Page 25 (1/2)

Prologue

Harper Miller stared out of her bedroomjust like she had for many years, in a different house, a different rooht was dark, but then it had always called to her The only light cast was by the e in the town of Stonewall, a once-pro town for tourised The toas no longer a place for promise but a death sentence

There were crooks, criminals, and abuse at every corner Harper knew her father was a lawyer He’d helped et aith murder and fraud

Pressing her face against the , she saw the for her They were not boys True, they all went to high school, but the s but boys She didn’t knohat had changed in them, but they were deadly

Not too long ago that danger would have scared her She’d try to run, to hide away fro She yearned for the peace that ca around them meant she was still alive

She’d heard other students refer to theerous No one was allowed to join their little gang It was just the four of theht

They waited by the tree in the front yard They were dressed in black, each of the for the past nine months

Nine

Of preparing

Of getting ready for this moment

She already had the ink on her back declaring herself theirs That had been an experience she had no interest in repeating

Harper had no doubt that the rumors at school would run wild That was all people cared about Their i others feel small so they could rise up She hated it Hated the world Hated her fa that got in her way Men, women, kids None of them were of any importance to her

Not anymore

A year ago, she’d have said differently

A year ago, she wouldn’t have looked down at her front lawn at the fourto her

No

She’d have still been going through the irl, always doing the right thing

Only, doing the right thing stopped having anyto her

All it did was ry, so pissed off, and she hated the world around her

Pulling her hair up into a tight ponytail, she opened herand climbed out to what awaited her

Draven Barries

Axel Cook

Buck Perry

Jett Henry

They were her salvation