Kazimir's latest painting depicted a mythical tree house with a little boy perched on the edge of the branch. Cherry blossoms sprouted amid the tree, where faeries chased each other around. Using his acrylics, he'd started with a lovely baby blue sky in the background then added more details.

The treehouse was inspired by the one his father built for him as a kid. He worked so hard to construct it, and Kazimir always loved going up there to live out the fantasies that played out in his child's mind.

Once his father perished, Kazimir stopped going inside the treehouse. He didn't vanquish dragons or steer a pirate ship across the ocean in search of gold. It just wasn't as fun without his father there to play along with him. Kazimir's childhood died the day his father died.

After finishing his painting, Kazimir left it near the window where the sun shined. Someone would want to buy it for sure. They wouldn't understand the true meaning behind it, but that didn't matter to him.

Some days, it felt like the grief would sweep him away or drown him in his guilt. As the years went by, his father's image faded. Kazimir lost him at such a young age; only seven-years-old. Despite how little time they got to spend together, Kazimir cherished those childhood memories. Some days, he wished he could turn to his father for advice.

What would he think of Kazimir now and how his life turned out? There wasn't much to be proud of. Kazimir knew he was a disappointment to everyone in his life, especially his family. That was why he hadn't been reaching out to them often. He was ashamed to tell them how he couldn't keep a job. When his mother forced him out on his ass, he lied to his babushka and cousins about having a safe place to sleep. How could he tell them that he'd lived in a homeless shelter, snorting coke and snacking on the smidgens of food they provided?

Hoping to clear his troubled mind, Kazimir went to shower. The warm rivulets of water relaxed his tense muscles. After getting dressed, he met Jordy in the living room to figure out what they'd eat for supper.

"Hey, man. Can we talk for a sec?" Jordy asked, patting the empty space on the couch.

"Um, sure." Kazimir took a load off. "Something wrong?"

Jordy scratched the back of his neck. "I'm worried about you. Like, you've been really distant. After everything that's happened, I understand you must be scared. You know I'm here, right? You don't need Emmett and those rebels."

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine," Kazimir assured him.

"You don't have to lie to me. I can tell something's wrong," Jordy replied. "I just hate how evasive you're being about it. Is it because of Samantha? Hank? The cops? The gang?"

Kazimir shook his head, forcing a fake smile. "Really, nothing's wrong."

"Luca did this too." Jordy sighed. "Acted like everything was okay when it was far from it. He didn't want us to know he was hurting. He wanted to act brave. I miss him everyday. Not a moment goes by when I don't stop and think about what I could've done differently to help him."

"Sometimes there's nothing we can do. I know what it's like to lose a family member. My dad died when I was only seven. It still haunts me to this day, wondering what I could've done differently to save him."

"Everything with Hank and Samantha must bring up those sad memories, doesn't it?" Jordy asked. "I know I've been thinking about Luca's murder a lot lately too. It's hard not to. Can I be honest with you? This is such a horrible thing to say, but I envy Hank for the attention he's received. Nobody cared about my big brother. They just saw another dead junkie in an alley."

"I'm sorry."

"Someone tossed him away like garbage. Luca did everything he could to protect these people and they treated him like trash. I fucking hate this town. I hate most of the people in it too. The only reason I stay here is because I need to know what happened," Jordy said. "I need to know who killed my brother. Samantha's the same way."

"It's awful how they treated you brother," Kazimir told him. "That's why Samantha joined the Black Vipers, isn't it? To find out what happened to Luca."

"She tried to get in with the rebels," Jordy admitted. "They forced her away and beat her. She came to me in tears with a broken nose and two black eyes. Had to drive her to the hospital that night."

"I never knew that... She never told me..."

"Why would she? You both hide your shit from everybody. You think no one cares, so you push them away," Jordy snapped.

"I'm sorry." Kazimir looked down, unable to meet his gaze.

Jordy sighed. "I think that's why Samantha hates you now. After trying so hard to get in with the rebels, you did it so easily. You betrayed her."

"Does Samantha still talk to you?" Kazimir asked.

"Yeah, sometimes. Not much. I took care of her after she got injured," Jordy replied. "Haven't heard from her in about a week now. You did the same to me. I guess the gangs are just more important than me."

"Jordy, that's not true."

"Really? Then how come y'all spend more time with those fuckers than me?" Jordy asked. "For fuck's sake, I haven't seen you since the day you were stabbed. Even then, you barely said shit to me. I was so goddamn worried about you. Samantha too. She didn't want to talk about it either. Can't y'all see that I wanna help? I don't want to lose either of you like I did Luca. I just want to help."

"You can't help me." Kazimir reluctantly showed off the wolf tattoo he'd gotten inked on his flesh.

Jordy gasped. "Shit. What have you done?"

"It's so they'll protect me. The Black Vipers want me dead. I almost got shot by a group of them who were sent to finish me off."

"Holy shit. When did that happen?"

"Few days ago. They took care of them." Kazimir shuddered at the memory of the dead bodies on the living room floor. "You don't have to worry though. I'll be safe with them. I won't end up like your brother."

"That Emmett guy works for them, doesn't he?" Jordy asked.

Kazimir nodded. "Yeah. He encouraged me to join their gang. I was hesitant at first, but I need their help."

"Don't you think that's suspicious? Why would he offer you a position in their gang so easily?" Jordy shook his head. "You probably don't know this, but it's hard to get in a gang. They trust no one. That's why Samantha never got in with the rebels. It took Luca forever to convince the rebels he could be trusted too."

Kazimir bit on the inside of his cheek. "Do you think Emmett killed Hank? Maybe Luca too?"

Jordy shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know. It doesn't sit well with me how they offered you protection so easily. The gangs worry about themselves first. Your life isn't a priority to them. They need you alive for something."

"Why would they need me? Emmett mentioned something before about being their artist, to tag locations."

"They could get anyone to do that," Jordy replied. "It's gotta be something else."

"Like what?"

"I don't know, but I won't let them turn you into a monster or hurt you," Jordy told him. "I promise."

"There's something else I need to tell you... Please, don't be mad. I should've been upfront about this long ago," Kazimir stammered over his words.

"What? Why would I be mad?"

Inhaling a deep breath, Kazimir spit the truth out. "I'm an addict."

Anger didn't cross Jordy's face. " That's why you turned to the gangs, isn't it?"

Kazimir nodded. "They've been providing my coke since I moved down here. Samantha gave it to me at first. Now, the rebels do."

"It's not too late for you." Jordy rested his hand over Kazimir's. "You can get help. I know you probably don't wanna get clean, but I don't wanna watch you die. I won't force you into rehab or try to get you out of the gang. I know how dangerous it is to leave them. Just know that I'm on your side."

"Thanks, I appreciate that." Kazimir smiled. "I'll be fine though. I know what I'm doing. Anyway, let's figure out what we're gonna have for supper. It's getting kinda late."

"Sure, whatever you want. I'm not picky," Jordy replied.

While they ate some chicken fried steak that evening, Kazimir couldn't help but wonder if he'd made a grave mistake. Joining the gang hadn't been a brilliant move on his end, but he needed them. Emmett would protect him, right? He looked over at his roommate. Was Jordy right? Could Emmett be stringing him along? Kazimir had witnessed firsthand how cruel the gangster was.

Who should he trust?