The Oath We Give (Hollow Boys, #5)

by Monty Jay

The group captures attention like a cloud of darkness. A hushed pause blankets the diner. Even the sound of clicking metal from the cooks in the back halt. It’s the Hollow Boys effect. A joke my group of friends used to make when they walked into a room. When you bear the weight of their last names and reputations, there is no flying under the radar. Whether it’s respect or fear, people stop, stare, and lower their voices when they arrive, no matter where they go or appear. Their eyes scan the diner’s retro interior, gazes finally settling on an empty booth not far from ours. Time spent away from Ponderosa Springs has not lessened their influence. It’s grown over the years. They are everything the prestigious pricks in Ponderosa Springs are terrified of. As teenagers, they were anarchy, a vicious wildfire that needed to be snuffed out but couldn’t be contained in time. Now that they are adults with total access to the money and power their legacy offers, there is no hope of deliverance. They’ll use their power to retaliate against the system that turned them into monsters the second they are tempted. It’s the rich devouring the rich. Everyone knows the truth, though. The Hollow Boys have always had sharper teeth.