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“You aren’t falling apart.”
“I won’t be eating for a few hours. That’s my coping mechanism.”
“I’d rather not eat than dissolve into tears like a weak woman.”
“You’re one of the strongest people I know. You dealt with a difficult situation like a professional operative.” He kissed her, his lips gentle. “You remembered one of the self-defense moves I taught you. Well done.” He stood.
“Where are you going?”
“To buy a soft drink for you.” He left the suite and tapped on Sam and Joe’s door. He handed Sam his key card. “I’m getting a soft drink for Bridget. Keep an eye on her for me.”
“Sure.” She and Joe walked across the hall to the suite, knocked, and let themselves inside.
Trace located a vending machine and purchased two types of soft drinks. Hopefully, one of them would appeal to Bridget.
When he returned to the suite, Trace presented both bottles to Bridget and broke the seal on the drink she chose.
While she sipped, he settled beside her and draped his arm around her shoulders. “She tell you what happened?” he asked his teammates.
“Yeah.” Joe took up position at the balcony door again while Sam sat in an armchair near Bridget. “Difficult situation. Your lady is one tough cookie.”
Yeah, she was. Trace kissed her temple. Bridget would have to be tough if she agreed to be a permanent part of his life. He wasn’t anywhere close to retiring and he had no intention of letting Bridget Monihan get away from him.
“What happened to Jose?” Sam asked.
“Ben and Nico are driving him to another town. He’ll be relocated with his family under a new name.”
“I hope he doesn’t squander his second chance.” Bridget set her drink on the coffee table and snuggled against Trace’s side, head pillowed on his chest.
Sam left the room and returned with a blanket that she draped over Bridget. “Jet lag plus adrenaline dump is hard on your body. Rest a few minutes. Ben and Nico will return soon and we’ll discuss what to do next.”
With a small nod, Bridget sighed and closed her eyes. Within minutes, her body was limp, her breathing light and rhythmic.
Trace tugged the blanket higher on her back and held her tighter. “Everything okay here while we were with Hugo?”
“All quiet,” Joe said, his voice as soft as Trace’s. “Phantom is doing recon at Hugo’s other properties. We asked Z for infrared feed of the five addresses. We should have the data tomorrow morning.”
“We still don’t know where he’s keeping Ruth.” Sam rubbed her temples. “And we don’t have enough operatives to cover all five places at the same time. We have to know her location before we move on Hugo.”
When Bridget’s breathing hitched, Trace cupped the back of her head with one of his big hands. “I’ve got you. You’re safe,” he whispered. Her breathing evened out again.
The operatives lapsed into silence as Bridget slept on. An hour after he and Bridget arrived at the hotel, a light tap sounded on the suite door. Weapon in hand, Sam checked the peephole. “Nico and Ben.” She admitted the two men.
Their gazes went to Bridget. “How is she holding up?” Nico asked.
“Better than I’d hoped. Jose’s safe?”
He nodded. “A friend in the CIA took him off our hands. Jose’s family will mysteriously disappear in a few minutes and the four of them will be relocated with new ID tomorrow night. They’ll be in a safe house with five men on guard for the next 24 hours.”
Ben dropped into the recliner and closed his eyes. “That was fast, smart work, Trace. I thought we might have to take out Hugo and the other clowns.”
“Risky.” Nico eyed Trace. “Your choice might have backfired.”
He shrugged. The gamble was a risk he had to take in order to live with his conscience. “Ben could have taken out the guard who was to confirm that Jose was dead. I planned to play it off as an assassination attempt on Hugo.”
“We’ll bring Joe and Sam up to speed while Bridget sleeps. Once Phantom returns, we’ll meet with them.”
By the time the debriefing ended, Bridget stirred and opened her eyes. She smiled at Trace before she glanced at the other operatives. “Is Jose all right?”
