CHAPTER 1 – Prologue

6 years earlier. Somewhere in Detroit

"THE COPS ARE GAINING ON US!" Dimitri shouted from the passenger seat of the stolen BMW X6.

"No worries, I'll lose them bro," Kyle said, trying to remain cool. He took a sharp right turn onto 14th street, but the cops were still on our tail.

Kyle swore under his breath as the car slammed against the sidewalk.

"SLOW THE FUCK-!" I tried to yell.

I heard gunshots firing from the back. The rear windshield exploded. I ducked. Bullets soaring, biting the interior leather. Kyle skidded, screaming his damn head off.

I checked the back seat. Gabriel was crouched on the floor. At least he dodged the bullets from what I could gather. His blue eyes were wide with shock, all I could see was fear in them. I wish I could protect him, assure him everything will be okay, like I always did. But I couldn't right now. We were in a fucking speed chase with the cops, in a vehicle we had just stolen!

At least he was safe. That's all that mattered.

The BMW spun, wheels tracing smoke, as Kyle made a sharp left turn.

The cop vehicles were closing the gap fast, and I was starting to lose my shit. A million things rushed through my head. My brother, my debt to my boss, my girl... the life that I knew was suddenly on the brink of collapse. My approaching capture was just a blink away.

I could feel Kyle's adrenaline shooting through the roof. He picked up speed.

This by far was the act I was most ashamed of... sure, I dealt with petty theft, vandalism, and did fights for cash. But this... this was the worst. I've gone too far. Deciding to work for 'Big Ben' was the decision I regretted the most. And this bastard, that I called my best friend driving next to me, for twenty years, dragged Gabriel and me to the abyss with him. How could've I have been so fucking reckless?

The flicker of blue lights distracted me out of my thoughts. The howling sirens rang through my head, promising my condemned fate.

"SHIT! BIG BEN IS GONNA KILL US MAN!" Gabriel shouted anxiously, sitting back up on the damaged seat. He looked back every few seconds through the rear window. Blue lights flashing across his panic-stricken face.

He was tensing up, I could tell. The color drained from his skin, and his white knuckles gripping the edge of his seat confirmed it.

"It's gonna be okay-" but I was stopped short.

Kyle swerved the vehicle, and we swung inside with it. I held onto anything as Kyle pressed on the gas.

More swearing filled the back, but Kyle ignored it. Gunshots broke out again around us. The engine roared as he built up speed. From the tone and volume of Kyle's swearing, he wasn't making much headway. The cops were still on our asses.

"We gotta stop, man!" I looked at Kyle, but his eyes were fixed on the road. He was in his zone that I couldn't break into.

We were swerving dangerously and headed toward oncoming traffic. Thank God it was 2:24am on a Tuesday morning and hardly any vehicles were out on the street. People that drove by, looked at us like we grew two heads or something.

"Shut up, I got this!" Kyle said.

"Hell no, you don't! you gonna get us killed or worse! "I yelled back. This was a race we would not win.

Ahead were two massive gas trucks blocking the freeway and our fucking way through. I saw the silver spikes, spread out on the concrete ground before us that glinted from the side streetlamp. I realized what this meant. The end of the damn awful chase.

Kyle noticed it too late.

He jerked the steering wheel. Tires screamed in agony. Smoke and burnt rubber filled my nostrils.

"HOLD ON! HOLD ON!" Kyle cried. I hoped Gabriel had heard. I hoped he listened.

We couldn't stop in time. The front tyres hit the spikes with a menacing screech. I don't know how long we circled for, when we came to a complete holt. I looked over my shoulder.

"Fuck..." Gabriel said with a strained voice. He sat against the side window, heaving slowly, clutching his stomach.

"What's wrong?" I said, my hand reaching for him.

He let go of his hands, revealing blood. A lot of blood seeping from his stomach.

Shit, he'd been SHOT! I Froze in my seat. I had to do something. How could I let this happen? Gabriel looked at me with pleading eyes. I had to help him.

"Dimitri..." he said. Pain in his eyes.

I made my way towards him.

"HANDS UP!"

I turned around suddenly. Cops surrounded the stolen BMW from all angles. Each one of them pointed guns in our direction. Kyle instantly placed his hands up next to me.

"GET OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP! YOU DO ANYTHING STUPID WE SHOOT!" The cops continued.

Kyle got out slowly. I wanted to make way for Gabriel, all the while shouting that he needs a hospital, that he needs help. But two cops dragged me out, not listening to a word I had said. Kyle was being held down, two cops arrested him on the street. One hefty cop forced me down, cold handcuffs slicing my wrists. I felt the cold tar hitting my cheek.

Restrained down, I turned my head left. I saw Gabriel lying on the ground beside the car wreckage. Blood surrounding him. He was staring at me with vacant blue eyes. The sudden realization paralyzed me, and an unbearable pain stabbed me through my core.

He was gone.

My brother,

My baby brother was dead.