The car didn’t slow down. Not once. Malik’s hands were tight on the steering wheel, eyes locked on the road as the city lights blurred past them. The engine roared louder than usual, or maybe it just felt that way. Nobody spoke. Not at first. Just heavy breathing. Adrenaline. The kind that doesn’t fade immediately. Dre sat in the passenger seat, still trying to process what just happened. His heart was beating fast, his mind replaying that moment over and over again— The gun. The shot. Malik stepping in. “…You really came,” Dre finally said. Malik didn’t look at him. “You didn’t tell me,” he replied. Dre exhaled. “I didn’t want to drag you into it.” Malik let out a short breath. “You think you can go into their territory and it’s just music?” Dre stayed quiet. Because n

