Chapter 10 #3
They’d stayed at the hospital until the wee hours while Dr. Ransom performed delicate reconstructive surgery on Ireland’s ear.
The prognosis was good. There would be some residual scarring, which would fade into thin silvery lines over time, but unless someone knew to look for the signs, the injury would likely go unnoticed.
Eva was grateful to have such a gifted surgeon as a trusted and dear friend.
Life with Gideon had truly given her so much.
So many opportunities. Introductions to wonderful people and experiences.
And most precious: a deep, abiding love that cherished even her flaws.
She was newly determined to reframe her thinking so that she focused more on her blessings than on their cost. She was ashamed to have ever lost sight of what was truly most important.
By the time she and Gideon had stepped wearily through their front door just before dawn, the authorities had vacated their home.
Their phones were still tapped in case the suspect at large contacted them again, but with the hostage situation over, the authorities had reassigned their personnel to more immediate and pressing investigative tasks.
Her father and Shelley had helped the NYPD in removing their equipment and personnel, and then they’d finally gone home together.
The FBI, alongside the police commissioner, had given a press briefing outside of the hospital, revealing the identities of the three men who’d appeared in the widely circulated footage of the kidnapping and informing the public that the third perpetrator was now deceased.
The tip line remained open and the public was encouraged to call with any information about the abductors, but the agency had elected not to reveal that there was a fourth suspect.
They wanted that individual to believe their existence wasn’t known, so they didn’t run or go to ground.
It was quiet now, but it wasn’t over.
Lifting the steaming coffee to her lips, Eva took a tentative sip and took stock of their home. The temperature in the penthouse was cooler than she liked, a necessary adjustment when the space had been filled with an unusually large number of people who needed to stay alert for long hours.
“Lauren,” she called out to their AI assistant. “Raise the thermostat to seventy-three degrees, please.”
“You betcha,” the machine answered cheerfully, and a moment later, Eva heard the rush of warm air pushing through the vents.
Newly reminded of the airy modulated voice used to call Gideon during the kidnapping, Eva felt a chill through her gray silk robe that had nothing to do with the temperature. She took another sip of fortifying caffeine and forced her thoughts in a different direction.
The officers, agents, and techs who’d been stationed in their home had been respectful, but there were two dishwashers filled with coffee mugs, the marks of dozens of footsteps in their rugs, and a general sense of unusually heavy use in the cushions of their sofa and chairs.
The penthouse was left with an odd feeling of desertion, the sudden peace contrasting sharply with the frenetic energy of before.
Being at home so late in the morning for a third day in a row contributed to the deepening of her disorientation.
It felt like it should be Saturday, a day to catch one’s breath and relish the simple joy of knowing you had one more night without a ringing alarm to wake you. But that was a cruel illusion.
The reality was that her husband was suffocating beneath the weight of guilt while trying to hide his inner conflict from her.
He’d hardly been able to speak to Ireland, and Eva had watched as he’d hesitated to even hold her hand.
When Dr. Earnshaw had informed them of Ireland’s injuries, she’d seen and felt the tension grip her husband.
Gideon always moved with sleek, powerful fluidity, but after speaking with the doctor, he’d become stiff and robotic.
And he remained that way. Watching him yank on his robe earlier had clued her in. To see him so uncomfortable in his body and to perceive the anger and recrimination he was so fiercely directing at himself… It hurt her deeply.
She would defend him from any threat, but how could she protect him from himself?
As long as she’d known him, Gideon had been confident in his ability to navigate any challenge because he always could.
Determination and keen intelligence enabled him to circumvent or eliminate obstacles.
Even in the early days of their relationship, when they’d both been challenged to fundamentally change the way they communicated and coped so they could be together, he’d attacked the transformation by believing it was possible and that he would succeed.
Now, he was lost and anchorless, riddled with self-doubt. She could see it in his eyes; the place where she’d always seen his incredible strength of will was now devoid of that spark.
Was she responsible for the first crack in his foundation?
He’d been devastated to learn that she’d held off trying for another child after their miscarriage because she was concerned that they would always be targeted with credible threats.
He took that to mean he was failing to protect her enough to feel safe.
The second crack came with the threatening note found at their beach house.
Ireland’s kidnapping had widened those cracks, but hearing the litany of injuries she’d suffered had been a devastating blow to her husband.
All in a single week.
Did Gideon also view Boudreaux’s takeover of Vidal Records as his personal failure? Eva worried that her husband was wondering what good he was to anyone.
Walking toward the terrace doors, she blew a cooling stream of air over the top of her mug and looked out at the cloudless sky over Central Park.
Elizabeth’s denial of the sexual abuse Gideon suffered as a child left him with a perpetual struggle for both self-worth and a safe space.
He’d strategically built his power and prestige to ensure he would never be vulnerable again, which afforded him the ability to protect everyone he loved from harm.
Some men could be as successful without intrusive public interest, but Gideon’s father, Geoffrey Cross, was infamous for the brazenness and scope of his Ponzi scheme.
There’d never been any possibility of success without scrutiny for Gideon.
That he was so spectacularly gorgeous drew and held attention, too.
And their love for each other held particular fascination for some.
Having so many eyes on him all the time ensured that some of that attention was malicious.
He was not to blame for the evil directed their way, but Eva knew her husband was shouldering that responsibility regardless.
A buzzing in the kitchen was recognizable as her phone ringing, and she hurried back to where she’d left it by the coffeemaker, careful not to spill coffee on the rugs. She was less lucky putting the mug down, splashing some of the creamy liquid on the counter.
She was relieved to see the name displayed on the screen.
“Hello,” she answered. “Thank you so much for getting back to me, Dr. Petersen.”
“You simply beat me to it, Eva.” Her therapist’s familiar voice had an immediate soothing effect. “Once I heard that your sister-in-law had been found, I planned to reach out later this afternoon. I expect you and Gideon still have quite a bit on your plates this morning.”
She glanced toward the hallway that led to Gideon’s office. Edoardo was in there with her husband discussing how to manage the volume of media requests that had snowballed since news of her sister-in-law’s safe return had leaked. Everyone wanted an interview with Ireland and Gideon.
“Is it possible for us to come by your office today?” she asked. “I know we’ll see you tomorrow, but I’m really worried about Gideon.”
The authorities were hopeful that evidence collected at the scene of Ireland’s captivity—including footage from the building’s CCTV—would lead to an identification.
Unfortunately, they’d discovered that the cameras covering the two units on the floor where Ireland had been held—both presently unoccupied—had been replaced by something that streamed a static video of the hallway on a loop.
Their security team had discussed the IP camera emulation technique with Gideon, who understood the complexities of it.
Eva had merely gotten the gist. Thankfully, the other cameras in the building were functioning properly.
It would just take longer to sift through the recordings to find anyone who’d entered the elevator or stairwell but was never captured exiting on any other floor.
It was yet another example of how technically proficient the abductors were, and she knew her husband wouldn’t be able to rest until everyone involved was apprehended.
“He’s been on my mind, too.” Dr. Petersen’s voice was kind. “Have you shared your thoughts with him?”
Running a hand through her disheveled hair, she confessed, “We haven’t had much time alone.
Not for days now. We were at the hospital most of last night.
Ireland’s being released today, but we needed to be there for her.
And Gideon’s still at the point where he’s trying to act like everything’s fine. ”
“I expected this would be especially difficult for him. Has he had any outbursts of uncontrolled anger?”
“Well…yes.” She thought of him scuffling with Ronan Boudreaux at the masquerade once he’d learned that Ireland had been taken. “But I can’t say he hasn’t had reason.”
“Are you surprised he was so angry, even with good reason to be?”