“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?”

Staring down at the cash again, I nodded my head.

“Good,” Remo said. He flicked his chin toward Gio. “You know my little cousin, Gio, Axel?”

I looked to Gio. “A little.”

“I’ll watch out for him, Rem. I’ll show him how business is done.”

Remo nodded his head. “Bene.” Gio took his arm from around my shoulder and Remo stepped away. “Be back here tomorrow after school, Axel, and we can get you earning a shit ton more cash than that.”

Excitement washed through me at the thought of getting more cash. I could help my mamma. I could help my brothers.

The Heighters all began to walk away except for Gio.

“Why? Why are you helping me? I don’t understand?” I asked and Gio smiled.

“You’re Italiano, fratello. We look after our own.” He shrugged. “And the way you took on your old man today shows you got balls. Ain’t afraid to fight for a cause. You’ll do well with us. We’ll take care of you, have your back.”

At his words, I breathed out a long breath. “Grazie,” I said sincerely. “Grazie mille.”

Gio came beside me and threw his arm around my neck again. We began walking toward my trailer, back to my brothers, when I looked behind me to my papa on the floor. “What about my papa? He’ll beat on us again after this. I’ll pay for what you did.”

Gio laughed. “He ain’t gonna touch you again, Axel. He knows better than to fuck with the Heighers. You run with us now, ragazzo. If he even breathes wrong your way, Remo will make sure he never does it again.”

“Papa ain’t gonna touch my mamma and brothers again?” I asked in relief.

Gio shook his head and I felt a smile pull on my lips.

Gio laughed at my reaction and nodded his head. “I’ll be with you all the way, ragazzo. Now, let’s go get those brothers of yours some new clothes…”

*****

Aliyana was silent as I finished speaking, my damn heart feeling bruised as I thought about that day. The day the Heighters changed my life.

“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 them. They gave you hope that it would all be okay.”

I shook my head. “It was more than that. They saved me. They kept my family going, they had my back… I fucking owed them everything.”

“And your papa?”

“Left two weeks later. Moved in with that slut that was on his lap. It was the best fucking day of my life. I knew it was Remo and the Heighters that had made him leave.” I huffed a laugh. “They saved us all.”

“God, Axel. I don’t know what 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 was twelve 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 always with me after that day. He never left my side. Taught me everything I 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 at my hands. I’d felt like I’d been cut open remembering our friendship. I’d felt like the biggest prick on the face of the planet.