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"What the fk, kid?" Axel shouted, and I turned in my seat to face him

"What the fk? I’m pissed; that’s what! You, you stupid s, didn’t you? You couldn’t just leave it alone! Even after everything…" I sucked in a long breath, trying to calm, and said, "You promised me! Told me you would stay with Mamma and Lev so I didn’t have to come back You were meant to protect them!"

Axel’s eyes narrowed and his foot pressed harder on the gas pedal, lurching us forward until ere alhway

"I did protect them! But while you were fkin’ your bitch, I had to take care of soent business, Axe!"

"They are if you get word the King’s are preparing to cohts to finish what they started"

A pain ripped through my chest and I stilled "Christ!" I shouted and turned to h if you die before her? She should be peaceful in her last few ent business You think the Kings wouldn’t have targeted our trailer? They want me and Lev dead This war has to be won for all our sakes Without that turf, the Heighters lose coin Without that coin, Maet her meds--"

Axel sainst the wheel and roared, "Why do I have to keep explaining this shit? You know the score, and you’re good with it when you’re not being a self-righteous puy!"

"Fuck you!" I replied, hed without huonna feel a whole lot h the red haze in front ofwhat the hell heback in my seat, I stared out theand watched the rest of the world go by, really wishing I was someone else

"Get in there, superstar," Axel said the minute we pulled up in front of our trailer

A bunch of the Heighters were outside, sitting around in chairs, guns in their hands, and I felt like spitting at the whole lot of the to enter the old trailer, and I i with blood were piled up in the sink The strong s, and I quickly headed for Mamma’s room

As soon as I entered her bedroom, Mamma’s eyes set on mine, but her head didn’t move Couldn’t aze all over her body, but there was no blood that I could see Rushing to her side, I lifted her weak hand and alht since I’d seen her last, but it looked like it could have been ood-bye?

"Ma al with tears and her breath was shalloheezing like a fkin’ whistle in her chest

"Ma back emotions

Mamma closed her eyes and tried to calm herself I watched her s, the siranted now ased her to try and speak "They took hi, I tried to catch what she was saying through her breathy voice But I was confused She was speaking nonsense

"Went wrong… I can’t… I can’t…" A tortured cry ripped fro, but for her, , as she tried toI could see the pain on her face, the strain as she tried to lift her limbs, and she sobbed as her brain didn’t connect to the nerves She sobbed so hard that when she eventually flopped back down onto thebody

I was now crying too The tears were silent, but I broke watching my mamma unable to move barely an inch Broke at how ers

"I hate this, mio caro… I want toonceno more than a feather, I pulled her to my chest and rocked her like a child

"Hush, Ma," I whispered