Page 5 of Shadow Redemption

“A dozen roses.” Her smile faded and she dropped her gaze to his chest.

Jealousy flared inside Ben. “I thought all women liked to get flowers.”

“Not black roses.”

His eyes narrowed. Black, as in a death threat. She deserved bright yellow roses, the color of sunshine. “Was there a card attached?”

She shook her head. “I thought the card fell on the ground, but I couldn’t find one.”

“Anything else?”

“No. I was going to tell you everything when you returned home, Ben.”

He squeezed her hands again. “I believe you.” And because he did, some of the tension that had been eating a hole in his stomach since he walked into his boss’s office began to melt away. Although he wouldn’t tell Ruth the truth, Ben needed her trust. “We should let Maddox back into his office,” he said and released Ruth’s hands with more reluctance than was wise for either of them. “Have a seat. We’ll be here a while.” His boss would mine for more gems of knowledge as long as he thought there was useful information to find.

Ben opened the door, signaled his boss, and returned to his seat beside Ruth. As soon as Maddox sat in his desk chair, Ben said, “We need Zane, too.”

His boss flicked a glance at Ruth, then called the communications expert and asked him to join them. That done, he asked Ruth, “Do you need anything? Water, herbal tea, a soft drink?”

“Herbal tea sounds perfect. No sweetener. I don’t think I could stomach water or a soft drink.” She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t have soft drinks often anyway.”

“Nothing with strawberries,” Ben added. “She’s allergic.” Might as well let the people who would be around Ruth know about the problem.

“Good to know. Coffee, Ben?”

Thinking of the potentially sleepless night ahead if his plans proceeded like he thought, he nodded his acceptance.

Maddox stepped to his office door and spoke to his assistant, then moved back to admit a dark-haired man in a wheelchair.

Zane Murphy smiled at Ruth. “Good to see you again. I didn’t know you were in town.”

“I’m only here for another day. I have a photoshoot the day after tomorrow.”

Ben frowned. She couldn’t be serious. Someone was stalking her, and she was going to pose in front of a camera?

Zane shifted his attention to Ben. “Glad you’re back in one piece, Ben. Heard it got hot.”

He wasn’t talking about the weather though that was hot as blazes as well. Ben hated jungle missions with a white-hot passion. “We handled the heat. It’s what we do.”

“Why do I have the feeling you’re not talking about the weather?” Ruth muttered with a cute scowl on her face.

He was saved from having to think up a neutral response by the arrival of the drinks. Ruth wrapped her hands around the mug of tea and sipped the weak-looking brew with evident pleasure.

After a sip of his coffee, Maddox set his mug on the desk and leaned back in his chair. “Let’s hear it, Ben.”

He recounted all the information Ruth had shared with him in the past few minutes and waited.

“Stalker,” Zane said, eyes glittering.

“Maybe. There are other possibilities, including one of Torino’s crew looking for payback.” Maddox pinned Ben with his gaze although he addressed Ruth with his next question. “You have any unwanted male attention coming your way, Ruth?”

Ben straightened. Maddox thought he might be the stalker? His cheeks burned, temper spiking again. He held it in check. Barely. A heavy workout couldn’t come fast enough although he most likely wouldn’t have a chance to get one in now. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, Brent.”

“Zip it. Ruth, answer the question.”

Ruth’s gaze shifted from Brent to Ben and back, uneasiness and the beginnings of fear in her body language. “I always have unwanted attention. It comes with the job.”

“You sidestepped my meaning on purpose. Try again, Ruth. Are you receiving unwanted attention from Ben?”