Page 8 of Deception and New Direction (Ranger Shield Security #3)

RUTHIE

I had only been in the office about an hour when a beautiful woman walked in the door.

She had the most stunning rich tawny-colored skin and long black hair that went down to her mid-back.

She carried herself in a very secure way, and I could only hope this was the woman we were interviewing today for the job opening.

I had been on Archer’s case lately that he only hired men.

Tammy , the main bartender next door at the pub and assistant manager, backed me up at the bar one night, pointing out that if she were ten years younger, she would have joined his private army of badasses, but she wasn’t sure he would take her on.

He assured her he would, so I was taking his assurance and running with it.

“Hello. Can I help you?” I asked her as she walked up to my desk.

“Yes, my name is Delia Abbas , and I’m here for a job interview,” the woman said. “ Though the woman I emailed with said to show up twenty minutes early to fill out some paperwork.”

Dash, who had popped his head up to see the newcomer—likely hoping they were dog friendly and would lavish him with pets and affection—started to wag his tail as she came closer.

“That was me,” I told her, excitedly. “ I’m Ruthie . It’s nice to meet you. This is my dog, Dash . He’s very friendly, I promise.”

“Oh, hi, Ruthie ,” she replied, smiling brightly at me. “ Thank you for your kind words in your email.”

She turned to Dash and reached her hand out for him to sniff. “ And hello to you too, Dash .”

I had messaged her a few days ago, telling her that I moved her application up to the top because her resume was incredible. From what I had read—plus what Axel had dug up in a more advanced search—she was an American , born to Egyptian parents who had fled to escape political crisis.

Wanting to thank this country for adopting her family in their time of need, she decided to give back by serving in the Air Force .

But she hadn’t ended up in just any role…

Nope . She’d become a hurricane hunter with the Air Force —one of the people who intentionally flew airplanes into hurricanes to study them and send back data that helped make forecasts more accurate.

The mere thought of being inside a plane that would bounce around inside a hurricane just made me want to puke, and this woman spent a decade doing just that.

However, now her mother was very ill, and she was in search of a job where she could stay closer to home and not be deployed for long periods of time anymore.

Her military background made her more than qualified for the job, plus she spoke four languages— Arabic , Greek , Italian , and English .

Plus, she was stunningly beautiful. Not that that was a requirement for the job, but Archer had mentioned that one area in which the company really needed help with was what he referred to as “honey traps.”

Archer said this was a tactic commonly used by law enforcement and military by having a woman lure a man into giving her intel or perhaps compromising a target who was the spouse of a client.

Not to mention, people always assumed security personnel were men, which meant she could blend in to certain security operations and be less obvious about it than some of the guys.

“I’m so happy you applied,” I told her. “ Your resume was very impressive, and we need more females working here. Currently , it’s just me, and even if I wasn’t in a cast,” I said, pointing to my bright-pink foot, “ I’m not really cut out for field work, even though I would love to.

Mostly I just need help filling this space with powerful women to bring down the testosterone level in here. ”

She chuckled and nodded. “ I grew up with three brothers, so I know what you mean.”

I knew it. She was perfect!

I had her fill out all the necessary paperwork and messaged Archer , Diego , and Vince , who would be interviewing her.

Me:

Your first female badass employee, other than me, just arrived. Let me know when you’re ready for her.

Archer:

Give me 5 and send her up

Vince:

Did she already fill out all the pre-interview paperwork?

Me:

Yes, but it’s just a formality. You don’t really need to interview her. I’ve already decided she’s perfect. Which is why I will work on processing her hiring info in the system while you two chat with her.

Vince:

How can you know that just from looking at her?

Me:

Because I’m amazing at my job. Also , she’s drop-dead gorgeous, so she is perfect for your honey trap things.

Diego:

How gorgeous?

Me:

Also, I read her resume and cover letter along with all the info Axel dug up on her. She’s perfect.

Archer:

Please don’t tell her you’ve hired her until we actually interview her

Me:

I’m not sure I can make that promise ;)

Archer sent me an eyeroll emoji, which I brushed off entirely. I knew a badass when I saw one, and this woman would fit right in.

An hour later, she was out the door with hiring paperwork in hand, set to come back next week for onboarding as long as her background check came back clean.

Feeling exceptionally proud of myself since I had found our newest hire, and a female to boot, I treated Cat and myself to sushi lunch delivery. An hour later, we had gone back to our respective desks, when a man walked into the office with flowers.

“Ruthie Campbell ?” the man asked.

“That’s me,” I told him.

“Delivery for you,” he replied, handing me the device to sign.

I assumed Vince had had them delivered for Cat but put them in my name so I could sign for them in case Cat wasn’t around.

Those two love birds were sickeningly sweet sometimes, but I also loved it for them.

I was about to yell for her to come take a look, but she was already walking over to my desk.

“Who are those for?” she asked.

“I’m guessing you,” I told her as I handed her the card that came with them.

She was smiling as she opened the card but then quickly looked confused. “ These aren’t for me. Who did the delivery man say these were for? I think they got the address wrong, and this isn’t exactly a romantic message for this poor woman named Rose .”

She made a weird face and handed me the card. As I read it over, it suddenly became hard to breathe.

Beautiful roses for my beautiful Rose . I found you, and I’m never letting you out of my sight again. — M

An invisible cage around my chest started to tighten, and everything around me started to spin. I vaguely heard Cat next to me talking, but I couldn’t focus. He’d found me. Mal had found me. How had he found me?

What was I going to do? I’d worked so hard to hide and get away.

My brain was trying to focus, but my fear took over. I felt anxiety building, so I sat on the ground to calm my breaths. I sat with my back against my desk, trying to take deep breaths, but I couldn’t. It felt like I had an elephant on my chest, and I couldn’t breathe at all.

Cat’s face came into my view. “ Ruthie , are you okay? What’s wrong?”

I knew I couldn’t let anyone see me like this, but every time I tried to get words out, nothing happened.

Put your game face on, Ruthie .

I felt sick to my stomach. Then , I felt the gentle nudge of Dash’s wet nose against my face. He pressed closer, his massive body plopping down in my lap. He let out a small whine, shifting his weight closer, like he was trying to protect me or calm me down.

The weight of him was oddly grounding. My fingers slid across his short, soft fur automatically, the sensation familiar—something real, something I could hold onto.

“Ruthie?” Cat’s voice was stronger now, and I could see her staring at me, worried.

Feeling slightly better and able to make words, I finally responded. “ Call Archer .”