“He says he’ll make time,” Karl said. “And I feel like we’re in a library, all this whispering.”
Gideon smiled at that, then turned to see Frederick’s gaze locked on his daughter, the man’s worry clear. “She talked to her sponsor this morning,” Gideon told him. “She’s okay.”
“She doesn’t sleep like that,” Frederick murmured. “So deeply. She normally sleeps like an antsy cat.”
“Maybe she feels safe with our Gideon,” Irina said knowingly.
Gideon rolled his eyes, relieved when the motion no longer sent a spike of pain through his head. “Your Gideon is right here.” He lifted a brow. “Did you bring me any food?” He hadn’t smelled anything, but there could be all manner of treats in Irina’s humongous handbag.
“Brought you some more of the pirozhki.” She patted her purse. “But you’ll have to let her go to eat it.”
Well, that was a no-brainer. “I’ll wait then.”
Irina’s smile was so bright Gideon thought he’d have to shield his eyes. But he glanced over to see Dawson still looking worried.
“What’s been done to find the man who did this?” he asked.
Gideon told them what was happening, not mentioning that the man had been within touching distance of Dawson’s daughter. “Right now we’re gathering information.”
“While he’s out there, planning his next attack,” Dawson growled.
“I’ll have FBI protection,” Gideon said, mentally thanking Molina again. “So Daisy will have it as well.”
Frederick looked only mildly mollified. “I saw what you did there. Capitalizing on my need to see her safe as a way to keep her close to you.”
But he didn’t look angry. Just scared as hell. Join the club.
“Guilty as charged,” Gideon said lightly and was saved from any further conversation by the rapping at his door. Dr. Grisham, his surgeon. Saved by the doctor.
“Mr. Reynolds?” Grisham asked. “I need to do a recheck before I can release you. Would everyone mind clearing the room? Including the young lady.”
Gideon bounced his shoulder, jostling Daisy. “Time to wake up.”
She groaned softly. “Don’t wanna,” she slurred.
Gideon bounced her again. “Eleanor,” he said sharply.
Daisy woke in a flash, bolting to sit ramrod straight, her face instantly blushing when she saw that they were no longer alone. “I must have fallen asleep.”
Gideon grinned. “Like a log. But the doctor’s here, so you’ll need to cut out for a few.”
Daisy rubbed her hands over her face. “Okay. I think.”
“Come on, Daisy.” Dawson helped his daughter to her feet, scooping up a yawning Brutus. Brutus went in her bag with no fuss. “We’ll get a coffee. That’ll wake you up.”
Irina leaned over to kiss his forehead. “Come home with us. Let me take care of you.”
Gideon wanted to be taken care of. “That sounds good. Thank you.”
When the room was empty of everyone but him and the doctor and a smirking nurse, the doctor smiled. “You have a nice family.”
“I do.” And he’d kept too many secrets from them. Brushing the guilt aside for the time being, he focused on his fingers. “They still don’t move. My fingers, I mean.”
“Yes, they do. I could see them from the doorway as I watched. You were drumming your fingers when the man in the chair helped move your girlfriend from the bed.”
Gideon stared down at his fingers. “I was? Huh. He’s her father and this was our first meeting. I guess I might have been a little distracted.”
The doctor chuckled. “Some first meeting.” He checked the stitches and nodded. “You’re looking good. No infection, no tearing. I’ll have the nurse reapply the dressing and give you a list of instructions and a prescription for a painkiller.”
“No narcotics. They mess with my head.”
The doctor looked exasperated. “You law enforcement types. This is the real deal, Agent Reynolds—you need to sleep. If you are in pain, you will not sleep. If you do not sleep, you will not heal. If you do not heal, you cannot go back to work or protect the woman you didn’t want to let go of not five minutes ago.”
Gideon blinked. “You play dirty, Doc.”
The doctor nodded. “You’re not my first obstinate patient. I’ve been on this carousel before. Take the damn pills. And rest. And do not do anything physical.”
Wait. That didn’t sound good. “What if something physical is done to me?”
