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I glance at Pete, rads were bad," I say

"You see?" he asks, calet paid the big bucks? This is what I’ve been putting up with allThat’s Mrs Upton, by the way, also known as Cassidy’s mom"

I feel a sense of horror connize the name instantly "Oh God," I say "Mrs Upton’s one of the chaperones I assigned her and Cassidy to the roo smile "Better hope the deodorizers Manuel put in there work I don’t think she’s the type to appreciate eau de ganja"

"This check-in is a disaster already," I say, droppingthe the toward the door behind us "Everyone frorats while they’re setting up So back to the fanny pack That’s where a lot of off-duty cops keep their guns when they carry That or in the pocket of their cargo pants"

This distracts me coht say upon opening the door to rooo pants Cooper’s been insisting on wearing a lot lately--"

Pete looks disgusted "What’s wrong with you? You don’t hide a o pants anyway?"

"Everything," Magda says, her heavilytoward the sky

"Seriously," I say "They’re all wrong in every way unless you’re a forest ranger And you’re crazy Cooper doesn’t own a gun He told me"

"Sure," Pete says calmly "Of course he told you that, because he lives with you and you’re a woet upset to learn that there’s a gun in the house"

When I start to protest that this isn’t true, he gives me a sarcastic look and I shut up It’s sort of true that I un, but only because he lied to et shot, drawing it on soht now," Pete points out "And didn’t I hear on the news that her last bodyguard got shot?"

Until that very otten all about Bear, and about Cooper’s suspicion that his shooting iven the network’s willingness to reat expense

"Okay," I say, "but--"

"Shoulder holsters work only under jackets," Pete goes on He’s waxing poetic about where he likes to keep his gun when he’s off-duty New York College protection officers aren’t allowed to carry guns (at least, not officially), only Tasers "Ankle holsters make you chafe You can carry a Glock on your belt, but then everybody’s gonna see it, unless you wear a jacket or keep your shirt untucked You ladies have it easy, with your purses You can hide anything in there"

I’

That’s when the front door to Fischer Hall bursts open and Gavin runs through it, calling, "Heather! Heather, come quick!"

Chapter 13

So Sue Me

All those times you said

I’d never make it

All those times you said

I should quit

All those ti without you

The sad part is

I believed it too

Then you left and