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Prologue

Tank

Age 17

I wasn’t even ahen the first boot hitopen as another boot sht out of ainst the wall and looked up There were at least five of theet up, knocking me the fuck back down “Asshole!” I hissed, and pushed back at the prick as trying to keep round He slammed to the floor I jurab my backpack

“Hey!” I barked But before I could rush at his, four others flew at me Fists and feet pounded intoin my eyes, then suddenly the assholes were ripped away

I leaned against the wall, holding roup of tatted-up white guys were s their fists into a bunch of Mexicansthe fuckers that had attacked me

It was a quick fight, the new guys kicking the asses of the Mexicans in minutes The fuckers ran away down the alley in which I’d been sleeping Sweat and blood dripped down my face As I wiped it aith uy with a shaved head approaching, my backpack in his hands

“They didn’t get anything?” he said I narrowed my eyes He had a massive skull and crossbones in the middle of his throat I reached out and took hold of ether at the immediate stab of pain in my ribs

The fuckers had broken them I just knew it

The guy pulled the bag back and grabbed my arm His hand was like a vise around my bicep He smirked “How old are you, kid?”

I cast my eyes around the others They all looked the sa at hteen”

The guy shook his head “You’re a big fucker” I shucked off his ar the pain in my ribs It wasn’t like I’d never coped with this shit before “Football?”

“Tight end,” I said after a fewfuck all “Varsityat least I was”

The guy looked at so in an alley?”

Everyidea of the shit I’d been through I couldn’t have stayed with my old man for another damn minute My jaw clenched and er litone of his fists to uythreatened, he just sain He stepped closer, his height and buildmine “I’m Trace”

I looked around at them all None of them seemed like they wanted to kill me, and they’d kicked those Mexicans’ asses for me too “Shane Shane Rutherford”

Trace smiled “Good naot someone who can fix that”

My eyes narrowed “Why would you do that?” I tensed “I ain’t sucking your dick” I’d had too many of those offers here on the streets

Trace burst out laughing, as did the

rest of the guys behind his ’bout as much as I like Mexicans”

My shoulders lost their tension, but I still asked, “Why’re you helping me?”

Trace put his aruys with hiood American stock, US of A born and bred, is in need, his fellohite brothers come to help”

The tattoos on the guys’ arms and necks becaot a place you can stay We can fix you with a job, get you outta this alley” I glanced back at the blanket I’d been sleeping on for two er Trace squeezed my shoulder “Food you can eat”

“Johnny Landry uys said Barbeque wasfavorite

They all stared at hed, for the first ti desperate “I could eat souys smiled

“Then let’s get the fuck on” Trace led me to a truck I took a deep breath as we left don Austin and continued out toward Spicewood We turned and drove down a dirt road until a house ca and talking

“The brotherhood,” Trace said I looked at him He must have been about twenty-four, twenty-five? Trace took uys were in the massive kitchen They looked different to Trace and his friends They looked smarter in their fancier clothes Spoke different Sounded like they did s on the street

An older guy with suspicious eyes got to his feet “Who’s this?” he asked as he flicked his chin

“Shane Rutherford,” Trace said “Found hiet beaten down that way”

The older guy nodded “Jay’s in the back room He’ll fix him up” I followed Trace down a hallway to a back roos pinned on e fuck-off painting of Hitler

Motherfucking Adolf Hitler

I stopped dead, just staring at that picture I wasn’t stupid In fact, I’d been pretty fucking s, that kind of shit And I’d paid attention in European History class I was fully fucking aware of Hitler Knew soht They’d never been part of my life But as Hitler’s fierce eyes bored intosettled in my chest

Laughter caht of me, and I looked out at theA the tiut pulled as I realized I’d never really had a group of friends like that I’d had football But when your oldhis fist into his son’s face, it uys knehat it was to be e fucker who needed to hit people To get out this rage My old ht back, that bastard alon

One of the guys turned up the volu blared from the speaker He screa a white Ah my veins like crack

I wanted to be out there with the but the men around me

“You good?” Trace spoke froave him a nod He took hold of my arm and pulled uy with brown hair stood beside a bed made up hite sheets

The guy held out his hand “Jay” I introduced myself