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Back This Side of Night
Chapters (110)
  1. Cover
  2. ALSO BY J. TODD SCOTT
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. PROLOGUE
  6. I
  7. II
  8. PART ONE
  9. ONE
  10. TWO
  11. THREE
  12. FOUR
  13. FIVE
  14. SIX
  15. SEVEN
  16. EIGHT
  17. NINE
  18. TEN
  19. ELEVEN
  20. TWELVE
  21. PART TWO
  22. THIRTEEN
  23. FOURTEEN
  24. FIFTEEN
  25. SIXTEEN
  26. SEVENTEEN
  27. EIGHTEEN
  28. NINETEEN
  29. TWENTY
  30. TWENTY-ONE
  31. TWENTY-TWO
  32. TWENTY-THREE
  33. TWENTY-FOUR
  34. TWENTY-FIVE
  35. TWENTY-SIX
  36. TWENTY-SEVEN
  37. TWENTY-EIGHT
  38. TWENTY-NINE
  39. THIRTY
  40. THIRTY-ONE
  41. THIRTY-TWO
  42. THIRTY-THREE
  43. THIRTY-FOUR
  44. THIRTY-FIVE
  45. THIRTY-SIX
  46. THIRTY-SEVEN
  47. THIRTY-EIGHT
  48. THIRTY-NINE
  49. PART THREE
  50. FORTY
  51. FORTY-ONE
  52. FORTY-TWO
  53. FORTY-THREE
  54. FORTY-FOUR
  55. FORTY-FIVE
  56. FORTY-SIX
  57. FORTY-SEVEN
  58. FORTY-EIGHT
  59. FORTY-NINE
  60. FIFTY
  61. FIFTY-ONE
  62. FIFTY-TWO
  63. FIFTY-THREE
  64. FIFTY-FOUR
  65. FIFTY-FIVE
  66. FIFTY-SIX
  67. FIFTY-SEVEN
  68. FIFTY-EIGHT
  69. FIFTY-NINE
  70. SIXTY
  71. SIXTY-ONE
  72. PART FOUR
  73. SIXTY-TWO
  74. SIXTY-THREE
  75. SIXTY-FOUR
  76. SIXTY-FIVE
  77. SIXTY-SIX
  78. SIXTY-SEVEN
  79. SIXTY-EIGHT
  80. SIXTY-NINE
  81. SEVENTY
  82. SEVENTY-ONE
  83. SEVENTY-TWO
  84. SEVENTY-THREE
  85. SEVENTY-FOUR
  86. SEVENTY-FIVE
  87. SEVENTY-SIX
  88. SEVENTY-SEVEN
  89. SEVENTY-EIGHT
  90. SEVENTY-NINE
  91. EIGHTY
  92. EIGHTY-ONE
  93. EIGHTY-TWO
  94. EIGHTY-THREE
  95. EIGHTY-FOUR
  96. EPILOGUE
  97. I
  98. II
  99. III
  100. IV
  101. V
  102. VI
  103. VII
  104. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  105. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  106. Excerpt from LOST RIVER
  107. LITTLE PARIS
  108. DILLON
  109. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  110. What’s next onyour reading list?

“No, we don’t know that. Are you justifying this insane plan of yours because you think you’re not going to be the sheriff anymore? There were plenty of people in that gym who believe in you and trust you and need you, too, more than just America Reynosa. What about them?”

“Amé needs me now, today. I need to see this thing through. I don’t know what else to do.”

“No, you don’t want to do anything else. You’ve convinced yourself you owe her, or you’re punishing yourself for some past mistake you won’t let go. You’re not seeing another way because you won’t look for one, but you know who really gets punished? Me, and your son. We’re the ones that get to stand by to see what happens. We’re the ones that’ll be praying you don’t nearly die out here a second goddamn time. This isn’t what I agreed to.”

“It’s not? When? Are you only upset because it’s hitting so close to home?” Chris said.

“Don’t you dare fucking say that. That’s not fair, not with everything we’ve been through together. At least be honest with me, even if you can’t be with yourself. You owe me that.” Mel folded her arms, holding herself tight. “Chris, I read the folder that Joe Garrison brought you. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to, but I did. I only wanted to see if you’d done any work for the debate. It doesn’t make it right, but I know now all about Fox Uno and his goddamn people. I saw all those horrible pictures . . .”

Chris wanted to be angry with her, but she was right; he owed her the truth. “I just want to get this over with. To do that, I first need to get Amé and Fox Uno out of town, away from prying eyes. Murfee will be safer, and I can keep them safer out here.”

“Until something goes wrong, then there won’t be a way to save any of you. You want to hide them out here exactly because you know how goddamn risky this is.” She collected Jack out of his booster seat, and he kicked and struggled, started to cry. “He’s killed women and children, Chris. Don’t talk to me about America. That’s the man you’re trying to help.”