Shannon Parke has little to look forward to in his young life. The prisoner of a broken home, his childhood is marked by fear, hunger, and desperation. He forms a new family with his two best friends, Jamie and Luca, and they become his heroes and protectors. The three boys become the only real family each of them has ever known, and together they finally feel brave enough to face their turbulent world. But when the games of childhood are replaced by drugs and increasing violence, Shannon feels pulled in different directions than his friends. They find themselves in a deadly war with a dangerous Mexican gang, and Shannon's loyalty is needed more than ever. But Shannon wants an escape-and he wants his best friends to be a part of his new life. Can change happen without sacrifice? Is the love they all have for each other enough? After all, when you take up a life of crime, caring can be what makes everything fall apart.