Page 4 of Shadow Redemption

“You’re too busy, Ben.”

“We just came off a three-week assignment. We’re due for a break in another week.” Sooner, if Ben had any say so in it. He didn’t want to leave her vulnerable while Shadow was deployed on another mission. He couldn’t protect her from halfway around the world. “Did you keep all the threats?”

She nodded.

“Good. We’ll talk to Zane and let him work his magic.” He hesitated. “Unless you’d rather have Bridget do the work.” Bridget Young was Ruth’s sister and newly married to Ben’s teammate, Trace. She also worked in the Fortress research department.

“No. I don’t want her to worry.”

“She’ll find out and be hurt that you didn’t come to her with this. She’s a good researcher. Bridget could have tracked down the sender or enlisted Zane’s help if she ran into a roadblock. Because you’re at risk, Trace will want to know, and he doesn’t keep secrets from his wife.”

Ruth sighed. “I know. The pictures bothered me, but I didn’t feel like I was in danger until I found that last one on my SUV. I planned to tell you when you returned.”

“How long have you been receiving threats?”

“They started right after you left on this latest assignment.”

“Where were you parked when you received the latest threat?”

“In the parking garage at Vanderbilt Hospital.”

He stilled. “Why were you there? Are you sick or hurt?” Ben scanned her quickly and saw nothing he didn’t usually see. Perfection.

“I’m fine. I was visiting a young girl with cancer. She wrote to Roxanne and Rich, my agent, forwarded the message because I have a soft spot for kids.”

A kid. Ben’s gut twisted. “What are her chances?”

“Good, I think. The doctors are optimistic.”

He relaxed. Ben refocused his thoughts. “This is the first time you’ve received a threat aside from email?”

Again, she hesitated.

Seriously? “Ruth.”

“I can’t swear that the other threats were meant as one.”

He scowled. “Details, Monihan.”

That brought a small smile to her lips. “Someone left a gift on my dressing table at the photographer’s studio in New York.”

“What was it?”

“A beautiful basket of strawberries.”

“Why is that a problem? You eat fruit all the time.” He didn’t know how she had enough energy to live and work based on what she ate every day. Rabbit food and fruit with a little lean protein thrown in to liven things up. He’d starve on that boring diet. His taste buds needed pizza and hamburgers to stay engaged. Lasagna was also high on his list of favorites. All those choices were things that Ruth couldn’t eat because of her job’s weight constraints.

“I don’t eat strawberries. I’m allergic to them.”

Huh. How did he not know this? He’d been talking to her for months, yet she had never mentioned the problem. “A severe allergy?”

“I carry an epinephrine pen wherever I go.”

“What did you do with the strawberries?”

“Added them to the community food table.” Her beautiful mouth curved into a full-blown smile. “You wouldn’t be surprised to know that the food consisted of fruit and vegetables. The strawberries fit right in.”

He rolled his eyes. Of course they did. “What else have you received?”