Page 12

TWELVE

SILAS

R ushing over to Sable’s dorm in the middle of the night wasn’t how I planned to spend my evening. But when one of my brothers called, letting me know Asher Blackwood had been murdered right across the hall from Sable—and with that damn note we found in Levi’s room still fresh in my mind—I didn’t hesitate. I was out the door, keys in hand.

There’s something dangerous circling around us, and I’ll be damned if I let it touch her.

She walks beside me, her usual fire smothered under exhaustion. The girl who normally shoots me sharp retorts and glares now just looks... tired. Dark circles hang under her eyes, and her steps are slow, almost reluctantly, as if she knows she should fight me on this but can’t muster the energy. I watch her out of the corner of my eye, fighting the urge to grab her and carry her the rest of the way.

I close the door behind us as we enter the DSN house.

Another murder. Right across from her.

I kick off my shoes, barely registering the action, my mind still racing. I hear footsteps, and when I look up, Dayton is already coming down the stairs. His eyes dart between Sable and me, his concern obvious. “What’s going on, Si?” Dayton asks, pulling on a T-shirt as he looks her up and down like he’s trying to piece the puzzle together. “Why is she here?”

“There’s been another murder on campus,” I snap, keeping my voice low but firm. I hate repeating myself. “Sable’s staying here until further notice.”

His gaze shifts to Sable again, lingering too long for my liking. I grit my teeth as she steps toward him, sinking into his arms like he’s some kind of fucking savior. My fists clench at my sides. She lets him wrap his arms around her like it’s natural. Like I’m not even standing here. The jealousy hits me like a sucker punch, making my muscles coil tight with tension.

“Another murder? Who?” Dayton’s voice is quiet, his focus entirely on her.

“Asher Blackwood,” Sable says, her voice trembling slightly as she pulls away from Dayton’s hold. Her eyes meet mine, but there’s something cold there—distrust. “And if any of you had anything to do with it, I will not hesitate to rat you out to the campus police.”

Dayton’s shocked face mirrors mine.

Us ?

She seriously thinks that we are that deranged we would murder one of our classmates? For what? Trying to take her on one date?

Dayton fakes a smile. “It wasn’t us, babygirl. Let’s get you upstairs to bed. You can take my bed tonight. I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“No. It’s fine. I’ll take the couch,” she argues, shaking her head like she actually has a choice in the matter.

The second she’s out of sight, my fist slams against the wall, the dull thud of skin against plaster doing little to calm me.

Dayton—fucking Dayton—always the charmer, always able to pull her in with a damn smile, while I stand here like a goddamn fool, trying to protect her. She thinks she’s safe with him, that he’s the one she can lean on, but she doesn’t get it. She’s mine to protect. Mine.

I storm into the office; the door slamming behind me. The dim lighting casts shadows on the dark wood paneling. The walls are lined with books, and the four desks in the center of the room feel like a fucking cage. I make my way to the wet bar, pouring myself a glass of whiskey and downing it in one long gulp, barely tasting the burn.

This whole situation is spiraling out of control. Toby’s, now Asher’s death, the note in Levi’s room, the threats—it’s all connected. Someone’s fucking with us. I don’t know why.

I set the glass down with a sharp clink; the sound echoing in the silence. My mind is racing, trying to piece it all together, but the jealousy—that fucking jealousy—keeps gnawing at me. Every time I see her with Dayton, it feels like a punch to the gut. She should be leaning on me, not him.

Footsteps sound behind me, and I glance over my shoulder to see Dayton saunter into the room. “She’s asleep,” he says, crossing the room to pour himself a drink. “What the hell is going on, Silas?”

I stare into the empty glass in my hand, my jaw clenched. “This shit’s getting out of hand. Someone’s coming after us, Day.”

Dayton doesn’t say anything for a moment. He takes a sip of his whiskey, leaning back against the bar. His eyes narrow slightly, and when he finally speaks, there’s a hint of something in his voice that sets me on edge. “You sure this isn’t just you being too overprotective? You’ve always been that way about her…”

I slam my glass down harder than I mean to, the sharp sound cutting through the tension in the room. “This isn’t about being protective,” I snarl. “This is about keeping her alive.”

