Taking Over the Dark (High Stakes Syndicate #2)

Chapter 27

TWENTY-SEVEN

NASH

How she looks up at me has my heartbeat picking up. She starts in a hushed tone, “You might be taking over the dark in Vegas, but Nash, you’re all the light we will ever need. Even in the worst scenario imaginable, you were my light, and no one can dim that. Not even your father.” She runs her hand down my face, adding, “Do you understand that?” The thing that makes my breath hitch is her use of the word “we.”

I give her a nod, taking in what she’s saying, finally coming to terms with the fact that I can be happy and fully lean into that happiness. The darkness might surround me, but I’ll be the light the three of them need, steering them away from dangers like an old, sturdy lighthouse.

? * “I love you, Ellie.”

She unwraps her arms from my stomach, making my stomach feel like it’ll fall out of my ass, thinking I’ve scared her off, but I can’t keep those words to myself anymore. She surprises me by saying, “I love you too, Nash Hayden.” The beaming smile lighting up her face makes me think she’s the light she keeps talking about. “I heard you say it when we were in the bunker, but I didn’t have the energy to speak, let alone look at you…”

Both of her hands are cupping my face, and I move mine to match her position, stroking the soft skin of her face. Those deep-sea eyes stare back at me with all the love and trust in the world, and at this point, she could tell me to chop a limb off, and I would do it without hesitation.

I quickly find out that the only time she freaks out on the plane is during the takeoff and landing, so when the seat belt sign is back on, we start our breathing exercises like we did earlier. Her blissed-out look as I count to her will forever be in the back of my head. She’s beautiful when she’s like this.

Two blacked-out SUVs are waiting for us when we step off the plane, and the keys are already inside them. The four of us pile into one with Rhett and Dino up front. Noah, Vin, and Blair are with Mar and her guys in the other. We have a little bit of a drive to get to Dario’s place, but it’s nothing a little music can’t help with. I turn on Chase Atlantic’s new album and just let it play. They don’t have a skippable song.

As we start to drive, my brain starts to take over, and not in a good way…

I don’t want to have to see my dad right now—or ever, really. It always seems that the longer I’m away, the more severe his bad behaviour and need to voice his opinions is. Even when I’ve told him I disagree with his views on every topic you can think of, they’re always his main topics of discussion. And even then, all he does is yell at me, or over me, until I finally shut down, making him think he’s won.

And then there’s Willow.

My baby sister.

That same baby sister that just started practicing medicine as a doctor. One of the youngest in the state. All of that could be coming to an end if we can’t find them… I can’t think about that even being an option. I know we’re going to find them. And I may not know this Sonny guy that’s been taken with her, but I hope he will be okay and protect her the best way he can.

* ? Nothing Without You - The Weeknd