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My fingers shook as I scrolled to the top of the page and read the brief article, searching for more information

I went numb when I saw the mixer had been Thursday, from six to nine, at one of Gideon’s properties - one I knew all too well

He’d fucked me there, just as he’d fucked dozens of women there

Gideon had stood me up for our appointment with Dr

Petersen to take Corinne to his fuck-pad hotel

That hat he’d wanted to tell the detectives that he didn’t want ht - spent with another wo the tablet doith more care than necessary, I released the breath I’d been holding

"That’s not his sister"

"I didn’t think so"

I looked at hi the coffee? I have a call to rab a shower"

He reached over and set his hand on top of

Sound good?" "Sounds perfect"

I grabbed the phone off its base and went back to my bedroom

I hit the speed dial for Gideon’s cell and waited for his later, he did"Cross," he said, although his screen would’ve told hiht now"

"Then just listen

I’ll tioddaive me that?" "I really - " "Did Nathan come to you with photos of me?" "This isn’t - " "Did he?" I snapped

"Yes," he bit out

"Did you look at the pause, then, "Yes"

I exhaled

"Okay

I think you’re a total asshole for letting o to Dr

Petersen’s office when you knew you weren’t co out with another wo territory, Gideon

And worse, it was a Kingsman event, too, which should’ve had so that’s how - " There was the abrupt scraping noise of a chair being shoved back

I rushed on, desperate to say what needed to be said before he hung up

"I think you’re a coward for not co we’re over, especially before you started fucking around with someone else"

"Eva

Goddah the way you’ve handled this is fucking wrong and you’ve broken my heart into millions of tiny pieces and I’ve lost all respect for you, I don’t bla those pictures of et it"

"Stop"

His voice was littleme wonder if Corinne ith him even now

"I don’t want you to blah - not that I knohat you’ve been through because you never told hed and winced at how shaky it caain, my words atery with tears

"Don’t blame yourself

I don’t

I just want you to know that"

"Christ," he breathed

"Please stop, Eva"

"I’m doneI hope you find - " My hand clenched inup and dropped the phone on my bed

I stripped offGideon had given me on the counter

I turned the water on as hot as I could stand it and sank nu left

Chapter 17

For the rest of Saturday and Sunday, my dad and I bounced all over the city

Ihim to Junior’s for cheesecake, Gray’s Papaya for hot dogs, and John’s for pizza, which we took back to the apartment to share with Cary

We went up to the top of the E, which also satisfied the Statue of Liberty requirement as far as my dad was concerned

We enjoyed a matinee show on Broadway

We walked to Times Square, which was hot and crowded and s - and a few half- naked - street performers

I snapped pictures with h

My dad was iency responder presence in the city and liked seeing the police officers on horseback as much as I did

We took a ride around Central Park in a horse- drawn carriage and braved the subway together

I took him to Rockefeller Center and Macy’s and the Crossfire, which he ad its own ah it all, ere just hanging out

Mostly walking and talking and siether