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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

“One time this young fella might’a stole some cash out this change box we carried with us to make change for the customers. Not much, just a few bucks. Poor kid had a wife and daughter at home and couldn’t make ends meet. Anyway, Nathan found out about it and had him taken into the middle of the road and held down, put his knee on one of the kid’s arms to pin it in place, took a hammer, and broke each of his fingers.”

“Yikes.”

“Yeah. Did it in front of all of us, too, just to show us who we were dealing with. Nathan Ficco is no one to mess around with.”

“Huh.”

“How’s Gates?”

“Good. Stressed with the election, I guess.”

His question made me wonder what Gates was doing. I finished putting some chips on a plate to go with the sandwich, and before I could text her, she texted me and said, Sorry I missed your call today. What did you need?

Nothing. Just was going to give you an update. You wanna meet for dinner?

Sure. Come over.

No, let’s go out. I feel like being out right now.

K. Tell me where and when.

After making Adam food and helping him to bed, I freshened up in the bathroom and straightened up the house a little. Before leaving for dinner, I had a feeling I should check on him one more time. When I went upstairs I heard him in the bathroom. The door was open and I could see him over the toilet. He was vomiting, but it wasn’t vomit coming up; it was blood.

I put my arms around him and said, “We need to go.”

“I’m not going to the hospital.”

“You’re coming to the hospital.”

He pushed me off. “I ain’t goin’.”

“Damn it, Adam, if I have to bash you over the damn head and drag you there, I will.”

I was sitting outside the hospital room when Gates arrived. She carried two bags from Chick-fil-A, and she handed me one and sat down next to me.

“How is he?”

“He’s asleep. In addition to the cancer, apparently he has a vicious ulcer, hypertension, and diabetes I didn’t know about.”

“You say that like it’s his fault he didn’t tell you. You were gone a long time.”

“Oh, not you too.”

“Not me too what? You left him, remember? And you’re mad at him for not telling you every one of his ailments? Do you know Adam? You think he’s the kind of guy to call his son and complain about his health?”

“So what, I should’ve been here, is that it?”

“I’m not judging you, Tatum.”

“It sure as hell sounds like you are.”