Joe.”
“Ah, progress.”
“Don’t let it go to your head. I adore puppies and kittens too.”
He laughed. “Adore the man, gorgeous, but not for believing in you. You’d never do anything to hurt Sara, and harming Robert would. If Jeff were thinking clearly, he’d remember that and that it’d be a violation of your faith. Not happening.”
Exactly what she needed. Exactly. Was that one of Nora’s signs? Had to be, for goodness’ sake. “Can you come?” Her voice came out weak. She resented that but couldn’t seem to stop herself.
“I’m doing everything I can to help. I’ll fill you in on what that is when I can. But I can’t get down there immediately. Wish I could, but I—I just can’t.”
“It’s okay. I understand.” In his job, he couldn’t call in someone to take over.
“You do, but you’re upset anyway, and I don’t blame you. Beth, believe me when I tell you that you want me where I am right now.”
Doing all he could already. She processed that. “You’re looking for Robert.”
“Mark told me you were a smart woman. I knew it from our talks, but I think you might be smart and intuitive. I love your mind, sha, but I’m going to have to remember that.”
Her heart fluttered. Don’t feel special. Don’t you dare . “What you need to remember is to be careful.”
“I will. You too—and watch what you say. It’s amazing how twisted up things get.”
“That’s what Nora said. Well, actually, she told me to keep my mouth shut.”
“Wise woman.”
“Yes, she is. I’ll work on it. Holding my tongue isn’t easy.” She paused. “Joe, what if Karl Masson did this? He could be working with NINA again, or on his own.”
“Factoring that.”
A cold chill swept through her. Joe was working on that too. “Be very careful.” They knew only too well NINA’s capabilities and Masson’s specifically.
“I will.”
“And smart.”
“I’ll try.”
“And—”
He chuckled. “Careful or I’m going to think you adore me more than puppies.”
Maybe she did. “If I were as smart as you say, I’d toss out a pithy comeback, but I don’t have it in me right now. I want you safe. So don’t mess up my already awful day by getting yourself hurt. I don’t need the added stress.”
He laughed. “I’ll do my best not to inconvenience you.”
“I appreciate it.” Jeff came in. Grim and solemn. “I have to go.”
“Soon, sha.”
Beth hung up and held the phone in her hand rather than making a production of stuffing it into her pocket, praying Jeff wouldn’t notice it. “What’s up?”
“An update on Sara.”
Beth jumped to her feet. “Is she—?”
“Peggy and Harvey are with her. She’s fighting hard.”
“She’s still critical?”
“She had a secondary attack, Beth. She survived it, but it’s taken a toll.”
Beth sagged down on the sofa. “Will she make it?”
“It’s too soon to tell.” Jeff rubbed his fingers at his side. “Harvey says you need to be prepared …”
Karl Masson had done all he could to prepare. The kids were with his mother-in-law and tucked away where they’d never be found. They had money, a nice house, and college funds—everything he could do from a distance in case Raven decided to kill him. That she was having him drive to Seagrove Village wasn’t a good sign, and knowing it didn’t offer any alternative choices. That irritated him.
Driving the red rental sedan down Highway 98, he passed the spot where he’d worked over Annie Harper during the Lisa Harper operation.
He’d done few things in his life he could feel good about, but giving Annie CPR that day was one of them. Though if he’d known her daughter, Lisa, was going to wreck the entire NINA trafficking operation, he’d have let Annie die. “Lesson learned. Show no mercy.” In the green glow from the dash, he grabbed his phone and dialed Raven.
She answered on the third ring. “Yes?”
Two in the morning and she sounded fully alert. Did the
“Ah, progress.”
“Don’t let it go to your head. I adore puppies and kittens too.”
He laughed. “Adore the man, gorgeous, but not for believing in you. You’d never do anything to hurt Sara, and harming Robert would. If Jeff were thinking clearly, he’d remember that and that it’d be a violation of your faith. Not happening.”
Exactly what she needed. Exactly. Was that one of Nora’s signs? Had to be, for goodness’ sake. “Can you come?” Her voice came out weak. She resented that but couldn’t seem to stop herself.
“I’m doing everything I can to help. I’ll fill you in on what that is when I can. But I can’t get down there immediately. Wish I could, but I—I just can’t.”
“It’s okay. I understand.” In his job, he couldn’t call in someone to take over.
“You do, but you’re upset anyway, and I don’t blame you. Beth, believe me when I tell you that you want me where I am right now.”
Doing all he could already. She processed that. “You’re looking for Robert.”
“Mark told me you were a smart woman. I knew it from our talks, but I think you might be smart and intuitive. I love your mind, sha, but I’m going to have to remember that.”
Her heart fluttered. Don’t feel special. Don’t you dare . “What you need to remember is to be careful.”
“I will. You too—and watch what you say. It’s amazing how twisted up things get.”
“That’s what Nora said. Well, actually, she told me to keep my mouth shut.”
“Wise woman.”
“Yes, she is. I’ll work on it. Holding my tongue isn’t easy.” She paused. “Joe, what if Karl Masson did this? He could be working with NINA again, or on his own.”
“Factoring that.”
A cold chill swept through her. Joe was working on that too. “Be very careful.” They knew only too well NINA’s capabilities and Masson’s specifically.
“I will.”
“And smart.”
“I’ll try.”
“And—”
He chuckled. “Careful or I’m going to think you adore me more than puppies.”
Maybe she did. “If I were as smart as you say, I’d toss out a pithy comeback, but I don’t have it in me right now. I want you safe. So don’t mess up my already awful day by getting yourself hurt. I don’t need the added stress.”
He laughed. “I’ll do my best not to inconvenience you.”
“I appreciate it.” Jeff came in. Grim and solemn. “I have to go.”
“Soon, sha.”
Beth hung up and held the phone in her hand rather than making a production of stuffing it into her pocket, praying Jeff wouldn’t notice it. “What’s up?”
“An update on Sara.”
Beth jumped to her feet. “Is she—?”
“Peggy and Harvey are with her. She’s fighting hard.”
“She’s still critical?”
“She had a secondary attack, Beth. She survived it, but it’s taken a toll.”
Beth sagged down on the sofa. “Will she make it?”
“It’s too soon to tell.” Jeff rubbed his fingers at his side. “Harvey says you need to be prepared …”
Karl Masson had done all he could to prepare. The kids were with his mother-in-law and tucked away where they’d never be found. They had money, a nice house, and college funds—everything he could do from a distance in case Raven decided to kill him. That she was having him drive to Seagrove Village wasn’t a good sign, and knowing it didn’t offer any alternative choices. That irritated him.
Driving the red rental sedan down Highway 98, he passed the spot where he’d worked over Annie Harper during the Lisa Harper operation.
He’d done few things in his life he could feel good about, but giving Annie CPR that day was one of them. Though if he’d known her daughter, Lisa, was going to wreck the entire NINA trafficking operation, he’d have let Annie die. “Lesson learned. Show no mercy.” In the green glow from the dash, he grabbed his phone and dialed Raven.
She answered on the third ring. “Yes?”
Two in the morning and she sounded fully alert. Did the
Similar Books
