Silas didn’t miss the seriousness laced in his boy's voice, he became silent. He sat down at the edge of the kitchen bar, and rested his elbows on the granite countertops. He got quiet, but Memphis understood that meant to continue.
"I'ont know how the fuck it happened, but somebody got live footage, and I ain’t talkin’ blurry shit. I mean pictures… live clips. You and Nuri. Last night. Walking out the club together wit’cho hand on her thigh.”
"The fuck? Who got footage?" He asked calmly.
Silas’ heart didn’t race.
His breathing didn’t shift.
But his mind went haywire.
"I'm already on it boss, tryna figure out who the fuck would have motive to be watching you. Whoever it was knew what angle to use. Where to stand. How to move without bein’ seen." Silas' thoughts went haywire.
Silas clenched his jaw because he understood that kind of exposure wasn’t just dangerous and messy. It was bait.
“That ain’t all, boss,” Memphis said, releasing a deep sigh. "I peeped that nigga Tree choppin' it up with the Superintendent, and was in his office for longer than twenty minutes."
Silas nodded once.
Didn’t flinch.
Didn’t raise his voice.
“Tree.”
“Yup.”
"Both them muthafuckas know not to play wit' me," Silas snapped. "Find out what the fuck all that shit is about. I'll be in touch."
“I’m watchin’ that nigga, and I already tapped his line.”
“Good deal,” Silas said quietly. “Watch both them muthafuckas, and get in touch wit’ Dro.”
Silas ended the call without another word. Placed the phone down on the counter, and he knew it was coming. That storm energy had seeped in right after he’d had the time of his life. He didn’t have all the answers yet, but the moment his name got attached to a scandal with Nuri, the superintendent’s daughter—it became war. He had a tough decision to make for himself, and one that was made automatically when it came to Nuri. Beyond the explosive love they’d made, Nuri was one of those women that was meant to be in the spotlight and destined for greatness. Therefore, Silas knew he needed to fight for her, not because she was weak, but because he knew her light wasn’t built for the dirt that threatened to taint her reputation.
Some men destroyed their enemies with bullets.
Some with money.
But, Silas… he destroyed muthafuckas by outsmarting them with moves made in the dark, with power no one could trace… and with vengeance served cold, clean, and impossible to outrun. Somebody was gone regret the day they decided to fuck with him.
The sun caused a glow that radiated over Blake University. The speakers came alive and Pardison Fontaine & Cardi'sBackin’ It Updropped like thunder, shaking the block to life. The VETA’’s came with one objective in mind, and that was to shut shit down. Nuri led the line, her thick thighs glistening under the sun, her short white romper hugging her hips, showing off every dip and curve she was known for. Down the back, in bold red and black script, VETA XI-VX made her outfit pop. Her white gold accessories hit with every move, shining like royalty.
They stepped with purpose. Every move was strategic, and they owned the entire block. It was their signature event, and they showed up just so they could show out. The DJ was already lit, bouncing between 90’s throwbacks and current heat. One second it was Future, the next it was Crime Mobb. He knew how to play to the crowd. His transitions were dope, and the crowd was lit, reacting to every song, every horn, and every bassline.
It was up.
Several frats and sororities pulled up in droves. Step lines, impromptu strolls, twerk circles, and smoke clouds filled the open space. Food trucks lined the back street, and coolers were tucked low in shaded corners where the real drinks lived. They weren’tsupposedto be drinking, but this was college.
Thirty minutes in, theMega’sstomped out, their moves tight and aggressive. But they weren’t the ones the crowd came to see. It was all aboutThe Phi’s. They always made an entrance that was bigger than the rest. Future’sStick Talkexploded through the speakers and the ground shook with approval.
They marched in slow, in formation, Shirts off. Arms glistening. Chains swinging. Faces set. They didn’t smile, didn’t speak… Theymoved, and the crowd moved with them. Their routine was sharp, coordinated, and cut with violence and sex. Even the haters had to respect it.
The vibe shifted. It was masculine, alpha energy, served cold, and backed by power, confidence, and true brotherhood. Silas was somewhere in the crowd, but not just posted. He was observing. Standing off to the side with one foot cocked against a brick wall, with a black and goldSaintsfitted low over his eyes; he blended in—but anyone paying attention could feel his presence. He wasn’t there just for show. He was there because his word went out, and promises were meant to be kept.
Just like moths to a flame, Nuri maneuvered through the thick crowd, confidence in her step, her hands swinging at her sides like she had nothing to prove but everything to say as she found her way to him.
“Hey Professor Sullivan,” she said, lips slick withFenty, teasing like sin in a Sunday dress.
