Page 81 of Shadow Undercover

Bridget’s breath caught. Good grief. Hugo must have hidden his ruthless side or Bridget’s sister would have never dated him.

“Sounds like an invitation we can’t refuse. We’ll follow you in our vehicle,” Trace said.

Heart racing, Bridget waited as the men considered Trace’s counter offer. His delay would allow other operatives to use their own vehicle to trail them. Otherwise, Trace’s teammates wouldn’t have a clue where Hugo took them.

Bridget frowned. Now that she thought about it, Fortress must have some way to keep track of operatives’ locations in the field. What if they were captured by the enemy like Adam and his wife had been? She would ask Trace when they were safe.

“We’ll wait at the garage entrance. The boss won’t extend another invitation.”

Trace looked at Bridget over his shoulder. “Go to the garage,” he said, voice soft. “Text Nico.”

Although she wanted to take him with her, Bridget understood he would cover her until she was out of danger. She spun and hurried toward the garage. Away from Hugo’s men, Bridget texted Nico, explaining what was going on. Seconds later, he replied with a series of letters that didn’t make sense. She’d have to show the message to Trace.

Two minutes passed before Trace rounded the corner and entered the garage. She hurried into his open arms.

“You okay?” he whispered.

She nodded and, using their bodies to block the phone from view, showed him Nico’s message.

“Ben and Nico will follow us.” He kissed her, his touch soft and gentle. Trace lifted his head until his lips brushed hers as he spoke. “You’re doing great.”

She smiled, striving to hide her bone-deep fear. “Let’s get this over with. I have plans tonight that include more kisses with a chaser of hot chocolate.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Trace slid his arm around her waist and led her to the SUV. He checked the vehicle with his tech tool before allowing her inside, then drove from the garage.

As promised, Hugo’s men waited at the garage entrance. When Trace pulled onto the street, the men drove toward the outskirts of town.

Bridget didn’t know if the bug had been removed so she concentrated on mentally following the map she’d memorized of the area. Looked like Hugo’s employees were leading them to the main residence.

Her hands clenched. She had a feeling if Trace failed this portion of the interview, they wouldn’t leave the property alive.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Trace glanced in the rearview mirror. Ben and Nico followed them at a distance. Trace threaded his fingers through Bridget’s and slid into the role he’d been assigned to gain an interview as Hugo’s hitman.

He glanced at the woman by his side and prayed she could handle what she saw and heard over the next few minutes. Sure, she knew his background story and could recite it with ease. Dealing with the killer he had to become for this job wouldn’t be easy. No matter what happened, he would stand between her and harm as long as he drew breath.

Twenty minutes outside of town, Hugo’s men turned onto a dirt road. No other residences were visible on this sorry excuse for a road. Nearly a mile in, a large house came into view. Despite the late hour, lights blazed from windows. He parked a short distance from the other SUV to give himself room to maneuver if he needed to leave in a hurry.

He took his time circling the SUV to open Bridget’s door, noting the guards scattered around the property. He needed infrared satellite images of the hacienda to have a complete picture of the placement of Hugo’s guards and their rotation schedule.

After activating the small comm devices in his ear and Bridget’s, Trace escorted her toward the front door of the hacienda where Hugo’s men waited. “Remember who you are, Bree Ramsey,” Trace murmured.

“No problem. I’m your drop-dead-gorgeous girlfriend.”

He burst into laughter, startling the two guards. In his ear, Nico and Ben chuckled. Bridget’s quip lightened the mood and gave Trace better control of his overprotective instincts where she was concerned. This woman would be an asset in the field. If he had his way, though, she’d never do fieldwork again. Trace preferred her safe behind a computer screen and keyboard. If anything happened to Bridget, it would gut him.

When they reached the landing, Trace stopped Bridget and stared at the men. His girl remained silent as she waited for him to indicate the next move.

“Come inside,” the taller, thinner of the two men said. “The boss is waiting.”

“Lead the way.” He refused to have these two bruisers behind him.

Hugo’s men looked at each other. The bulky one shrugged. Thin Man scowled but must have decided Trace wouldn’t back down. He and his buddy turned, opened the double doors, and stepped inside.

Trace escorted Bridget inside the house. At a glance, he took in the beautiful stone floor, heavy, ornate furniture, and oil paintings on the walls. The place was filled with antiques. More proof of Hugo’s obsession in collecting beautiful, unique objects or just a personal preference for the Old World look?

As he cataloged the interior, he also noted the areas offering the greatest threat to their safety. Too many shadows and closed doors. Too many places for people to hide. Odd that the place seemed gloomy despite the lights that blazed everywhere Trace looked.

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