Page 29 of Shadow Redemption

Alarm shown on Charles’s face. “You’re a mercenary.” He turned to Ruth. “I need to speak to you for a minute.” Another glance at Ben. “Alone.”

“Not going to happen,” Ben said before Ruth could answer. “Whatever you have to say to her can be said right here.”

“It’s all right, Charles,” Ruth said. “You can speak freely in front of Ben.”

“Fine. You shouldn’t be with him. He’s dangerous.”

She laughed. “You’re right about that. He is dangerous but not to me. He’s exactly what I need.”

Ben’s heart turned over in his chest even as he warned himself not to get caught up in the fantasy she spun for the other man. This wasn’t real.

“He’s only after your money.”

Eyes narrowed, Ben said softly, “I care about her, not her money.” He flicked a glance at Ruth. “It’s time for us to go, baby.”

She stood immediately and slid the long strap of her purse diagonally across her body. “It was good to see you again, Charles. Take care.”

“Wait! I haven’t given you the information you need for your prize.”

“Email it to her.” Ben ushered Ruth from the room before Haywood could do more than sputter a protest. He steered her toward the stairs to the underground garage rather than the elevator.

“Where are we going?”

“SUV by way of the stairs.”

“You have something against elevators?”

“Stairs are safer. If someone attacks us while we’re in an elevator, there’s nowhere to go to escape. In the stairwell, we have options.”

She stared at him a moment. “I’ll never feel safe in an elevator again, thanks to you.”

Ben shrugged. “I won’t apologize if the precaution keeps you safe.” He opened the door to the stairwell, checking the interior before tugging Ruth inside. Although he wanted to demand answers to his questions about Charles Haywood, this wasn’t the time or place to pursue the information. The sooner she was safe in his SUV, the better he’d feel. His gut was telling him that trouble was coming, fast.

As they walked down the stairs, Ben kept Ruth on his left side, leaving his weapon hand free. When they reached the door to the underground garage, he nudged her back against the wall. “Wait while I see if the coast is clear,” he murmured. She nodded and, with a final glance up the stairwell to confirm no potential threats were near, opened the door to the cavernous concrete interior of the garage.

He eased into the open, keeping his body between the garage and the stairwell. No cars or people moved on this level. On another level of the garage, a vehicle’s engine cranked and footsteps sounded.

Ben waited in the shadows, senses on alert, the skin on his nape prickling. He remained still, quartering the area, searching for the threat he felt but couldn’t see.

Behind him, he heard footsteps on the stairwell. He held out his hand to Ruth. “Let’s go. Stay right beside me.”

When she hurried to his side, Ben wrapped his arm around her waist and urged her into a fast walk. His gaze continually scanned the garage as they moved toward his SUV.

Fifteen feet from their destination, a car alarm went off at the other end of the aisle. Ben slid the Sig from his holster and moved to block any shot that might be aimed her direction. “Run!”

Ruth sprang into motion. Ben clicked the remote on his SUV and covered her when she yanked the door open and dived inside.

Weapon still up and tracking, he circled to the driver’s door and climbed inside. A split second after the door closed, a shot rang out.

CHAPTER TEN

Ben cranked the engine and sped from the hotel’s garage, tires squealing as he rounded corners. More shots rang out and peppered the passenger side of his vehicle. “Get down.” His vehicle was armor-plated and the glass bullet resistant, but that didn’t mean his ride was bulletproof. If enough bullets hit the same place in the windows, eventually the glass would break. He’d rather have Ruth a little uncomfortable for a short time than risk her being hurt or, God forbid, killed.

Ruth hunched over, her face toward him. “The stalker is trying to kill me now?”

Thank goodness she sounded ticked off as opposed to panicked. “Not you. He was aiming for me. If he takes me out, you’re more vulnerable to attack or being kidnapped.”

She scowled. “He could have killed me.”