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I hang up and sit back in my chair, pondering what the fuck is going on here, but until I speak to Dante, there is no point in speculating. So I move on.
Luckily, the following five files are all pretty straightforward, and then I look up as there is a soft knock on the door.
“Hi,” I say as Isla comes in with a tray.
“Tea and biscuits as promised.”
“It’s been two hours already?” I rub my hand over my face. I’m growing tired, and even I know when to admit defeat. I need to sleep. It’s evaded me for long enough, and now it’s caught up, and if I don’t succumb, I’ll end up falling asleep where I sit.
“You look exhausted,” Isla murmurs. “Why don’t you go and get some rest.”
Rising, I stack the files neatly in a pile and grab the mug of tea and a biscuit. “I’m going. Do you need anything before I go upstairs?”
“Isn’t that my line?” she jokes.
Smiling, I murmur. “Wake me if you need anything or anything happens. The new security team are already here, but lock the door and don’t even let them in. I need to clamp back down on this shitshow.”
“You’re scaring me again.”
“Sorry. I don’t mean to. But what happened here yesterday can never happen again. Dante and Sebastian are unique. It doesn’t surprise me that they got past the guards, but that’s where it ends. Maybe I shouldn’t sleep,” I say, suddenly panicking that something will happen to her while I’m out.
“Don’t be ridiculous. You look like you’re about to keel over. When was the last time you slept at all?”
“Five, maybe six days ago?”
“Fuck. Go, what are you still doing standing here talking to me?” She shoos me out of my own office, and I smile broadly, enjoying the audacity and sheer normalcy of the action.
“I’m going, I’m going,” I laugh but pause at the bottom of the stairs when she says.
“Get some sleep, Gideon. I’ll check on you in a bit.”
“Thank you, Isla.”
“What for?”
We lock gazes, and time seems to stand still.
“For taking care of me. I guess I didn’t know how much I needed it.”
“Sophia did.”
I nod and turn back to the stairs, taking them slowly with my tea, but by the time I see my bed, I barely have time to place the mug and biscuit down before I fall face-first onto the bed, my eyes already closed.
48
ISLA
Peeking in on Gideon around 7.00 PM that night, I see him face down on his bed, looking like he fell there and went to sleep. It’s not surprising. I can’t imagine how exhausted he must’ve been.
Creeping in, I gently pull the covers over him and sneak back out, closing the door quietly. I’ve left some soup out for him if he wakes up after I’ve gone to bed. I’m sure he is capable of microwaving it himself.
As soon as I close the door to my bedroom, the burner phone vibrates on the dresser, and I pick it up. “Hey, Sophia.”
“Isla, dear. Is everything okay?”
“It is now. I think.”
“Good, good. I’m coming home tomorrow.”
