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She’d been hoping only Bart’s phone was compromised, but it looked like whoever was pulling the strings had more details than they should. As much as she’d argued this wasn’t only about her, the new text proved Ross was probably right.
Carson knelt to pick up her phone. “What is it?”
“Just jittery,” she said with a brittle smile. “Without being obvious, can you tell me if there are any strangers in here?”
His gaze narrowed when she showed him the text.
He impressed her with his lack of reaction to both her request and the threat glowing on her cell phone screen:
Greetingsvostra altezza. It seems another pawn has sacrificed himself for you. Cooperate and the suffering will end.
“What’svostra altezza?”
“It means ‘your highness’ in Italian.”
“I see.” Carson returned her phone, his hand steady and his lips set in a grim line. “Forward that to your boss. I’ll alert the sheriff.”
“Well?”
“Well, what?”
“Is there anyone you don’t know sitting around here?”
He sat down beside her, draping his arm across the back of her chair. With the ease of an actor secure in his role, he sent the sheriff a text and then balanced the phone on his knee while he waited for a reply. “Nope. Same faces I’ve seen all my life.”
That was a whole different kind of scary in Eva’s opinion. It should have been a comfort, being able to quickly discern who belonged and who didn’t. Instead, the concept baffled her.
“Has anyone left the room since that message arrived?”
“No one’s moved.” She scanned the room again. “No one’s too interested in us. Well, aside from that couple.”
He nodded and smiled in the general direction of the couple in question. “The Shepards. She’s my mother’s cousin. Quite the scandal when she married astranger.” He dropped his voice to a whisper on that last word. “They probably think I’m cozied up to you to make Shannon jealous.”
Were they cozied up? “Is she the jealous type?”
“Not about me,” he muttered, distracted by the sudden flash of an incoming call on his cell phone.
They were close enough she could hear the sheriff’s voice barking at Carson through the phone. She shook her head when she heard the order to leave the hospital immediately.
“Not until I see Bart,” she whispered.
He signaled her to hush and patted her knee. She glared. The man had a death wish. She would leave the hospital once she saw Bart was safe and not a moment before.
Her cell phone hummed again. She read the text, not surprised Ross was on the sheriff’s side, but at least his message offered a small consolation. Her boss understood her all too well.
He’s fine. I’m standing guard at his door until Rick arrives. Go. Hide. Fight.
She wanted to argue, but couldn’t. Ross hadn’t been on that mission, Morcos wouldn’t consider him a target. And she couldn’t track him down without decent internet access.
Resigned, she tilted the phone for Carson. He nodded and, with the phone still to his ear, they left the hospital waiting room together. He made her wait while he pulled the car to the door. When she was safe in the passenger seat, he pocketed his phone and asked for hers.
“Why?”
“The sheriff says Ross will get you another one. They think the sniper or whoever hired him will use it to track your location.”
She wasn’t buying that excuse. “Like that would be a challenge. He already knows I’m inHaleswood. Not a lot of places to hide here.” She sensed Carson didn’t want to push her and belatedly recognized his primary concern. “Stop coddling me. I’m not going to have a nervous breakdown because some jerk is sending me threatening text messages.”
He stared at her; or rather she assumed he was staring at her. His eyes were shielded by his dark, county-issue sunglasses. It was kind of sexy in a masculine mystery and power sort of way. She swallowed. “I’ll admit the message rattled me if you admit it’s been a difficult day.”
