Book excerpt: I don't belong in the Heights. Truth be told, no one does. It's dirty, grimy. Riddled with crime, the destitute, and the desperate. Where the family unit doesn't always mean a mom, a dad, and two-point-five kids. It's whoever gives you the time of day. That's how the Heights Crew came about. The only relationship that counts in the Heights is if you're a part of the Crew. There, gang ties are thicker than blood. More important than money, safety, or any other promise we're supposed to have in this life. Even more important than yourself. Me? I'm in, and I can't get out. Some days, I'm not even sure I want to.