Page 24 of Illusive
Yes. Given the time to process her fear, Ronan knew Ireland would find the strength to do whatever was necessary to live. Her inner fire burned too brightly to be extinguished without a fight.
But trauma changed a person’s spirit. It forged them in fire and molded them anew in fundamental ways.
He had to believe hischerwould be returned.
But Claudy was right—she wouldn’t be the same woman who’d agreed to meet him at midnight.
Their penthouse was in absolute chaos. Standing by the brewing coffee pot in the kitchen, Eva watched with bleary eyes as the dozen or so NYPD officers and technicians set up shop in her dining room. On the dining table, the threatening notes she and Gideon had received—macabre rewrites of children’s songs—were being photographed, bagged, and logged.
It hurt her heart that Gideon had chosen to carry the weight of such things without her. While she understood that he felt protecting her from harm included shielding her from the emotional blow of seeing Glasgow smiles cut into their photographs, Eva hated that it also meant he was operating without her support.
Turning her head, she looked for the man who was everything to her and found him standing on the terrace with their beagle, Lucky, in his arms. Gideon had removed his jacket and bowtie and was soothing the dog, who’d been barking and baying at all the commotion and strange people invading his space.
Lucky was reciprocating the comfort to his favorite person with tongue laps to the jaw. Eva knew her husband needed it. To the law enforcement professionals in their home, perhaps Gideon might seem too contained, but she knew him well. He was holding himself together by a thread.
“You’re not drinking a cup of that,” her father ordered, joining her at the counter. He’d showered in her guestroom, then changed into some of the clothes he kept in the closet—sweatpants and a faded “SDSU Dad” T-shirt. “And you’re not pouring a cup for Gideon, either.”
“No,” she agreed, yawning. “I was just setting everything out on the counter for self-service but figured I might as well start the first pot while I’m at it. My plan is to drag my husband into the shower, then tuck him into bed and make sure he stays there as long as possible.”
Which would be precious few hours considering the press conference scheduled for eight o’clock.
Her father pulled her into a firm, warm hug. “That sounds like an excellent plan.”
Eva snuggled into his embrace. In his arms had always felt like the safest place in the world, and she appreciated that feeling of security more than ever. The fragrance of freshly brewed coffee triggered a surreal sensation of normalcy in a world that felt as distorted as a funhouse mirror.
She and Gideon were running on fumes. They’d taken off to their beach house for a few days of rest and reconnection before the masquerade because they’d restarted talking about enlarging their family and discovered underlying tension picking through that topic.
Then danger had followed them to their private hideaway. A deeply disturbing letter had been attached to a crossbow bolt shot into the weathered gray shingles while they were in bed. The lack of adequate sleep over the past few days was catchingup to them, and they’d need to be at their sharpest mentally to get Ireland home safe.
“You should go home and get some rest, too,” Eva murmured.
“I’m staying here for the time being.”
Pulling back to look up at him, she felt such worshipful adoration for the father who loved her too much. Victor Reyes was the kind of man who gave his whole heart to one woman in a lifetime, and that woman had been her mother. “I’m sure Shelley would like to have you home.”
He gave her a wry look. “Just because she’s not assigned to the case doesn’t mean she’s not going to help. Whether that’s making coffee, like you are, or throwing out takeout boxes, she’ll be busy, too.”
Eva felt the sting of tears and tried to blink them away. “Thank you both so much.”
“Looking after you so you can look after Gideon…? You never have to thank me for that. I’m grateful every day that you married a man who makes it possible for me to be a part of your daily life.”
She felt the same. It had been a little rough between the two men in the beginning, before her father fully understood that he and Gideon were fully aligned in their protectiveness of her. Despite their very different upbringings, they were intrinsically more alike than not and eventually established a relationship she knew was valued by both.
“I’m really worried about him,” she confessed. “Protecting the people he cares about is vital to Gideon. It’s his love language—I think you probably understand that better than most, because you two are similar in that way.”
“It’s one of many reasons I admire him,” her father said quietly, his gray eyes the color of a raincloud.
“I know he’s blaming himself for this.” Eva was keenly aware of the icy knot in the center of her chest. “Ireland is so very important to him. Gideon is fearless in many ways, but he’s terrified of messing up with her. It’s always been kind of funny to watch him figure his way around her, and now… What they’re both going through is...”
“Sweetheart.” He pulled her close again and rested his chin on the crown of her head. “Even if this is directed toward him, it’s not his fault. Right now, it feels like we’re doing nothing but waiting, and that’s hard. Too much time to think.”
“Yes. I can’t stop…” She closed her eyes and saw the mutilated photos of her and Gideon in her mind. “I’m just praying this isn’t personal. If it’s solely about money, they have no reason to hurt her and every reason to keep her alive.”
Her father stepped back. “You’re worrying about too many things, baby. Focus on you and Gideon getting some rest.”
When she realized she was chewing on her lower lip, she stopped. “Is it a bad sign that the abductors haven’t called yet?”
“No, it’s typical. Immediate contact is rare.” He gripped the edge of the kitchen counter behind him. “Most likely it’ll happen somewhere between twenty-four and thirty-six hours later. They’ll want to get somewhere they feel safe first.”
