PROLOGUE:

↳ JUNE 2006

IT WAS A HOT SUMMER DAY AT Pop's diner and Caden DeSantos was tired of working all week. Sure, it was the only way the young twenty-six-year-old girl could help support her foster family, but dealing with asshole people on the rich side of town sucked.

Although Pops was on the border between the Southside and the upper-class area, Pop's was an antique no one wanted to give up on. Leaving the ones who didn't have class with the drive-in and the Whyte Wyrm.

The only positive thing about working for asshole rich people though was the tips. Every night Caden would be able to bring at least $100 home. It wasn't like she was saving up the money for college— she was helping her new family keep their house.

A group of rowdy young men entered the diner, the bell above the door signalling their entrance. Their figures move into Caden's empty section and she was flustered, rather hoping she could get cut and go home early.

She begrudgingly walked up to the booth, a fake smile in place and notepad in hand. "Hey y'all, how are you doing tonight?"

The group of young men made her go weak in the knees, especially when she made eye contact with the one in the middle of the rounded vinyl booth. His piercing brown eyes were focused solely on the young woman instead of his friends who asked her multiple questions at once.

She quickly averted her gaze from the attractive male and began answering their questions and taking orders.

"And you, darlin'?" She didn't really mean to add the nickname onto the end— especially to the hot man who she felt flustered by— it was just her Southern charm peeking through.

"I'd like a Corona and a cheeseburger, please." The stranger told her smoothly and she quickly wrote down his order before grabbing the menus from each one.

"May I see your IDs?" Caden asked the men and some snickered but she shrugged. "Sorry, it's protocol." The men dug out their wallets, passing their identification to the brunette woman. After scanning each date of birth and if the IDs were valid, she let her gaze stick on the attractive strangers a minute longer.

His name was Forsythe Jones, a strange name, but her gaze landed on his birth date: 1970. He was 10 years older than her. About 36.

Caden cleared her throat, passing back the small cards and walked away from the booth, taking their order to the cooks. She grabbed a few Coronas and waters for the ones who asked. The young brunette sighed, leaning against the counter as her only table laughed at something funny.

"Why are you staring?"

Caden nearly fell from her hunched position at the sound of her friend, Alison. She turned to glare at the blonde beauty, her heart beating heavily in her chest at the sudden interruption. Her mind had her thinking about the group of men, especially Forsythe Jones.

"I don't know," Caden shrugged. "I feel like I know them from somewhere."

Alison peeked around the brunette's figure to stare at the rowdy table. "Oh my God, Caden."

With a furrowed brow the young woman turned to her friend, confused at the sudden panic she heard in Alison's voice. "What?"

"Those are some Southside Serpents." Alison hissed out, leaning into her friend to whisper it.

"What? No way!" Caden said a bit too loudly and Alison covered the brunette's pink mouth. She glanced around, hoping the table didn't hear her.

"Yes! Do you see the blonde old guy? That's Gary one of the leaders, he's wearing a leather jacket with a snake on it. This must be some sort of initiation."

"Order up!" A cook called out and Caden knew it was her table. She placed all the plates onto a tray, hoping she didn't drop the food.

With a shaky breath, Caden steeled herself up as she approached the gang. Her hands were full with the tray of food and she set it down on a nearby table before passing out each plate individually. While she was passing out their food, someone decided to speak to her.

"What's your name, babe?" One man asked her and her eyes landed on Gary, the leader, who was staring at her coldly.

"My name is Caden DeSantos." Caden told them awkwardly, standing in front of them as they began to dig into their food. She desperately wanted to get away from their table.

"Shit, you're DeSantos' kid?" Her dark brown eyes looked up to see Forsythe staring at her in surprise.

"Uh, I'm his foster kid." She told them uncomfortably. Her foster family did have a baby boy named Joaquin. She knew why the men around her were surprised that Gabriel DeSantos was her father– he was a well-known figure on the Southside who was currently in prison.

Forsythe nodded slowly as if thinking of something that he wanted to say but didn't. Caden took this as her cue to leave the table to eat, moving silently back behind the counter to Alison.

"Why does Gabriel have to do with the Southside Serpents?" She hissed at her best friend. But all her blonde friend did was shake her head and shrug.

"Caden, whatever you do, don't get involved with the Southside Serpents– they're dangerous."

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this story is inspired by a youtuber QueenOfDevils! She made an FP video with Sutton Mercer from the Lying Game and I needed a variation of it! Hope you like this :)