t want to lie to her, but this was bigger than she could handle right now. “I would prefer to keep this between us and whomever we utilize to bring these guys down. The more people we inform at this point, the more risk we put on those girls.”
Brice looked like shit. Bennett knew this was a blow to him. He wanted to ask what his father had told him on his deathbed. He would one day, but right now, Brice had to come to terms with more than any person should need to. A man who hadn’t wanted to know who his mother was just found out she was purchased and discarded. Even someone as strong as Brice was going to need time to process that information.
“Are you going to tell your brothers?”
Brice shook his head. “I already carry the burden of my father’s sick behavior. I can add this to the list of offenses. That man should be rotting in hell.”
“I’m sure he is. Now let’s see who else we can send to keep him company.”
Brice met Bennett’s look, and Bennett saw conviction and determination in his eyes. Brice was on board one hundred percent. He had the financial backing, and he knew exactly where to get the muscle.
Bennett got up and headed for the door. Before he left, Brice called out to him. “This may have all started with a bullshit lie to us, Bennett, but I hope your intentions with Zoey are honorable. Because no matter how badly I want to make people pay for what they did to our mothers, I won’t sit back and let you hurt Zoey. Understood?”
“I have no intention of hurting her. I’m in love with Zoey. In fact, this trip made me realize how much, and I intend to ask her to marry me. And I, too, will do anything to protect her.”
Grinning and leaving Brice stunned, he walked out the door, closing it behind him. Right now there was only one person he was worried about seeing. He needed to go to the hotel, clean up, and then contact her. Nothing was going to stop him from seeing Zoey tonight.
Virgin For The Fourth Time: Barrington Billionaire's Series: Book Four Page 17