It was hard at first, but soon I found another motivation-meeting my family again, the family that my mom distanced us from after the divorce. The family that actually fought for me but failed because the government thought it was best to give the mom at least one child for closure. Also, because my mom promised the government she would send me to the 'boarding school' to turn out just like her, a weapon.
They didn't want her to have any of the children because they believed my mom wasn't in her right mind at that time. They actually did fight for me-a truth I found out not long ago, a year ago, to be exact. My family actually wanted me. It was hard to believe at first, but soon I found evidence, proof that they really did care. I wonder how they are right now. Do they remember me? Do my younger siblings still remember me? Do my older siblings still care about me? Did they give up on me?
I have seven siblings. Maybe, just maybe, I can find out what they're up to right now. Maybe they're in our database. Wait-why haven't I thought of this before? I feel stupid. I can use the database on my next mission and find them. Maybe I could reach out to them. That thought fills me with a spark of hope. My contract ended last week when I turned 16, but... Mom isn't here anymore. Would they still want me back? I lose all hope at that moment.
Okay, so they might not want me back anymore, but... I can still check up on them. I hear a knock on my door just as I'm considering the thought. I check if my knife is still strapped to me. It is. It's dark out, and I don't have any missions. The person knocks harder now, as if they're in a hurry, which makes my heart beat faster. I'm still tired from today's mission. I could likely handle it if it's a fistfight, but right now, I'm in no mood to wash my sheets. Bloodstains are a pain in the ass. The doorknob twists, and the door opens. I have my guard up, but the person who enters is...
A ragtag gang of teens teams up with a neighboring girl gang when a major cartel moves into town, threatening their families, their turf, and the community they've worked so hard to protect.
*****
Cash West formed the Seven 20s - a gang of six overzealous teens with guns - to keep his tiny, crime-infested town in nowhere California safe. His methods are unorthodox and frankly illegal, but the town loves his Robin Hood heroics. However, the gang gets more than they bargained for when the Mendoza cartel rolls into town, determined to knock them off the map. As the threat hits closer to home, Cash has no choice but to team up with his ex-girlfriend Tiana's neighboring girl gang, the Hearts of Spades. Soon allies become enemies, families get trapped in the crossfire, and romance brews as Cash fights to unravel a massive conspiracy that puts everyone that matters to him at risk. When the stakes are life and death, will the gangs be able to overcome an enemy more powerful than any of them could have predicted?
Book One of The Seven Twenties Series
Content and Trigger Warning: contains violence, drug use, mentions of domestic abuse, and mature themes.