Page 106 of Shadow Undercover

She disappeared inside the room. Trace kept his back to the room as the supermodel scrambled to change clothes in the time he’d allotted her.

“Thirty seconds,” he said over his shoulder.

Ruth reappeared in the doorway, dressed in black jeans and a black long-sleeved shirt, her feet stuffed in black boots. “I don’t have anything to put over my hair.”

“We’ll make do. We’re ready, Nico.”

“Go. Ben is waiting at the back entrance.”

“Copy.” He turned to Bridget and Ruth. “Time to go. Do everything I tell you. My teammate, Ben, is waiting for us. I’ll go first. Stay behind me.”

“You follow Trace,” Bridget said to Ruth. “I’ll bring up the rear until we’re with Ben.”

Trace’s gut knotted. Although he understood her reasoning, he hated for Bridget to use her body as a shield for her sister. “Be as quiet as you can.” With that last warning, he led the way down the hall and toward the staircase.

He motioned for Ruth and Bridget to press their backs to the wall before he opened the door and listened. More pounding feet. He scowled. Not what he wanted to hear. “Got company in the south stairwell.”

“Copy. Ben.”

“On the way. Ten seconds.”

Trace glanced at the women. “Get down.”

The door burst open and one of Hugo’s guards barreled out of the stairwell, weapon clutched in his hand. As the door closed behind him, Trace heard another guard racing up the stairs. Praying Ben would reach the second man before he got off a shot, Trace shifted toward the guard as he turned in the direction of the women with a leer on his face.

He slammed his fist into the guard’s esophagus. Hugo’s man staggered back, hands clutching his throat as he fought to breathe, eyes bulging with futile effort.

Before Trace pivoted to face the new threat from the stairwell, he heard the distinctive snap of a stun gun, followed by a heavy thud.

Spinning, weapon up and ready, his mouth gaped when he saw another guard on the ground, motionless except for spasmodic twitching. Trace’s gaze locked with Bridget’s. “You have a stun gun?”

She opened her hand to show him what he’d mistakenly thought was a tube of lipstick. “Courtesy of Veronica.”

He grinned. “Good job, sweetheart.” He opened the door to the stairwell again and listened. Nothing this time. “Wait,” he murmured to the sisters. On the landing, he peered into the stairwell and saw his teammate at the bottom of the stairs.

“Clear,” Ben murmured.

Excellent. Trace signaled for Ruth and Bridget to go ahead of him. “Ben’s waiting.”

As they passed two more of Hugo’s downed men, Ruth muttered, “Creeps.” The supermodel didn’t look back at their bodies or act as though the sight of the men bothered her. Maybe she didn’t realize they were dead.

As Ruth reached first floor, Ben murmured something to her. She nodded and fell in behind him. After confirming the coast was clear, Ben led the way from the stairwell, weapon in his hand.

Ben and Ruth were at the back door when Bridget and Trace entered the kitchen. As they crossed the open space, Ben said into the comm system, “At the back door with the package.”

“Copy,” Remy said. “You’re clear at the moment, but there’s movement at the side of the house.”

Ben glanced back. Trace tossed him the SUV key fob and motioned for him to go. They couldn’t stay in the house much longer. Hugo’s men were everywhere. It was a miracle more men hadn’t stumbled across them. The crime boss must have beefed up his security detail for the dinner and wedding.

“On the move,” Ben said. He reached back and clasped Ruth’s hand before reconfirming they were clear. He tugged her into the night alive with screams, shouts, and gunfire.

“Incoming,” Joe snapped.

Bridget’s eyes widened, fear filling their depths as she glanced at Trace.

“We’ll handle it.” He moved to the door and checked that they were clear for the moment, grabbed Bridget’s hand, and raced for his SUV. “Equipment?” he asked.

“In the cargo hold.” This from Ben as he climbed into the driver’s seat.

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