Page 110 of Shadow Redemption

Serenity raised her head. When she looked behind Ruth, her eyes widened in terror.

Ruth started to turn when a hard hand grabbed her hair and dragged her to her feet.

“If you scream, I’ll shoot you and then the girl.”

Davidson. Once Ruth was upright, the prophet shoved a gun against her side. “Serenity, don’t move. I’ll deal with you later. Come along with me, Roxanne. I have some old business to finish.”

He wrapped his arm around her waist and dragged her against his body to use her for cover, and moved them toward the fighting.

Afraid he’d hurt Serenity, Ruth went without resistance although she slowed their progress as much as possible.

The prophet retaliated by digging the barrel of the gun deeper into her side. “You don’t want to make me more angry. You’ll be severely punished for this rebellion. By the time I’m finished, you’ll know who your master is.”

He dragged her out into the open about twenty feet from Ben. “Barrett! Come to me or Roxanne pays the price.”

Ben took in the situation at a glance. He moved closer to Ruth and Davidson, weapon up and aimed at the prophet. “Let her go, Davidson. This is between you and me.”

The prophet laughed. “I hold the prize. You should have taken your punishment like a man. Now, I’ll kill you and Roxanne will suffer every hour of agony meant for you. She won’t die, but she’ll wish she had died in your place before my anger subsides.”

Davidson was crazy. Didn’t he realize Ben had more friends throughout the compound and his guards were losing the fight?

“You want me dead? Fine. Come get me.” Ben spread his arms wide. “I’m right here. Unless you’re too weak to take me on without me being trussed up like a turkey. Let Ruth go and we’ll settle this right here.”

“You must think I’m a fool. The moment I let her go, you or one of your friends will shoot me. No, that’s not how this is going to work.”

Ben lowered his arms although he retained possession of his weapon. “What’s the plan?”

Davidson shifted the gun from Ruth’s side to aim at Ben.

Heart rate accelerating, Ruth kept her gaze on Ben. At this distance, the prophet wouldn’t miss. Unlike his teammates, Ben wasn’t wearing a bullet-resistant vest. Although Ben was an excellent shot, he couldn’t fire because her body provided cover for Davidson.

“I shoot you and your terrorist friends leave Eden or you can save yourself, but Roxanne and your disloyal mother will die. You choose. Your life or theirs.”

“No contest. I offer my life freely for the women.”

Pain lanced Ruth’s heart. She couldn’t let him die. He was everything to her.

“Sunshine, do you remember our training last month?”

Her breath caught. The last time she’d been in Nashville, Ben had invited her to his home to train in his gym for a couple of hours. That’s all the time she had to spare. They’d worked on one skill. “Yes.”

“You may not address her,” Davidson snapped. “You speak only to me.”

“Do you trust me, baby?”

“With every breath I take.”

“Now!”

Ruth slammed the back of her head into Davidson’s nose. He cried out and let go of her to clutch at his face. She rammed her elbow into his gut, then punched her fist into his groin. When air exploded from his lungs and he bent reflexively, Ruth kneed him in the face and shoved him away from her. She spun and raced toward Ben.

“Down!”

Ruth hit the ground as a gunshot echoed in the night. A heavy weight fell on top of her. A heartbeat later, the weight was gone.

“I’ve got him,” Rio said. “You check on Ruth.”

Familiar hands turned Ruth and gathered her close. “Are you okay, sunshine?”

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