Page 50 of The Female Warrior & The Charming Gentleman

Benjamin Oliver nodded to one of his captors.

The man hit him with the Taser again. He pitched forward and tasted dirt as small rocks dug at his face and arms. He was brought low, in pain and misery, stripped of all pride, but he wouldn’t bow to the foul Benjamin Oliver. He only bowed to his Savior and Heavenly Father.

The stun gun stopped, and he was ripped to his feet again. His limbs were shaky. How many times could a person be hitwith a Taser and still recover? He was reaching his limit, but he’d go through any pain for Autumn. What if they’d already killed her? The entire nation knew Benjamin Oliver had no qualms about torture or death inflicted on anyone who defied him, and even some who didn’t. He was a foul behemoth dressed in … a Love Designer Wear suit. The gall of this foul scum.

“How did you find me?” Jarom asked, his thick tongue making the words slur. Would anyone come and help him find and rescue Autumn? Were Jared, Millie, and Easton alive? What about the other ranch hands and Walker? Chad and Brandon and others he’d never met. They’d have seen the explosion on the cameras. When Easton rode up on his horse, he’d known trouble was approaching. Were those men already dead? How long would it take Sheriff Clint to come? He counted seven men including Benjamin.

He prayed desperately for some help for Autumn and the Colevilles.

Benjamin smiled. “It does me good to see you like this—dirty, wearing inferior clothing, in pain, knowing you will die after you transfer a fortune to me.” His smile became a snarl. “You thought you could help my Elizabeth betray me and have no consequences. You were wrong.”

Jarom stood as tall as he could with the men holding him back. He despised this man and all the pain, death, and manipulation he’d instigated. Thankfully both of his daughters were safe. At the moment. If Benjamin could destroy the Colevilles’ fence and get to him, maybe he could find Elizabeth and Jacey and kill their husbands too.

“How did you find me?” he repeated, thankful his voice was more level.

“I’ve long been suspicious of this little picturesque mountain valley. Elizabeth, Jacqueline, and Thomas have all been here at one point or another. Aiden Porter thought he was too smart for me to put it together, but you helped me by making a mistake.”

“What mistake was that?”

Jarom had caused this nightmare? If Autumn or any of the Colevilles died, it would be on his head.

“One of my men befriended a waitress at the local diner. They keep in touch, and she shares all the local gossip. Coincidentally, her mother is the postwoman. Our mole let my man know about a box of cologne coming to Walker Coleville from Jarom Love’s company. How coincidental.” Benjamin smiled, obviously proud of himself. “We’ve been scouting the property from a distance all day. Your horse ride earlier gave us an idea, and the walk tonight was perfect. You played right into my hands.”

Tilting his head to his men, he said, “Let’s load up. Mr. Love can transfer money while we drive. Then we’ll leave his desecrated body and a message for the incompetent Aiden Porter.”

Jarom held the man’s gaze and prayed no fear showed. He didn’t look forward to his own death, but if Autumn was already dead, he wouldn’t mind going to heaven earlier than planned.

Please let Autumn and the Colevilles be all right.

“I’m going to enjoy carving you up and listening to you squeal,” Benjamin said smoothly as his men dragged Jarom toward him. “How long I do so depends entirely on how quickly you cooperate.”

“I’m sure you do enjoy being the devil’s henchman in that twisted little mind of yours,” Jarom said. “But you won’t have the pleasure ofhearing me squeal.”

“The bravado is impressive.” Benjamin smiled. “You aren’t afraid of what I can do to you?”

“I fear no man.” He tilted his chin up. “As my Savior said, ‘And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.’”

Benjamin’s smooth features twisted. “Your God can’t save you.”

“On the contrary. I’ve already been saved by Him. ‘Though after skin worms destroy this body in my flesh I shall see God.’”

Jarom didn’t often quote scripture, but it strengthened him in this dark moment.

“Hold your tongue,” Benjamin commanded. “Or I’ll have my men cut it out.”

One of his men produced a knife. Jarom’s stomach soured at the thought of that knife on his tongue, but he prayed for heavenly help and stayed straight and tall.

“‘The Lord is my strength and my shield’,” he quoted. Benjamin’s men could cut his tongue out, torture him, kill him, but they couldn’t take his true strength, his faith in the Savior, or his love of God, his parents, and Autumn.

“Cut his tongue out,” Benjamin snarled.

The man advanced as the other two pinned him between them. Jarom didn’t struggle. Quite the contrary. He felt peace and knew he would be strengthened through the torture. He may meet his Savior tonight. The idea brought reassurance that would carry him through the anguish.

The man with the knife grabbed his jaw with one hand and squeezed. Jarom gritted his teeth and kept his jaw clamped. He felt peaceful but he wasn’t about to willingly offer up his tongue. The man squeezed harder, forcing his mouth open. Thiswas it. He steeled himself for the pain and prayed more earnestly.

A gunshot rang out, and the man on his right crashed into Benjamin, his grip on Jarom releasing. A bullet wound oozed blood right next to his ear. The man holding Jarom’s face backed away.

Benjamin cursed and shoved the dead body away from him, straightening. Another shot and the man on Jarom’s left was hit. He didn’t die instantly but clutched at his head as he sank to the ground.

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