He smirks, that cocky grin back on his face. “Right. Keep telling yourself that.”

I step forward, closing the distance between us. “I don’t need to justify myself to you, Dayton. She’s staying here until I say otherwise, and you’re going to make sure she’s protected.”

He knows better than to push me when I’m like this. We’re on the same page, even if neither of us wants to admit it.

Finally, I turn away, grabbing the bottle and heading for the door. “Keep an eye on her,” I say over my shoulder. “If anything happens to her while she’s under our roof, it’s on you.”

But what really gets under my skin, more than anything, is the way Sable looked at me tonight. Like I’m just another piece of the puzzle she’s trying to solve. Like I’m the villain in her story.

She has no idea.

By the time I reach my room, the anger is still simmering, my muscles coiled tight, ready to snap. But I push it down, burying it deep. I can’t afford to lose control now.

Whoever’s behind this, they’ll regret coming after her. I’ll make sure of it.

And if Sable thinks she can stay out of this, stay out of my reach—she’s in for a rude fucking awakening.

I spend most of the night tossing and turning in my bed, my mind chasing sleep but never catching it. When the tiniest sliver of daylight peeks through the curtain, I give up and throw off the covers. My body screams for release, for some kind of punishment to silence the chaos in my head. So, I do what I always do. I run.

I started running in high school, part of my father’s harsh training regimen. It was supposed to make me disciplined, focused, relentless. I guess, in a way, it worked. Running cleanses my soul more than any drug or drink ever could. It’s punishment, but it’s also freedom—the only thing that quiets the demons.

By the time I get back to the house, my muscles burn, but my head is clearer. Dayton’s room is still closed, so I head to the shower, hoping that by the time I’m done, Sable might be awake. It’s half-past eight, and the house is unusually quiet. I turn the water on scalding hot, letting it sear my skin, trying to wash away the unease that’s settled deep inside me. First Toby, now Asher. There’s too much blood for it to be ruled accidental, and Kai will already be working on damage control. We need answers, and we need them fast.

I finish the shower, throwing on my DSN sweatshirt and a pair of jeans, the cotton sticking to my still-damp skin. As I walk past Dayton’s now open door, I stop in the doorway and peek inside. Sable is sitting on the bed, her posture tense, her gaze fixed on the black iron window. She’s dressed for the day already, but she looks distant. Her usual fire dimmed.

We’ve known each other forever. There was a time when Sable would tell me anything, confide in me like I was the only one who could understand her. We used to spend hours on the playground, just talking—before things got complicated. Before I fucked everything up.

I had a crush on her before I even knew what a crush was. That stupid, heart-pounding, sweaty-palms kind of crush that makes you feel like an idiot. We played this cat-and-mouse game for years, always circling, never quite catching each other. And when I finally had the chance to be with her, I did what I do best: I ruined it.

I know that. She knows that. Hell, everyone knows that. But I’m not going to let that happen again.

“I told you, I’m fine,” she snaps as I step into the room, her voice defensive.

I lean against Dayton’s desk, keeping some space between us—for now.

“You don’t have to pretend with me.”

She scoffs, refusing to meet my eyes. “I’m not pretending. I just... don’t want your protection.”

Her tone is ice, but I see through it. She’s scared, and she’s trying to hide it. She’s already dressed in leggings and an oversized AGU sweatshirt, the green fabric making her eyes pop in a way that used to drive me crazy. Now, those same eyes won’t even glance in my direction.

“Maybe you don’t need it,” I murmur, my voice dropping, “but I need to know you’re safe.”

“Why do you care so much, Silas? We’re not exactly close anymore.”

“We used to be.”

She stands from the bed. But I close the gap, refusing to let her escape. “Silas, we aren’t even friends anymore,” she whispers, her voice cracking softly. “Why are you really doing this?”

I close the gap between us, my hand gripping her chin, tilting her face up to meet mine. My fingers press into her skin, not hard enough to hurt, but enough to remind her I’m here.

“Sable.”

She stares up at me, her eyes wide, searching for mine. “What are you doing, Silas?”

“I don’t know,” I admit, my voice raw, desperate. “But I know I can’t stop myself anymore.”

