The Heights

Living in Hawthorne Heights wasn't for the weak. Crime and violence surrounded us, but we did what we had to in order to survive. Not everyone made it out alive, though, when dodgy deals went wrong. My brother had proved that when he'd been killed right in front of me when I was twelve. I'd managed to dodge the foster system, thanks to my brother's best friend. Reid had only been a kid, too, when my brother had died, but he seemed so much older. He'd taken charge, making sure my best friend Logan and I never went without. We were a family.

My world was crumbling down around me right in front of my eyes. Reid hurt me. Logan broke me. Zavier almost got me killed. Nothing was ever going to be the same again. With no one to protect me, I had to rely on myself. Beckett was my only trusted friend, and she reminded me that I was strong. Until that one night, I let loose and almost lost what was left of me. And the last person I thought I'd see again walked through the door like he'd never left.

How could you love someone who wasn't who they said they were? It was impossible to let them go, even though they deserved it. Did any of us even know the real Ander Lavaro? With the mafia closing in on us, time was running out. I couldn't lose anyone else, but they had their sights set on Zavier. There was no way we'd get out of this unscathed. If Ander had been honest from the start, none of this would have happened. This was bigger than us, so it was no surprise when the street crews got involved. With them by our side, we could handle anything.