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"They protected you from your drunk abusive papa…?" Aliyana said "They helped you clothe Austin and Levi?"

"Yeah," I replied roughly

"Axel…" Aliyana’s watery voice said, "Your life was so sad No wonder you gravitated toward theave you hope that it would all be okay"

I shook my head "It was , they had "

"And your papa?"

"Left teeks later Moved in with that slut that was on his lap It was the best fucking day of hters that had h "They saved us all"

"God, Axel I don’t knohat to say You were so young So young to be dealing with all of that on your own"

"I didn’t feel young back then I elve but felt twenty-seven"

"And Gio? You became close?"

I couldn’t help but still feel that bond I’d had with my best friend at her question "He was alithI needed to know to survive, to make money He was the only person who never let me down From the day we met until the day he died, he had my back without question" My body tensed as I remembered the moment I’d heard he’d died… died atour friendship I’d felt like the biggest prick on the face of the planet

"And I gave him up to our rivals to save Aust and Lev… I still ain’t made peace with that Don’t think I ever will I’ve never had anyone that close to , and when I looked into her teary eyes, I felt every bit of sadness leak out ofuy that saved my life to save the blood of my blood

"And the scar?" Ally suddenly proht broke out in the yard Alessio and the rest of the Heighters used it as cover to co, fucking eight of theht theainst the fence Alessio pulled the knife out and, just as the guards started filling the yard, he sliced the knife down hter onto Aliyana’s hand, for so the damn support "They ran while I dropped to the floor and started bleeding out"