The doctor’s lips twitched and the nurse coughed to cover a laugh.
“Well, if that’s the case, enjoy. Just don’t move your arm.” The doctor signed off on the paperwork with a flourish. “You and your entourage are going home.”
He left and the smirking nurse moved to his side. “Your mom was telling everyone what a hero you are.”
Gideon’s heart squeezed. Hard. “She’s actually not my mom.” Like hell she wasn’t. Irina Sokolov had mothered him from the moment she’d laid eyes on him.
The nurse looked surprised. “She sure talks like she is.” She patted his good arm. “Either way, you’ve got a great group taking care of you. Now hold still. I’m going to redress your incision.”
TWENTY-FOUR
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 3:15 P.M.
“Thank you, Agent Hunter,” Daisy said to the special agent Gideon’s boss had sent to escort them home from the hospital. “I appreciate you being willing to stop here.”
“Not a problem, ma’am,” he said. “Just let me go in first to make sure it’s safe.”
She unlocked the door to her apartment and allowed him to go in, following when he gave the all-clear. Gideon, her father, Karl, and Irina were on her heels. Karl and Irina had their own car, but they’d followed them over, Karl’s protective instincts kicking in despite the presence of Agent Hunter.
“Daisy!” her father exclaimed in horror as he turned a full circle, taking in the clutter of her apartment. “What the hell have you done?”
Daisy stood in the middle of her living room, unable to speak. Suddenly she was a child again, unsure of what to say next. A sarcastic answer had sometimes gotten her a laugh. Other times it got her sent to her room and extra chores.
Only Taylor had been able to walk the fine line of her father’s moods. Suddenly Daisy wished her sister were there.
Luckily, Gideon had no such issues. “She made it hers,” he said to her father. “I love the murals, especially the one of the street outside. She’s captured the life of the neighborhood, don’t you agree?”
Frederick opened his mouth, closed it, then coughed. “Yes. Of course. The paintings are very good, Daisy.”
Daisy wanted to roll her eyes. Her father was trying. But not succeeding. Even when he tried to be supportive, he came off sounding condescending and stiff.
“They are very good,” Karl said with appreciation. “I’ve seen murals at art shows that aren’t nearly this quality. You didn’t tell me you could paint like this, Daisy. We need to talk about how to use this talent of yours. Maybe for fund-raisers. Or even a city beautification project. I was talking with the arts council . . .”
“She teaches a class at the community center,” Gideon said, gentle pride in his voice.
Daisy’s cheeks heated. “It’s nothing much.”
“It’s important to the community,” Gideon insisted. “And the fabric over there? She made costumes for the drama club at the same center. They did The Little Mermaid and she made all the mer-tails. And Ursula’s costume.”
“That production raised money for the LGBTQ youth shelter,” Irina said. “Sasha and I went to one of the performances. It was wonderful.”
Frederick closed his eyes. “I messed up again, didn’t I?”
Daisy leaned up to kiss his cheek. “Yeah, but I’m still glad you’re here.”
“I’m sorry, honey.” Frederick winced at the clutter. “This is a lot of stuff.”
She smiled up at him. “I know. You should see what I sent back to the store.”
Gideon snorted. “She said the same thing to me. I was also a little overwhelmed.”
She looked at Gideon over her shoulder and he winked at her. He could handle her father and that made her feel so much better. “Go get your clothes, Daisy. I want to get out of here and to the big house. I need a slice of Irina’s honey cake.”
“I made one this morning,” Irina told him. “Just for you.”
Daisy hurried to the back corner that housed her bedroom, grateful for the screen that closed off the area, giving her a little privacy. She’d felt off-kilter ever since waking up in Gideon’s hospital bed a few hours before.
She and Gideon had watched four episodes of Buffy and the next thing she’d known Gideon was waking her up from a sound sleep.
And then she’d been promptly mortified to see her father, Karl, and Irina gathered around Gideon’s hospital bed. She’d slept through their conversation. She wouldn’t have woken at all if Gideon hadn’t shaken her because the doctor had come to discharge him.