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The tension that had been coursing through me lessened to that of low-level internal screaming. “That’s good to hear, Doctor. Yesterday was… a lot.”
Dr. Abrams nodded. “I know, and it was probably just as traumatic for you as it was for your father. But now that he’s on the upswing, we’d like to move him out of ICU.”
I perked up. “Really?”
“Really.” Dr. Abrams nodded, cracking a smile. “In fact, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he’s ready to be discharged by the end of the week.”
“Which is where I’d like to put my two cents in,” Fritzi said, clutching a clipboard and pen in such an earnest, eager-beaver way I wanted to slug her. “As I said earlier, I’m Fritzi, and I’m the caseworker that gets assigned to the high-profile cases that happen to come through our hospital.”
“Hi, Fritzi,” I intoned in the usual greeting heard in a substance-abuse support group.
Luke snorted before squeezing my hand hard, whether in support or in reprisal, I wasn’t sure.
“Hi.” Clearly unaware that my joke just flew over her head, she waved brightly at me.Jesus take the frigging wheel. “My job right now is to help you clear up all the many, many, super-many requests from the media for information on your father’s condition.”
“Super-many?” I kept my face deadpan. “Have there been super-many?”
“Eden,” Luke muttered, looking like he was about to blow a circuit trying not to laugh.
“Omigod, totally super-many,” Fritzi assured me, nodding. “Your father’s really famous in some circles, as I’m sure you know. Heck, you’re famous too, right? I mean, our public relations office has actually been asked about you and how you’re doing probably even more than your dad, can you believe it? Of course we can’t say anything, and our doctors can’t say anything because of HIPAA… Wait, do you know HIPAA?”
“I’ve never had them over to my house, but then I was never one of the cool kids.”
“My fiancée has a degree in psychology, and I have a doctorate in psychiatry,” Luke offered, his hand almost crushing mine. “I assure you, we know what you’re talking about. Please continue, Fritzi.”
She offered a relieved smile. “Okay, great. So here’s the thing… to help us out, we’d really appreciate it if you’d coordinate with us and hold a press conference.”
“No,” Luke said immediately, while the caseworker’s suggestion struck me dead in my mental tracks. “Fritzi, there’s a reason Truman Steadfast is in the condition he’s in. It’s because he put himself in the limelight without adequate security, and he managed to pick himself up a stalker. Eden’s got one too, probably the same person, even though she’s left public life. For the sake of her security, she’s not going to put herself out on display for this SOB to jerk off to. Sorry for my language, but no way is this going to happen.”
“I can assure you that we have excellent security here at the hospital—”
“What happens to Eden, or to Truman, when they leave this hospital? There are repercussions that need to be considered beyond these hospital walls. I know that’s not your concern, but it sure as hell is mine, as well as the bodyguards she has protecting her just outside that door.”
“But I do have bodyguards protecting me, as will my father once he leaves here,” I said, thinking through all the angles. And Luke was right; I did have a degree in psychology. Who knew how to push a person’s mental buttons better than me? “The thing is, if we do this press conference, I wouldn’t want there to be a visible presence of security around me. In fact, it might actually be for the best if I appear to be utterly alone.”
“What are you…?No,” Luke interrupted himself, clearly seeing where my thoughts were going. Of course he saw. He was such a brilliant monster. “Absolutely not, Eden. I forbid it.”
That had me turning his way, a brow lifting in the haughtiest manner I could muster. “I beg your pardon?”
His face turned to stone. “I mean it, Eden. You’re not going to set yourself up as bait.”
“I’m too blonde to be something as gross as bait.”
“Eden—”
“And are you sitting there telling me that you don’t trust my safety to those men standing guard over me right now? Echo and Steele will be crushed to hear your assessment, I’m sure.”
“They’d be with me on this. In fact, hold up a sec.” As if he worked on a spring, he bounded out of his chair and snapped the door open. “Guys, get in here.”
“I think we’ll leave you all to discuss this amongst yourselves.” Giving Fritzi a nudge—who looked like she wanted to settle in and watch the scene with a handy bowl of popcorn—Dr. Abrams gave me a solemn nod. “Check in with the ICU nurses’ station to see what room we’re moving your father to, okay? And if you decide to do this press conference, you’ll have to coordinate that with Fritzi, but just know that I can be there if you’d like me to explain your father’s condition, so you won’t have to.”
“Press conference?” Steele said the moment the door closed behind the doctor and the cheerfully waving caseworker. “What press conference?”
“The one that’s not going tofucking happen,” Luke said loudly.
Echo’s brows went up. Steele took a half-step back.
Okay. “You’re going to be there, Luke, right?”
