Page 102 of Shadow Undercover

Bridget kissed Trace. Against his lips, she whispered, “I’ll be fine. Go.”

He trailed the backs of his fingers down her cheek and stood. Trace followed the guard to Hugo who waited for him at the front of the room. Ned Wallace stood by his side, displeasure evident on his face.

Was he unhappy with Trace’s presence or the corner Hugo had backed him into? After that rousing introduction earlier, Wallace couldn’t keep his presence under wraps. The city’s movers and shakers had been in this room and now they knew Wallace was connected to Hugo.

She scanned the room as the catering staff collected dishes and glasses from the tables along with the decorations and tablecloths. Her attention shifted to the doorway through which Fernando had taken her sister.

When the wait staff arrived at her table, Bridget walked into the hallway. She didn’t know how long Trace would be gone and was reluctant to wander far.

She crossed the hall to examine a large oil painting of a beautiful pastoral scene. Such beauty in a house filled with ugliness. Through her ear piece, Bridget heard Hugo finalizing the chemical weapon deal. When the price and delivery time were agreed upon, Wallace laid into Hugo for making him a spectacle.

While he took the crime boss to task, Bridget heard a scuffle somewhere down the hall. A woman’s scream was cut off abruptly.

She gasped. Oh, man. Bridget knew that scream anywhere. She heard it whenever Ruth caught sight of a spider in their house. “Nico, Ruth just screamed.”

“Stay in position,” he ordered. “I’ll check with Zane. He’s watching the satellite feed.”

What good would that do? “It’s dark outside.”

“It’s infrared, meaning it detects heat signatures. Can you tell how far Ruth is from you?”

“Down the hall.” A door opened. Bridget turned, then averted her gaze when Fernando stalked to the opposite end of the hall, opened a door to a back stairwell, and disappeared from view. “Fernando, the dude who dragged Ruth away, just left a room three doors away from my location.”

“Hold your position,” Nico repeated. “That’s an order.”

So close. “Yes, sir.” As much as she longed to go to her sister, Bridget didn’t want to endanger Trace or his teammates.

One minute passed. Two. Three minutes passed before Nico said, “Ruth is alone in the room. I know you want to go to her. You have to wait. You can’t forget there are cameras everywhere. Someone from Hugo’s security team is watching you.”

A ball of ice formed in her stomach. She had forgotten. She wasn’t an operative or trained to think like one. Bridget examined another work of art closer to the room where Ruth was being held. She had been staring at the other painting long enough that she would arouse suspicion if she didn’t shift to another one.

Instead of a painting, this drawing was of a lighthouse at the edge of a stormy sea. The scene was powerful, the drawing so masterfully done, she almost felt as though the rain would fall on her face any moment.

She searched for the artist’s signature. She wouldn’t be able to afford a similar drawing, but that wouldn’t stop her from looking. Perhaps the artist had sales occasionally.

Bridget found the signature. MJ Powers. She vowed to look up the artist online once she and Ruth were on US soil.

Adam Walker’s voice broke into the silence surrounding Hugo’s heated argument with Wallace. “Phantom is in position. Ready to rock and roll, Nico.”

“Copy. Bridget, get ready to go to your sister. Trace, your priority is Hugo. The feds have agents in position to capture Wallace.”

At that moment, Hugo’s voice came through the comm system. “Benito, once you escort Mr. Wallace to the door, you and Fernando bring Ms. Ramsey to me.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

Trace stared at Hugo. What game was he playing now? “Bree is not part of my working life. If you have a job for me, I’ll take care of it. She won’t be part of my services. I protect what’s mine.” He wouldn’t hesitate to take a bullet if it saved her life.

“I’m addicted to her touch. She must give me another massage before my wedding. I must be in top form for my wife tonight. Once your woman is finished, you and Ms. Ramsey will witness my wedding to the lovely Roxanne. I insist.”

This creep wanted Bree’s hands on him again? Too bad for him Trace refused to let Bridget near him. Phantom and Shadow were ready as soon as Ben completed his first assignment. His teammate better get the job done before Bridget touched the crime boss again. The last time she had her hands on Hugo, she spent thirty minutes in the shower washing the feel of his skin from her hands.

“What’s going on here, Torino?” Wallace asked. “Who is this man?”

“Ah, how remiss of me. This is Trace Rawlins, my enforcer. Mr. Rawlins, Ned Wallace.”

A scowl. “Why is a hired gun sitting in on our negotiations?”

“If you had been a federal agent or foolish enough to cheat me, Mr. Rawlins would have killed you before you stepped foot outside my home.” He smiled. “After the payment had been transferred.”

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