Page 100 of Shadow Undercover

“Mr. Rawlins, I’m glad to see you’re prompt. I value that quality in an employee.” His gaze shifted to Bridget. “Ms. Ramsey, I trust last evening wasn’t too distressing for you.”

“Thank you for your concern, but I’m fine.”

Her voice was cool and controlled, and tempted Trace to smile at Hugo’s narrowed eyes. The crime boss hadn’t expected Bridget to react as though killing a man was a normal order of business in her world.

“I’m glad to hear it.” Hugo’s lips curved in a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Come. Have a drink and refreshments. Enjoy the fully stocked bar. Dinner will be served at eight.”

“We’ll pass on the drinks.” Trace tightened his hold on Bridget. “I prefer not to cloud my mind when I’m working.”

A slow nod. “A wise choice. And you, Ms. Ramsey? It would be my privilege to escort you to the bar.”

“She stays with me.” Trace didn’t know what Hugo’s game was, but he refused to let this creep separate him from Bridget. The indisputable fact that he wanted his hands on her set off Trace’s alarm bells. Something was going on with that, but what? “I don’t share.”

“I didn’t realize you were the possessive sort.”

“She knew what I was like when we started dating. Bree chose me anyway.”

“I must attend to my other guests. Be available after our dinner is concluded, Mr. Rawlins. I may need you.”

“Yes, sir.” Giving the clown a small bit of courtesy went against Trace’s internal code of ethics. If making nice with the crime boss stopped the sale of a chemical weapon slated to be used against innocent Americans, then he’d suck it up and deal with the necessity.

After Hugo moved off, Trace led Bridget to the opposite side of the room from the bar. They sat at a table in the corner with their backs to the wall. In this place, every person except Bridget was the enemy. He preferred to have his enemies where he could see them.

He waved off a waiter who carried a tray loaded with filled champagne flutes. “Hugo is celebrating something in style.”

“I hate to find out what.” Bridget laid her hand over his on top of the table. “He’s watching us.”

Trace scanned the room, his gaze skimming over Hugo as he continued to evaluate the security in the large ballroom. Bridget was partially right. The crime boss was looking this direction. However, he wasn’t looking at them. No, Hugo was looking at Bridget. Had he recognized her or was this more of his obsessive tendency to covet and collect the unique?

Trace turned to Bridget and kissed her, a stamp of possession and an excuse to avert his face from Hugo. “Nico, we may have a problem.”

“Sit rep,” came the instant reply.

“Torino is watching Bree like a hawk.”

A snort in his ear. “He probably just wants her,” Ben said.

Maybe. It was also possible the gunrunner might have recognized her. Trace controlled his pulse with ruthless determination. He couldn’t afford to be anything except calm. Mental chaos would cost Bridget her life and that wasn’t happening on his watch. She meant too much to him to slip up. “How long?” he asked Nico.

“At least an hour.”

A lot of bad things could happen in an hour. “Copy.”

He carried on a light conversation about movies and books, topics they’d agreed to before she changed clothes for this dinner. Although the conversation was planned, her death grip on his hand eased the longer they talked.

Trace continually scanned the room, alert for trouble. He wouldn’t put it past Hugo to test him again or to insist he carry out an assignment on the spot. In a room full of people, he wouldn’t be able to pull off a ruse like he had with Jose.

Finally, the interminable hour ended and Hugo announced that dinner was ready and would be served immediately. The guests milling around drifted to various tables. Because the room was crowded, Trace wasn’t surprised to find he and Bridget had company at their table.

The other two couples were unaware of Hugo’s identity. The Morenos worked in city politics, one the vice mayor, the other an attorney. Mr. Garcia was a local judge, his pretty, plump wife a stay-at-home mother. Both couples were effusive in their praise of Reuben Garza.

Near the end of the meal, Hugo stood and raised his hand. By degrees, the conversations in the room petered out. “My friends, thank you for coming to celebrate with me. I have two exciting announcements. Join me in welcoming my new business partner, an American of great wealth and power, Mr. Ned Wallace.”

Shock sent ice water through Trace’s veins as applause broke out across the room. His gaze shifted to the man sitting to Hugo’s left, a man whose face was slowly turning an interesting shade of red. Guess Wallace hadn’t planned to be in the spotlight. Made Trace wonder about the crime boss’s motive in making a spectacle of his new business partner.

“Nice to know our quarry is on site,” Joe murmured.

What good would it do? Sure, Shadow had confirmation of Wallace’s location. Right now, Trace couldn’t do anything about it.

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