CHAPTER ONE! MUSHY POV!

I was walking home through the short cut I always use, an alley in Brooklyn. It's normally pretty safe, but that night… the Delancey brothers were walking that same alley. I saw them, turned around and ran, ran as fast as I could. But the Delancey's were faster; they caught me and threw me into the brick wall of a building.

"Why ya runnin' Mushy, we's just wanna talk to you." Morris said. Oscar bashed the side of my face into the brick wall. Blood was streaming down my face. "Ya see Mushy, youse hurt our feelin's runnin' away from us like that. I think we need to teach youse some manners. What do you think Oscar?" I knew what was coming next.

"I think your right Morris." A punch to the face, a knee in the stomach. I started to cough up some blood after a couple minutes of brutality at the hands of the Delanceys.

"Do you think he's had enough Morris?" I heard after about ten minutes of getting the crap beaten out of me.

"What are you stupid or something Oscar? No way has he had enough," Laughter was the last thing I heard before I blacked out.

*******

Water was dumped on my face to wake me up. When I opened my eyes I found I was in a house, not the alley. But not my house, I looked around trying to figure out where I was. "Mush? Mush youse okay?" I know that voice…Racetrack.

"Damn Mush, we thought you died. Good thing the poker game ended early, or youse would still be with the Delancy brothers,"…Spot Collins voice.

"What happened?" My mouth tasted like blood and my voice sounded funny.

"You were comin' home through the alley when Morris and Oscar caught you and started beatin' the shit outta you. You blacked out and they kept hittin' you. Me, Spot, and Race had to go soak 'em and brought you to Spot's place." Jack Kelly explained. I started to remember.

I got up of the now soaked couch and walked to the kitchen and cleaned out my mouth. "I thought they didn't come to Brooklyn…"

"They found out I was goin' to be in Manhattan playin' cards. Them came to soak all the Brooklyn boys while their leader wasn't home." Spot smirked and cocked his head to the side "I showed them to mess with my boys," we all laughed.

"Mush, why are you in Brooklyn? You should be in Manhattan," Jack asked.

"yea…well…I…it's…I don't know," I lied seeing how Race and Jack didn't know; I glanced at Spot, who looked really nervous."

"Leave the poor kid alone he just got the shit beaten out of him, let him rest," to my surprise it was Race who spoke up…maybe he did know.

"Yea, Spot, let Mush stay here for to night," I think that's what Jack said, I was trying not to smile.

"I guess that's cool, just don't wake me up while I'm sleepin' or I'll kill you…haha just messin' wit you Mush" Spot said trying to act normal…which wasn't working to well,

"…You all right Spot, youse acting really…strange," Jack of course.

"Yeah, he's fine, let's go before Morris decides to come afta us to, night guys," I think Spot told Race, they are pretty close.

"Alright, bye guys," Finally they left.