Page 39 of Shadow Undercover

Two empty boxes sat in the center of the bed, snapshots scattered across the rumpled surface. Bridget suspected several pictures were missing. Only Ruth knew which photos were in these boxes and which were in her New York City apartment.

As in Bridget’s room, photos of Ruth had been taken from the walls. The thief hadn’t disturbed the photos of their parents.

Bridget’s gaze swung to Trace. “What now?”

“Call the police and report the break-in to have it on record. Tell the dispatcher you have a friend with you who is armed. I don’t want to end up in jail tonight while the cops figure out what’s going on.”

She didn’t want that, either. “I’ll have to go to the kitchen. I don’t have a cell phone now. Mine is in my purse somewhere in Chile.” And that was something else she needed to deal with along with obtaining replacement ID and canceling her credit and debit cards.

“I’ll arrange for another cell phone.”

Her eyes widened. “You don’t have to do that.”

He cupped her cheek with one rough palm. His thumb brushed over her bottom lip, making the nerves tingle. “Yeah, I think I do.”

Not sure what to say, she headed for the stairs, her heart racing. Good grief. One touch from the handsome sniper and Bridget was ready to melt into his arms. What was wrong with her?

Trace followed her to the kitchen and propped one shoulder against the wall as she called the police. When the dispatcher answered, Bridget said, “I’d like to report a break-in. My name is Bridget Monihan. I live at 2501 Maple Creek Road. Tell the responding officers that I have a friend with me who is armed. His name is Trace and he’s about six foot four with dark hair and eyes.” She listened a moment. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll tell him.”

After she ended the call, Bridget said, “The police will be here in about five minutes. The dispatcher says to be sure your hands are clearly visible and to secure your weapon. The officers may confiscate your gun while they’re here.”

Her gaze swept over him. “I didn’t think to tell her about your knife. Will that be a problem?”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry.”

“Easy for you to say. I, on the other hand, will never forgive myself if you end up in jail. If you’re a guest of the Gray Bar Motel, I’ll pay your bail.” She prayed that wouldn’t be necessary. Ruth had cleaned out Bridget’s account. Good thing she was due a paycheck next week.

Trace rolled his eyes and touched his ear piece. “Knock it off,” he muttered.

Okay, that was seriously annoying. She plucked his communication device off his ear and clipped it to her own. She heard the members of his team laughing. “What is so funny?” she asked.

Sam replied a moment later when the laughter faded. “Joe told Trace to give you the Fortress lawyer’s number.”

Her brows knitted. “Why?”

“When we have run-ins with the law while we’re at home, it seems as though Trace is the one who ends up needing the attorney. Although he’s never been charged, it’s become a standing joke.”

“Are you and the others coming inside now?”

“No,” Nico said. “We’ll keep an eye on things out here in case someone shows more than the normal curiosity about the cops showing up.”

“I have several older neighbors, friends of my parents, who will feel it’s their duty to check on me. They’ve stepped up to fill in the gap since our parents died a few years ago. Don’t scare them.”

“We’re looking for younger men who don’t fit into the neighborhood.”

“That’s easy. There aren’t any younger men around here. My neighbors are either geriatric or middle-aged with young kids. No teenagers or early twenties for a two-block radius. The Maple Creek subdivision is an older, established neighborhood. That’s why strangers stand out.”

“I’m glad they’re protective.” Nico paused. “The police are at the curb. Give Trace the comm device.”

“I want my own gear bag,” she said.

He chuckled. “We’ll arrange something for you.”

She handed Trace the ear piece. “The police are here.”

At that moment, her doorbell rang.

He listened to one of his teammates for a second before motioning for her to open the door.

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