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“Eve” He took her hand then, holding firm when she tried to yank free “I’m sorry Terribly sorry”

“They said I was eight when they found , and my arm was broken He must have dumped me there I don’t know Maybe I ran away I don’t remember But he never came for me No one ever came for me”

“Your mother?”

“I don’t know I don’t remember her Maybe she was dead Maybe she was like Catherine’s htmares of the worst of it I don’t even know my name They weren’t able to identify me”

“You were safe then”

“You’ve never been shuffled through the syste of safety Only ihed, let her head fall back, her eyes close “I didn’t want to arrest DeBlass, Roarke I wanted to kill him I wanted to kill hiet personal”

“You did your job”

“Yeah I didit” But it wasn’t the job she was thinking of now It was life Hers, and his “Roarke, you’ve got to know I’ve got some bad stuff inside It’s like a virus that sneaks around the systeood bet”

“I like long odds” He lifted her hand, kissed it “Why don’t we see it through? Find out if we can both win”

“I’ve never told anybody before”

“Did it help?”

“I don’t know Maybe Christ, I’m so tired”

“You could lean on me” He slipped an arm around her, nestled her head in the curve of his shoulder

“For a little while,” she et to New York”

“For a little while then” He pressed his lips to her hair and hoped she would sleep