Page 104 of Shadow Redemption

“Nope. Just want to know when to prepare myself and Roxanne for his arrival.”

Thug Two smirked. “The prophet will treat your woman as she deserves. He’s very skilled.”

As they moved closer to the Den, Ben caught the restless movement of a guard standing watch. Gorman. “I’ve been looking for you, Gorman,” he said, voice soft. “You took something of mine. I want it back.”

The Texan chuckled. “And instead, we caught you.”

“I surrendered. Big difference. Where is she?”

“Inside, waiting for a real man to arrive. Too bad she has bad taste in men.”

“Get inside.” Adonis shoved Ben toward the door. “We must prepare for the prophet’s arrival.”

Suited Ben fine. He was anxious to see Ruth.

Gorman turned the knob and threw open the door. A large man moved into view. Seeing Ben with the terrible trio, the other guard motioned for them to come into the building.

Ben walked inside and scanned the room. Typical Den equipment, equipment he’d been introduced to many years earlier. Unfortunately for him and the rest of the boys Silas had bought, the prophet’s son also had his own personal tools to train those who belonged to him.

What wasn’t standard in this den of pain and suffering was the beautiful woman zip tied to a chair at the far end of the room. “Ruth.”

She struggled against the ties. “Ben!”

“Move, Barrett.” Another shove from Adonis.

Ben walked closer to Ruth when he finally got a clear glimpse of the older woman standing near her. His heart sank and he stopped abruptly. “Mom.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

“Your mother is in the Den with Ruth?” Nico demanded.

Since Ben couldn’t answer his team leader’s question directly, he directed his response to his mother. “Mom, I hoped you had escaped from Eden.”

“No one escapes.” Her gaze locked onto his. “Except you. You shouldn’t have returned. The prophet wants to kill you.”

“I couldn’t leave Ruth in his hands.”

Tears glimmered in her eyes. “Now you will both die in this place.”

“Is Lydia still here?”

Tears spilled. “She died in childbirth.”

Pain speared Ben’s heart. His beautiful sister’s light had been snuffed out too soon. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“We move on my signal,” Nico said.

“No,” he whispered. Ben moved toward Ruth but Thug One and Thug Two shoved him to a set of manacles attached to a thick, heavy chain suspended from the ceiling.

Adonis strode to a table filled with knives and selected a Ka-Bar. He palmed the weapon, grabbed Ruth’s hair, and yanked her head back, pressing the edge of the knife to her throat. “Remove your shirt, Barrett.”

He froze. “Move the knife away from Ruth’s throat.”

“Locked on target,” Trace murmured.

“Hold,” Ben whispered. The prophet wasn’t here yet. If Trace fired too soon, Ben would lose his chance to capture the human trafficker. He grasped the neckband of his black t-shirt and tugged it over his head. He dropped the shirt to the ground.

“You know the drill, Barrett. Get into position,” Adonis ordered. “Gorman, Buckner, string him up, then do the same to the woman.”

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