As I stared at my little brothers, both of them dressed in faded clothes, all of us going hungry, something in me snapped. Jumping to my feet, my insides felt like they were on fire.

“Axe?” Austin’s beaten face was looking up at me from the couch. He was scared.

“Stay with Lev,” I ordered and rushed out of the trailer. I was so angry. So damn angry! Before I knew it, I was sprinting through the trailer park. I kept my eyes staring forward as I ran to the park’s bar, ignoring the Heighters all watching me rush pass them as I pushed through the entrance to the bar.

I stood still and looked for my papa. Hearing a woman laugh, my eyes went to the sound. The laughing woman was sitting on Papa’s lap.

Storming over to where he was, I stood beside him and pushed on his big arm. His eyes snapped to mine and disgust built on his face.

“What the fuck are you doing here, boy?” he slurred drunkenly.

Sucking in a deep breath, I said, “I need money. Austin and Levi need clothes and we need food.”

My papa’s gaze darkened as I said that and he pushed me hard on my chest. I stumbled back as he and the woman laughed.

Gritting my teeth, I ran at my papa and pushed him back. “They need clothes! It’s not fair!” I shouted. “Austin’s getting beat up at school because of it!”

The bar went silent as my papa stared down at me. His skin began turning red and I started backing away. My stomach dropped as I realized what I’d just done. I’d made him mad. Real mad.

In a second Papa had thrown the half naked woman off his lap and reached out to grab me by my neck. He dragged me out of the bar and burst through the doors out into the cool night.

Papa’s free hand gripped onto my hair and he pulled me to face him. “You little cunt! You’re gonna pay for fucking with me!”

His hand let go of my hair and he punched me on the jaw, the pain making my legs weaken then drop to the ground. My scalp burned as my papa kept tight hold of my hair and punched me again in my stomach. He let go of my hair and I fell down. Closing my eyes, I curled my body trying to protect myself from the kick I knew would come next, when suddenly, I heard someone dragging my papa backwards.

Opening my eyes, I saw Remo Marino, the leader of the Heighters, holding my papa by his arms. “What the fuck you doing to that kid, old man?” he asked and I could see my papa fighting to get free.

“Get the fuck off me, you piece of shit!” he shouted back. But then more of the Heighters surrounded him and began throwing punches.

I tried to sit up, not knowing what to do, when a hand pressed on my shoulder. My head whipped to my right, when I saw Gio Marino beside me. I tried to get away from him. My mamma had told me to stay away from the Heighter crew, said they were nothing but trouble.

“Relax, ragazzo,” Gio said. “I ain’t gonna hurt you.”

“You’re not?” I asked. My voice was croaky and my eyes went back to the rest of the gang that were kicking my papa on the ground.

“Papa,” I whispered and staggered to my feet. Gio joined me and wrapped his arm around my shoulder, forcing me to stay where I was.

The Heighters began moving from my papa, and my eyes widened when I saw him rolling in pain on the ground, covered in blood. I’d never seen my papa look so weak before.

My gaze never left my papa, but when someone moved in front of me I looked up. Remo Marino.

“Axel Carillo, yeah?” he asked and I nodded my head, looking behind Remo to all the other Heighters watching me. I knew they were all Heighters because of the black star on their left cheeks.

“He hit you like that a lot?” Remo asked. My attention came back to the older Heighter leader and I nodded my head. I didn’t dare lie to him.

“I… I needed money for my little brothers. They need clothes. Papa wouldn’t give me it.” I dropped my head in shame. “I lost it and came after him… I was stupid. It’s my fault he hit me.”

Remo looked back over his shoulder at my papa trying to get to his feet and shook his head. “Fucking hate assholes like that. And you ain’t stupid, kid. You did good.” Gio’s arm tightened around my shoulder and I saw Gio nod his head to Remo’s raised eyebrow.

I didn’t understand what that look meant.

“Filippo, get the kid some cash,” Remo said to a guy stood beside him. Filippo reached into his pocket, pulled out a roll of cash and placed it in my hands.

My mouth dropped at the amount of money he’d given me. It must have been hundreds of dollars. I met Remo’s eyes again. “You wanna keep earning soldi like that?”