And then I do the one thing I’ve been fighting against since the moment she walked back into my life. I kiss her. Hard. Desperate. My lips crash into hers with a hunger that borders on reckless. For a moment, she freezes, but then she melts into the kiss, her hands clutching at my shirt like she’s drowning and I’m the only thing keeping her afloat.

I deepen the kiss, tangling my fingers in her hair, pulling her closer, until there’s no space left between us. It’s not soft or gentle—there’s too much anger, too much history, too much fucking desire for that. This kiss is fierce, bruising, a silent war between us. She kisses me back, her lips clumsy but eager, and I guide her, showing her how I want it, how I need it.

When we finally pull apart, we’re both breathing heavily, our foreheads resting against each other. Her lips are swollen, her cheeks flushed, and for a brief, fleeting moment, the walls between us are gone.

“Silas...” Her voice is softer now, almost a plea, but it doesn’t reach me the way she wants it to.

“You’re staying here,” I say, my tone firm but deliberately softened. I don’t want to push her too far, not right now. “I want you where I know you’re safe.”

Her eyes narrow, her lips parting slightly, as if she can’t quite believe the words coming out of my mouth. “You can’t just come sweep me away and lock me in a tower, Si.”

“Not a tower. It’s a manor,” I reply, a smirk tugging at my lips. “Plus, you can still go to classes. As long as someone’s escorting you.”

“Escorting?” she repeats, incredulous, crossing her arms tightly across her chest. “I don’t need the secret service.”

Her defiance fuels me. This is the Sable I remember—the one who would fight me every step of the way, even when she knew she was outmatched. But this time, it’s not a game. There’s a dark undercurrent to the situation, something more dangerous than she realizes. And I can’t let her walk right into it.

“It’s not up for debate,” I say, my voice hardening again. “Me, one of the guys, or even a DSN pledge, will walk you. No exceptions.”

For a moment, I think she might actually try to fight me—throw a punch, shove me back, anything to break this hold I have on her. “You can’t control me, Silas.”

I step closer, my lips curling into a slow, dangerous smile. She can feel the heat of my breath on her skin as I lean in. “You’re under my roof now, and you’ll follow my rules.”

Her breath catches, her pulse fluttering in the hollow of her throat, but she doesn’t back down. “I’m not staying here. You can’t just decide what I do.”

“Yes,” I say. “You’ll stay here. In Dayton’s room. He’ll sleep in Kai’s room.”

She shakes her head, disbelief flashing in her eyes. “I’m putting everyone out, I can’t?—”

“It’s already done,” I cut her off. “Dayton agreed, and Kai doesn’t care. You don’t get a say in this.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Her voice rises.

I move toward her, my presence filling the space between us until she’s pressed back against the wall again, her breath hitching as I lean in close, my eyes locked on hers. “This is how it’s going to be, Sable. You can fight it all you want, but you won’t win. Accept it.”

Her whole body trembles with barely restrained fury, her fists clenching at her sides. But she doesn’t say another word. She knows I’ve won this round, and that frustrates her more than anything.

“Good girl,” I say, stepping back slightly, giving her a breath of space before she shatters completely. I turn toward the door, my hand resting on the frame. “Get ready. One of the guys will be here to take you to class.”

I pause for a moment, glancing back over my shoulder, my eyes lingering on her lips, still swollen from our kiss. There’s a flush in her cheeks, her eyes still burning with anger.

For a moment, I let myself enjoy the sight of her—furious, vulnerable, and undeniably mine. Even if she can’t admit it to herself.

“Remember, little devil,” I say, a slow, dangerous smile curling on my lips, “Delta Sigma Nu always takes care of their own.”

She glares at me, her eyes sharp, but she doesn’t speak. I know she wants to argue, wants to scream at me, but she’s holding back.

She stays silent, her eyes following me as I leave the room.

As the door closes behind me, I feel the adrenaline still pumping through my veins, my mind racing. She’s here. She’s safe. But there’s more to this, more to everything. And for the first time in a long time, I feel like I’m standing on the edge of something dangerous.

And I’ll be damned if I let anyone—or anything—take her away from me again.