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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 rushed down to Saint Mark’s and left my car in ER parking. I went inside and asked for Adam Graham’s room. He was down the hall to the right, and when I went in, he was lying in bed with a hospital gown on and Gates was sitting in the chair next to him. She was wearing a blue suit and glasses and quietly talking with him.

“I told her not to call you,” he said.

“What happened?”

“Nothin’. Just a dizzy spell.”

Gates rose. “I need a Diet Coke. Come with me, Tatum.”

I followed her out as Adam turned his attention to the IV sticking out of his arm. We walked down the hallway.

“You remember that time you had a concussion and I brought you here?” Gates said.

“Yeah, I got into a fight with some football player, and his girlfriend popped me in the back of the head with a baseball bat.”

“You remember what the fight was over?”

I shook my head. “No. I assume my natural charm just got to him.”

“He grabbed my ass.”

“Oh, right. I do remember that.”

“When you were unconscious on the ground, I maced him and his girlfriend.”

I chuckled. “I remember thinking you’d thank me, and all you said was you could take care of yourself, and then you drove me to the hospital. I was trying to impress you with my manliness. Boy, that backfired, huh?”

She smiled as we got to the vending machines. “I was grateful, I was, but the guy was twice your size. You gotta fight battles you know you can win.”

“If I did that, I’d still be stuck in this town.” She glanced away, toward someone coming through the emergency room entrance. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it to come out that way.”

She grabbed her drink and turned to me as she opened it. She took a sip. “He’s not well, Tatum.”

“What happened?”

“He fractured a rib from coughing so hard, and it caused him to pass out. He called me when he woke up. I found a towel covered in blood. I spoke to the doctor, and they said he needs to begin treatment immediately. If he waits much longer, it’ll be too late.”

“What do you want me to do? He doesn’t want it.”

“You’re his son.”

“We barely know each other and he hates my guts.”

She shook her head. “I swear, you’re the smartest dumb person I know. Look in the top drawer in his desk at home.”

“Why?”

“Just do it.” She eyed her watch. “I gotta run. I’ll be back to check on him tonight.”