Fate made us brothers, loyalty made us family. A bond that runs deeper than the Mississippi, my brothers and I might not have the same DNA but what we share is far more powerful. Our loyalty to one another and the man who made us a family is stronger than those bound by blood. The most sought out sharp shooters in the country, our paths were certain, before one woman changed my life and altered the relationship I have with my brothers. Ryanne Lockwood disappeared without a trace but her memory never faded, torturing me on the darkest nights. Until a twist of fate leads me back to her, sending our worlds to collide once more, and this time, there will be no escaping me. Justice Creed’s bad boy appeal caught my attention from the moment he rolled into town. For years I watched from afar, swallowing up the rumors that surrounded him. Until we shared a night of forbidden passion. One that destroyed my heart and reshaped my soul, and it sent me fleeing from the only town I’ve ever known. Now, years later, he's barged back into my life, uncovering a secret I've worked so hard to keep and it's one that will change our lives forever. EXCERPT "It’s only going to be a matter of time before someone finds us. We have to keep moving," I tell them. “And go where?” Brax asks, lifting his battered face. I shrug. “Anywhere is better than here.” “Come on, Justice. We have no money. We don’t even have clothes,” Brax sniffles. “What the hell are we going to do?” “We do whatever necessary to survive,” I say, looking into his weary eyes. “We can’t go back. Look what almost happened to you. Hobbs is most likely dead and they aren’t going to believe a couple of troubled kids. Who knows what we’ll face next. The system has fucked us long enough. Living on the streets is better than where we’ve all been.” They both remain silent but I see the look in their eyes, the same knowledge I have burning in my mind and heart. “I say we make a pact right here, right now. We do this on our own. No more beatings, no more pain. We watch out for one another, take care of each other.” “Like family,” Knox says. I nod. “Like family.” My eyes search theirs in the quiet dark. “Are you with me?” I ask, extending my hand in the middle. Knox doesn’t hesitate. “I’m in.” Both of our eyes shift to Braxten who still looks scared. “We got you, Brax,” I promise. “We’d never let anything happen to you.” He places his beat-up hand on ours. “Family. Forever.” That day we became more than friends. We became brothers. For the next year we lied, stole, and did whatever necessary to survive. Until our travels brought us to the Mississippi Delta. There we hid out on a farmer’s land, seeking shelter on a rainy night. The owner was a lone man named Thatcher Creed, the first adult to ever show us any kindness. Instead of calling the police when he found us, he took us in and raised us as his own. Thatcher Creed gave us something we’d never had but always longed for. A real family.
