Page 81 of Shadow Redemption
Ben released Ruth and went into her bedroom where his bags were stashed. When he returned, he held a small envelope in his hand. Opening the flap, he poured jewelry into his palm. “These might not go with your outfit, but put them on anyway.”
“Is this the jewelry with GPS trackers?” Bridget had a set Trace insisted she wear every time she left the house.
He nodded. “With Davidson and his cronies sniffing around, I want extra security in case something goes wrong.”
Ruth changed her earrings, then added the bracelet and necklace. “The lilies are beautiful, Ben. Thank you for choosing this design for me.”
He shrugged. “They reminded me of sunshine and you.”
Joe clapped Ben on the shoulder. “Enough mush, buddy. I’m starving. Let’s go.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Ben nudged Ruth’s plate closer to her. “You haven’t eaten much.” She hadn’t eaten much all day. At least he’d insisted on frequent breaks throughout the day for Ruth to drink water. Scott wasn’t concerned with her health or that of the other models.
He hadn’t thought much about Ruth’s job aside from hating the media spotlight. Now that he’d seen how taxing the job was, he admired the effort she gave to her work.
She smiled. “I ate more than I should have.”
What she’d eaten throughout the day wouldn’t add up to the calorie count for one of his meals. “The contract wraps up tomorrow. Eat what you want, Ruth. I doubt the camera will show you consumed a few extra calories for one night.”
“Put him out of his misery,” Sam said.
Ruth picked up her fork again. “Now I know why the other models raved about this place. The food is excellent.”
“It is good,” Nico agreed, his gaze scanning the room. “If I come back to this area with my wife, I’ll bring Mercy here.”
A commotion near the front of the restaurant drew attention to the entrance. The other models arrived with Scott and Rich in tow. Fantastic. Ben had hoped to give Ruth one dinner out without feeling as though the dynamic duo watched her like a hawk. Rich and Scott scowled when they saw Ruth with the Shadow unit.
“What is their problem?” Joe muttered.
“They’re convinced I’m a controlling jerk who is dictating Ruth’s life and interfering with their plans for her.”
“I can talk to them,” Ruth offered. “Tell them to back off.”
“Those two are spoiling for a fight with Ben,” Sam said. “If they upset you again, you’ll play right into their hands. Ben won’t stand on the sidelines while those two jerks rail at you.”
“We don’t want to attract the attention of law enforcement,” Trace murmured. “Fortress doesn’t have many friends down here. We need to keep a low profile.”
Ruth looked stricken. “I’m sorry. I forgot about that problem.”
The models, Scott, and Rich were seated at a table a few feet from the Fortress group. Autumn and her boyfriend sat with the others but didn’t look happy. Based on the glances tossed his direction from the other members of their party, the topic of conversation was him.
He shifted his focus to Ruth. She appeared poised and at ease if you didn’t notice her hand trembling. Ben captured her hand with his and lifted it to his lips. “What’s wrong?”
“I want to curl up somewhere safe and go to sleep.”
Trace straightened. “I’ll get the check if you want to head back to the hotel.”
“Excellent idea.” Nico stood. “Meet in the suite to work out details for tomorrow.”
Ben helped Ruth to her feet and wrapped his hand around hers. When they passed the table with the models, Autumn caught Ruth’s hand and introduced her and Ben to her boyfriend. After making plans to eat lunch together the next day, Ben escorted Ruth from the restaurant in Nico’s wake.
Inside the safety of the suite, Ben checked for bugs and cameras and found nothing. Excellent. “We’re clear. Would you like some herbal tea, Ruth?”
“I’ll brew my tea while the rest of you plan for tomorrow.” She placed her purse on the breakfast bar and rummaged through the complimentary basket of tea bags.
As the microwave signaled the end of the heating cycle, the rest of Shadow returned to the suite. Once the watch shifts had been assigned for the night, Nico and Trace left, and Sam and Joe retreated to their room.