As more campus PD turned up, the dean said, “Search the grounds. Find the dealers! This ends tonight!”

Dread pitted in my stomach, and Rome was suddenly at my side. “Get the f**k outta here, Carillo, now.”

“But, Axe—”

Rome grabbed the collar of my shirt and dragged me back and around the corner out of sight. Taking hold of his wrist, I ripped his hand off me and spun Rome around until his back hit the wall. “Get the f**k off me, Rome,” I snarled, and then Rome pushed me back.

“You need to get your f**kin’ head out your ass, Austin. Leave Axe. He’s done. And he’s royally f**ked up this time! He’s dealt drugs and someone’s OD’d! That’s prison time, Austin. What part of this clusterfuck ain’t you getting?”

Prison time. FUCK!

With my heart pounding in my chest, I backed away and said, “You don’t understand, Rome. You have no f**kin’ idea.” Then I ran, leaving my best friend running his hand through his long blond hair in concern. I ran all the way to the bus, which was just pulling into my stop.

It took me forty minutes to get home, and when I made it under the sign of Westside Heights, Gio’s car suddenly pulled up and he flew outta the door.

“Where’s Axe?” I asked in panic.

“Cops got him, but he managed to get away. He’s f**kin’ gone, Austin. Needs to lay low. I told him not to make contact for a while.”

Gone?

No!

Tipping my head back to the sky, I stared at the stars and ran my palms down my face. Fuck, he had all the money. All Mamma’s med money.

A hand slapped on my shoulder—Gio.

“He had all our f**kin’ money.” I voiced my concern out loud.

Gio nodded his head as though in sympathy, but I could see the spark of excitement in his eyes. “Then we get you more,” he said simply.

Staring off to my trailer, I saw Levi watching me from the window, his bruised face now more yellow. I met his eyes and saw the pleading in his gaze. But then I looked to Mamma’s bedroom window, and I knew what had to be done.

“You need a right-hand man until Axel comes back?”

Gio’s wide grin took up all his Sicilian face. “Time to make some green, Austin. You and me gonna clean up.”

A question that had been plaguing me for years came to mind. “Gio?”

“Yeah?”

“How did Axe get me out of the crew when I was seventeen? What did promise you?”

Gio pointed to Levi standing at the window and my heart sank. “Him. Axe promised me your baby bro as soon as he reached fourteen.”

Rage like never before surged through me. Why was Axel such a f**kin’ disappointment? And why did he always have to put this f**kin’ crew first?

“Let’s go, kid. We got business,” Gio said, waving me over. And with Gio’s hand around my shoulder, I let him walk me into his trailer.

I was now the Heighters’ number-two man.

Fuckin’ A.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Lexi

One month later…

“So you’ll come to our housewarming tonight?” Molly asked over the phone. She sounded so excited, and my chest burned in happiness for her, but perhaps an element of jealously also.

“I’m… I’m not sure, Molls. I’m supposed to go to—”

Molly’s heavy sigh cut me off. “Lexi, we never see you anymore. You’re always at home with your folks or busy doing something else with the squad. I swear, you and Austin have almost completely disappeared from our lives.”

Daggers pierced my heart as she mentioned Austin. I hadn’t spoken to him in ages, hadn’t even seen him. And as for spending all my time with my folks? They were all wrong, my folks were still away. I was always at their house alone, Daisy’s grave or the gym. I didn’t even go to my classes. Now that cheerleading had stopped and the football season was at an end, I needed to exercise somehow. Hide away somewhere no one ever went.

I was down to seventy pounds flat. I was almost at perfection.

“Lexi? Are you there, sweetie?” Molly asked.

“Yeah, I’m here.”

“So will you come? We want to see you… We all do… We miss you. Since I moved in with Rome, I seem to see everyone but you. I hate not seeing your lovely bright smile.” Her voice was a whisper at the end, and I felt like the worst friend in the world.

“Okay, I’ll be there, Molls. What time?”

“Is seven okay?” she asked, and I could hear the relief in her voice.