I caught Lexi’s hand lift, shaking furiously as it moved behind me. I was shocked when it landed on the back of my neck, and I released a breath I didn’t even realize I was holding.

“It’s okay. It’s okay. I just panicked,” Lexi said slowly, and I knew she was trying to convince herself as much as she was trying to convince me.

Drawing back my head, I tentatively pressed a kiss to her lips, speaking against her mouth. “I forgot, Pix. I know that’s a f**kin’ terrible excuse. But I just forgot.”

Lexi closed her eyes, inhaling deep through her nose, and when her eyelids fluttered open, she seemed a little better.

“Austin?” My mamma’s weak voice drifted through the trailer as the wind outside began to howl and tree branches began scratching at the windows in the storm.

If the weather had ever depicted the mood of a situation, then it couldn’t have been more appropriate as it was right now.

“Si, Mamma?” I answered back but never once took my gaze off my Pix. Lexi’s eyes stayed locked on mine too.

“Lexi… I wish for… her to come here,” she called back and began to cough with the effort.

I noted Lexi’s eyebrows pulling down tight, but, ducking her head, she set off to walk around me, and I pushed my arm out to grab her hand.

Lexi laid her still-shaking hand to my cheek and nodded that she was okay.

Fuckin’ A, I thought as I swallowed back my guilt.

Just as I watched Lexi tentatively walk into Mamma’s room, arms wrapped around her stomach, the doorknob on the front door slowly began to turn.

Rushing for the door, I pushed on the knob, the door flying open with the help of the high wind. Staring up at me in shock were Axel, Carlo, and Gio. Carlo was holding tight to his bicep. I remembered Levi said he’d been shot. Looked like it was just a graze, yet another scrape with death for the Heighters.

“Austin!” Axel called, instantly happy. Stepping from the trailer onto the graveled patch of yard, I shut the door behind me and walked into the heavy and turbulent storm and, weirdly, into the company of my heavy and turbulent crew.

“Axe. Gio. Carlo,” I greeted and, making sure the door of the trailer was shut, put my hands in my pocket, the wind ripping around us like a hurricane.

Axel strutted toward me and slung his arm around my shoulder. “You get Mamma’s meds, kid?”

“Yeah, just gave her them.”

I caught Gio smirk at me, and he pointed to the Prius. “Hotwire some rich-ass student’s ride?”

Shrugging, I fought my urge to drop his ass to the floor. “Just borrowed it from someone I know.”

Axel drew back and eyed me weird. “Who the hell do you know that drives a f**kin’ Prius?”

“Some Tide groupie you’re screwing?” Carlo said, wearing a huge grin.

“Sure,” I replied evasively and looked again to Axel. “Seba okay? Lev said he took one to the chest.”

Axel’s face shadowed with sorrow and he shook his head. “DOA at the ER. Another fallen brother.” Axel made the cross over his chest with his hand, and I saw Gio do the same.

Sighing loudly, I rubbed my hand across my forehead.

“We need to talk, Aust,” Gio said seriously, and I looked his way. “We need you back in with the crew, just until we can get the better of the Kings. They already took three miles of turf in a matter of weeks, and now they’re looking to take the UA campus.” He stared at me for a few silent moments, then added, “They know you’re there and they’re talking some real bad shit about taking you down.”

“Fuck!” I hissed out, and Gio stepped forward and flicked his chin at Axel. Axel reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out a 9mm piece. No, scratch that, my old 9mm piece.

Axel held it out for me to take. “Your famiglia needs you, kid. We need to keep the turf to make the green. Mamma’s treatments are only gonna cost more from this point on. It’s all us Carillos together.”

I caught the curtains of Mamma’s room twitch, and my heart dropped when I saw the window was slightly open. She’d have heard everything that was just said.

“Look, Axe, we’ll think of something else. I’ll swallow my damn pride, we will, and ask Rome to help us out with Mamma’s bills.”

“No, you f**kin’ won’t! I ain’t getting charity handouts from that rich f**k. I hate the cunt! We do this the Carillo way, the Italian way. The street way.”

My teeth gritted together and I stepped right up to Axel. “That’s the last time you’ll say anything against Rome. He’s as close to me as a damn brother.”

Axel had begun to smirk at me, until I said the last part, and then all I saw was anger rush across his face. “Let’s get this straight right now. Rome f**kin’ Prince ain’t your brother, kid,” he spat. “He’s just some rich-ass football player you know, some rich-ass football player that’s using your white trash ass and quick feet to get him to the NFL. He don’t know this life, don’t understand what it takes to survive over here in the west. And from this day on, you’ll be dealing on campus alongside me and getting your college ass over here to the Heights whenever I call. Fuck your football, kid. This shit’s about our future. It’s about famiglia. Now”—Axel smacked my 9mm to my chest, putting all his impressive strength behind it—“man the f**k up. We got work to do.”

Gripping the gun in my hand, feeling the familiar scratched metal under my fingers, my heart fell when Axel turned to the door of the trailer.