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I stared out of the s at the dark night, the stars bright in the sky andent through together

"To save ive my brothers the chance of a better life Gio was my best friend, my brother in arms He was the closest person to o after Austin and Levi He was obsessed with having the Carillo’s by his side And once you’d got the stidda, you were crew You were Heighter for life Only way out was death If you tried to leave, you were--"

"Killed…" she interrupted and,her eyes, I nodded my head

"Yeah Levi and Austin were fully initiated, full members, stidda’s inked on their left cheeks, bound to the crew for life I knew the only way they could be free was to take Gio out So I called our rival’s leader The King crew I’d dedicatedand told him when and where to find Gio My best friend and crew brother was killed exactly when and where I’d said the Kings could find him Gio was shot dead at hed "It was the best thing I’ve ever done for theonna wash away, but at least ood lives… lives I could never have given theot the to see the fucking light"

Aliyana was silent, Hinder’s "Lips of An Angel" playing through the speakers, the only sound in the studio

"You had your best friend killed…" she murrief

"I can’t i toto kill Molly to save Rome It would be… iht that pressed on htened some as she understood what my everyday was like I heard the sadness in her voice She fucking understood what having Gio killed did to ravity of the hardest choice I’d ever made

Aliyana’s lips pressed on th and she asked, "How did you ?"

Whether I wanted to or not, that question took ht back to the past…

Chapter Fourteen

Axel

Westside Heights Trailer Park

Tuscaloosa, Alaba into the trailer, a two-year-old Levi wriggling inon the couch, his head down and crying

As I approached hi on his eye "Aust? What’s happened?" I asked and rushed to bend down in front of hi him a broken toy truck, then turned to Austin and forced his hands fro hiht me off As I pulled down his hands, Austin didn’t er made me shake "Who did this to you?" I snapped Austin winced as I pressedeye

"Austin!" I shouted, Levi jury voice as he played on the floor

"I don’t wanna talk about it," Austin said, his voice catching because he was crying

"Well I do," I said and wiped his tears aith onna kill thehed "Just some older kids from school, Axe You don’t know the for a dishtowel, I began wiping away the blood off his face Levi pulled hi into Austin’s lap

"Hey, fratellino," Austin greeted Levi and he hugged Levi to his chest, Levi’s chubby arain "Why did they beat you up?"

Austin’s eyes narrowed "Have you seen me, Axe?" Austin used his hand to point to his clothes "I’m poor My clothes are all too small, my sneakers are old and they hurt my feet, but Papa won’t let Mamma buy us new clothes The kids at school… theythe towel to the floor, I pressed my hand over my stomach It felt like soet it everyday, Axe I ain’t you No one’s scared ofon his dirty jeans "I hate our lives! I hate Papa I hate that he beats Mamma, makes her work all the time and then spends all the money on drink"