“Oh, baby.” Holding tight, Chris surveyed the room over Eve’s shoulder. Unlike her sister, she did shudder, for what might have been. “I’m so sorry. But you’re safe.” Anxiously, she held her at arm’s length to study carefully. “You weren’t hurt?”

“No, no, I was nearly out of the building. Reeve said it was just a small plastic bomb. Not much range.”

“A small bomb,” Chris repeated in a whisper, and pulled Eve against her again. “Just a small one.” Her own anger surfaced as she gave her sister a quick shake. “Eve, do you know how it felt to hear about it on the news?”

“I’m sorry, Chris. Everything happened so fast, and I guess I wasn’t thinking straight. I should have called you.”

“Damn right you should have.” Then she let it pass, knowing what Eve’s state of mind must have been. “Brie did. Prince Armand called Dad personally. He was all for hopping on the first plane and dragging you back to Houston.”

“Oh, Chris.”

“You’re safe—only because I convinced him we’d have better luck getting you to listen to me.”

“I’ll call him. Honestly, I never thought the news would get to the States so quickly.”

“I want the whole story, Eve, not the watered-down, public relations version I got on the six o’clock news.” Chris’s voice took on the firm maternal tone she had developed when Eve turned fifteen. “You can give it to me while I drive you back to the palace to pack.”

“I’m not going back, Chris.”

Chris stepped back and pushed her short, thick hair away from her forehead. “Now listen—”

“I love you,” Eve interrupted. “And I understand how you must be feeling right now, looking at all this.” She paused to take another scan of the room herself. The fury came back full force. “But I’m not running away. I came here to produce four plays, and by God, I’m going to produce four plays.”

Chris started to shout, then checked herself. The one way you never got through to Eve was with orders. “Eve, you know how much I respect what you do, what you can do, but it’s painfully obvious that Cordina isn’t safe right now. This isn’t worth risking your life over.”

“The bomb wasn’t planted for me. They only used me to get to the Bissets.” She laid a hand on her sister’s arm. “I can’t go, Chris. I think once I explain everything, you’ll understand.”

“Then you’d better explain real good.”

“I will.” With a smile Eve kissed her cheek. “But not here. We’ll use the theater manager’s office.” Eve urged Chris out into the hall, taking a quick look at her watch as they went. She intended to be back to work within the hour.