Taking Eve(33)

“Shot? Hell, no. How is Eve?”

“Strange you went straight from Jane’s being shot to Eve. Or is it strange, Venable?”

“Is Eve okay?”

“I don’t know. I can’t get in touch with her.”

Venable muttered a curse.

“Exactly how I feel,” Joe said. “No voice mail. She was supposed to call me from Atlanta International and hasn’t. So I’m putting it in your camp, Venable. I’m calling the police officer I had keeping an eye on her, but I want one of your people on the job, too.”

“I don’t know if we have any CIA agents in the area.”

“No? Then get them there. Fast.”

“Eve may be fine, Quinn. There could be any number of reasons why you can’t reach her.”

“Then find her, get her to call me.”

“I’m not arguing. I’ll look into it for you.”

“How generous.”

“It is generous. I don’t have to do it. You’ve no proof I have any involvement in any of this. So back off, Quinn.”

“I’m not backing off. First, go find Eve and keep her safe until you put her on a plane to the island. Then call me and tell me how and why you’re pulling strings that caused Jane to end up with a bullet in her.”

Silence. “I’m sorry about Jane, Quinn. I hope she’ll be okay. If I can help, let me know.”

“I’ve told you how you can help us. Get Eve on that plane so that she can get to Jane.”

“I’ll do my best. I’ll call you as soon as I make contact with her.” He hung up.

Venable had sounded genuinely sorry. Hell, he probably was regretting that Jane had been hurt, and Eve—No, don’t think about what might be happening to Eve. He couldn’t be certain that she was in danger. Keep calm. He’d call Ron, the officer who had been on patrol at the cottage, then hang tight until he heard back from both Venable and him. By that time he should have been able to find out if Jane was going to survive and take charge of what was happening there on the island.

Keep busy, he told himself. It could work out. He was doing the right thing.

No, he wasn’t. There couldn’t be anything right about flying away from Eve no matter what the emergency on the other end. So what if it was what she’d want him to do? Eve was the center of his being. Ignore everything but that fact and tell the pilot to turn around and go back to Miami.

Jane.

Jane was the one known victim. How could he abandon her?

He drew a deep, harsh breath and started to dial Ron’s mobile phone. There was a chance the policeman had seen her leave or could reassure him she was safe.

Know something, dammit.

Tell me I’m jumping to conclusions.

Know something, anything.

* * *

INTENT DARK EYES STARING down at her.

A faint flicker of emotion in those eyes. Relief?

Strange …

Jane knew those eyes. They frightened her.

Or did they? She had never admitted that fear to herself. Perhaps it wasn’t fear of Caleb but wariness of the way he made her feel. He always knew too much. What would happen if she let him invade her space?

Too close. He always came too close …

“Stop frowning,” Caleb said roughly. “Stop pushing me away. I’m trying to help you. Are you hurting? Devon gave you a sedative. You shouldn’t be uncomfortable.”

Why should she be hurting? Yet she was aware of a dull ache in her upper right shoulder.

An explosion of pain, then darkness.

“I’m … all right. Bullet?”

He nodded. “Sniper. Shooting from one of the hangars. It happened a little over three hours ago.”

Sniper. It was like something from a war movie, she thought hazily. And it made no sense at all. She couldn’t comprehend any of it. “Why?”

“I don’t know.” His lips tightened. “I haven’t been able to go after the bastard. I couldn’t leave you.”

And it had made him angry, she realized. “Why? Am I dying?”

“No. Devon says that she thinks you’re going to be okay. The bullet went through your shoulder and didn’t appear to damage any organs. Devon doesn’t like or trust the local village doctor, so she’s arranging for an air ambulance to take you to a hospital in San Juan. But you scared us. You wouldn’t stop bleeding. Devon had to give you a transfusion.” He smiled crookedly. “Margaret wanted to donate her blood, but I’m universal, so Devon took mine.”

“I would have preferred Margaret.”

He nodded. “I know. But you have to take what’s available. I’m very much available.” He stood up. “I have to go and tell Devon and Margaret you’re awake. They made me promise. They wanted to hover, but I told them that you’d do better to wake with someone you knew.” His dark eyes were suddenly gleaming. “I told them you’d feel safer.”