Gene winces when Tony brings the kidnapping up - he'd wanted to mention it himself, give Howard a little more time to get used to him, before properly broaching the subject. Howard hadn't really responded earlier - maybe that had been a polite dismissal. Maybe not.

"I know it was wrong now. I think I knew it was wrong then, but I didn't care. I was so caught up in what I thought was my destiny that I didn't care who got hurt."

The implication being that now he does.