Page 1 of Hide From Me

prologue

Eight YearsEarlier

Cas

I’d burn the world for her, and she just moved in. Or rather, she was just dragged here by the prick who thinks he somehow runs the Spectors and now his daughter. I don’t see the resemblance, and I’d be asking for a paternity test if I were her, except she’s terrified and rightly so. No one gets dropped off in gang territory and gets out unscathed. You either swear allegiance or die. There is no in between.

“What do you make of her?” X asked.

I glanced at my friend standing next to Zeid. We were the three amigos, if that was a thing in the Spectors. We were waiting for our time, almost ready to challenge everything that this fucking gang was built on, but we still had to finish our plans. Years of revenge had fueled our anger, and now she’s here and I didn’t have a plan for her.

“I don’t know.”

I watched her sit on the porch of the run-down shithole that still barely qualified as a house. It had been all of a day since she’d arrived and none of us knew what to think of her. Mom, a dead stripper, and dad? Well, he was used up like the rest ofthem. It was time for the next generation to take over and we were just waiting out our time.

But her?

Zeid crossed the street that was more pothole than asphalt and stopped at the bottom stair.

“Hey, who you?”

She looked up and stared. Her bag was still sitting there; fuck had she been out here all night?

“Girl, I asked who you were.”

Zeid was the patient one, if that was a thing in this lifestyle.

Even from here I could see the red rimming her eyes like she hadn’t stopped crying. Then again, her mom had just been murdered. We all knew the story. The shithead was out for his ex ever since she left him. Only no one knew why she mattered. No one had said shit about a daughter.

“Rylee.”

That was all she said. Zeid’s hands were stuffed in his pockets, probably holding a switchblade, ready to fight with anyone.

“Rylee? You come hang with us.”

What the fuck was he doing?

Rylee didn’t seem to be getting up, but then we all heard the sound of her father’s voice screaming her name. He added a few fun expletives like whore and bitch. That’s when I fucking lost my ever-loving mind and ran across the street and took all three broken-ass steps in one leap as the door crashed opened. I put myself front and center between Rylee and the asshole who donated sperm.

“Get out of my way. This bitch has to pay.”

I was ready, and I would win if this asshole swung. I was young, sober, and more unstable than a fucking one-legged table.

“Yeah, from what I can see, she’s already paid if she’s stuck here with you.”

He stumbled.

“Caspian, get the fuck off my porch. You and your little friends have caused enough trouble. I need money and she’ll have to do.”

A car barreled down the street, one I’d recognize anywhere.

“What the fuck you need that douche for?” I was referring to our fearless leader, the one that I’d planned to get rid of sooner rather than later.

“Pussy, that’s what, and this girl here? She’s going for a premium. Look.”

He tossed me his phone, and my vision went red as I read message after message.

“You offered up your daughter to pay off your fucking debts?”