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Back The Hallows Save as PDF
Chapters (89)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  3. DEDICATION
  4. CONTENTS
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. 70
  75. 71
  76. 72
  77. 73
  78. 74
  79. 75
  80. 76
  81. 77
  82. 78
  83. 79
  84. 80
  85. 81
  86. 82
  87. 83
  88. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  89. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I put the yarn down and rose. He was almost out just from the exertion of falling and getting back in bed. A blanket was at the foot of the bed, and I laid it on top of him. I stared down at him awhile. I had never realized how alike we actually looked.

He slept on the far left side of the bed, as if to give someone else room.

I crept downstairs and watched TV on the couch.

24

24

It was half past ten that night when I turned off the television and checked on Adam. I went outside and stared up at the moon a second before deciding it was time to take a little drive.

The stretch of I-15 to Vegas was pretty empty, but ominous because of all the canyons you had to weave through to get there. Canyons interspersed with long stretches of nothing but sand and cactus. At night, you couldn’t really see anything but road and jagged shadows protruding out of the ground where the mountains should’ve been.

I arrived at Skid Row before midnight. The bar was hopping. A line had formed outside that went nearly to the intersection. Bars did that even if they weren’t at capacity. It made people driving by think the place was exclusive and built up hype. Still, there were far more people waiting than a little dive like this warranted, and I wondered exactly how much product Farah was moving. With this much exposure, she had to have a deal worked out with the local Narcs unit. Otherwise they would’ve busted her a long time ago.

I parked in front and got out. The Incredible Hulk was working the door again. I smiled at him and said, “Miss me?”

His lips pursed into a slight frown before he stepped aside to let me in.

“Not even the cover charge? I knew you liked me.”

The space looked a lot different at peak hours than during the day. The line outside wasn’t a ploy: the bar was literally packed to capacity. A band blared some indecipherable metal song as I made my way through the crowd, which stank powerfully of marijuana and sweat, and over to the office. The door was open a crack, and I knocked and poked my head in.

Farah was there, dressed in a tight black dress with heels. She was sitting at the computer, and when she saw me, she leaned back and crossed her legs.

“People will talk about us if you keep showing up like this.”

“Couldn’t possibly be worse than what they’re saying about me now.” I shut the door behind me, raised my brows, and tilted my head toward the chair.

“By all means, please.”

As I sat, she took out an unlabeled bottle of booze and two tumblers from her drawer before pouring and sliding one to me. We tapped glasses and she said, “To happiness.”