Page 65 of Shadow Undercover

Bridget smiled. “Thanks for jumping in to help, Remy.” This one sounded like a serious southern charmer.

Ben broke in. “We’ll drop off the car after I’m allowed to take it. Might be a while, though, since it’s in the center of a crime scene.”

She winced. “If you aren’t able to take it soon, I’ll need my shiny new larger salary to pay the parking fee.”

He chuckled. “We’ll drive your car out of there before your bill is the size of a third-world country’s budget.”

She hoped so. The lot fee would add up quickly.

“Trace, I’ll let you know when the bomb is defused.”

“Copy that. Thanks, man. Watch yourself.”

“Yep.” He ended the call.

Bridget twisted to face Trace. “Will he be all right?” Although she didn’t know Ben and the rest of Shadow well, she didn’t want anything to happen to them.

“He’s one of the best EOD men around.”

“EOD?”

“Explosive ordinance disposal.”

Her eyes widened. “That’s his role in Shadow?”

He nodded. “He’ll be fine.”

She hoped he was right. Bridget lapsed into silence for the rest of the drive to Veronica’s house. As he turned off the engine, the front door opened and the largest man Bridget had ever seen appeared in the doorway. “Who is that?”

“Adam, Veronica’s husband.”

Now Bridget understood why the others said only an idiot would go after Adam. He looked intimidating.

As she and Trace walked closer to the mountain of a man, Bridget became aware of scars marring the surface of Adam’s skin. Good grief. What had he survived? Were the scars courtesy of his captors in Mexico? He’d been a handsome man once. Now, his appearance was fierce. He wasn’t a man she’d want to meet in a dark alley.

Adam held out his hand to Trace. “Good to see you. I hear we’re going after the Torino organization.”

Trace introduced Bridget. “Hugo kidnapped her sister.”

The operative’s dark gaze assessed her. “We’ll find her and bring her home,” he said, tone gentle. “While we’re at it, we’ll destroy the Torino empire.”

“Sounds like a perfect plan. Thank you for allowing me to steal a little time with your wife.”

His eyes brightened at her mention of Veronica. “Come inside. She’s waiting for you.” Adam motioned for them to precede him into the house.

Bridget glanced around, fascinated with the simple decor. The living room furniture was covered with chocolate brown leather. The walls were decorated with photographs of Adam and a dark-haired woman she assumed was Veronica. The love they felt for each other was so apparent that looking at the pictures felt like a violation of their privacy. “Your wife is beautiful.”

“That’s sweet of you to say,” a feminine voice said. “Thank you. You must be Bridget.”

She and Trace turned toward the woman descending the stairs. “I am. Thanks for agreeing to help me become someone else.”

“I’m glad to do it. Trace and his teammates have backed up for our team many times over the past year.” She smiled at her husband. “Adam, take Trace into the kitchen and ply him with coffee and food while you learn about this mission. I’ll bring Bridget downstairs when we’re finished.” Veronica kissed her husband, her hand cupping his badly scarred cheek.

She turned to Bridget, her gaze assessing. “Let’s see what we can come up with. How attached are you to being a blond?”

“Hey.” Trace scowled. “I love her hair, Vonnie.”

“Tough. We want to keep her alive. To do that, she needs to look totally different.” Veronica nudged Bridget toward the stairs. “Stay down here, Trace. I want you to get the full effect when we return.”

---