Taking Over the Dark (High Stakes Syndicate #2)

Chapter 34

THIRTY-FOUR

NASH

“Zamir and I are dating.”

? * As I snap my head to look at Zamir, his mouth falls open.

I can read his mind, I know exactly what he’s thinking.

What the hell is this fucker thinking?

Is he trying to get us fired?

Don’t we have to sign something with HR before telling everyone we’re a thing?

This is what I had planned the whole time. Come here early, talk with Coach, and head to work out—just another thing on my to-do list.

I didn’t want this lingering over us any longer. Zamir and I dating was bound to come out any day in the media, and the last thing we need is more eyes on us. This has to be some kind of rule, disclosing our relationship status, especially since we’re technically co-workers.

Ohhh, the drama. Workplace romance.

Coach informs us, “When Zamir called and said he was with you going to see your father, I figured that much. Just be sure to stop by Brittany’s desk on the way out of here and fill out one of those forms we have to have.”

We have to have?

Weird wording… he almost speaks like he has one of these on file.

I’ll have to keep that in the back of my mind and do some further investigating.

We say our goodbyes for now and head to the weight room. This is our last practice before the long weekend because of our bye week—it couldn’t have come at a better time. I plan to go hard in the gym and later on when we get on the field. I need to release these emotions I’ve been stuffing down.

Before I realize it, I’m finished with my brutal back day, and we’re heading over to the field to start practice. Zamir is right beside me, and Rhett isn’t too far behind us. Trying not to look too suspicious.

I could ask one of the athletic trainers if they’d give me one of their polos so Rhett could blend in a little better. He’s sticking out like a sore thumb at the moment.

He takes his seat on the sidelines, watching with rapt attention. He’s not even looking for threats. He’s enjoying this moment, being in the practice facility and living out his childhood dream. Honestly, that was me not too long ago at the first practice I got to be a part of. It felt unreal being around so many people I’ve looked up to my whole life.

I’ll always be thankful to the Devils for choosing me to be their new franchise quarterback, but the main thing the Devils brought me was acceptance.

Love.

And partnership.

Partnership in every aspect I can think of.

I get to experience love from three different people, and the way each one of them shows that love is such a stark difference. All in ways I need.

We’re running the last couple of routes for the practice, and fuck if Zamir and I aren’t one mind tonight.

He’s a fucking machine and hasn’t missed one of my throws. I find myself wondering if he’s feeling as good as I am. The ball is flying out of my hand like a magnet to Z’s hands.

He’s back to the line, but before he’s back to the outside corner, he comes up to whisper in the hole of my helmet. I place my hand over my other helmet hole to hear whatever has him so eager to get to me. “Get three more in my hands like that, and I’ll suck that cock on the way to the warehouse after practice. I also brought you a plug to put in to prep that pretty hole of yours.”

Mierda .

Coach lets out a whistle warning to tell us that we have twenty seconds on the pretend play clock. Z jogs down to his spot and looks at me in his ready stance, grinning like a wild man, and I start my cadence. “Down. Set. Dilly Willy.”

The balls snapped into my hands, and I spin the football to find the laces, running my fingers back and forth, scanning the field right, left, and right again. As planned, Zamir’s breaking away from the corner. I launch the ball down the field, and I watch as the ball floats over his shoulder, both of his hands fly out in front of him to catch it. He laid out to get the catch transitioning into a roll but still managed to keep ahold of it.

We’re back at the line again, but this time, it’s just a handoff to the running back. He only makes it a yard or two before being tackled.

This is the lightest I’ve felt while playing, ever. Even Zamir noticed, as did a couple of the other players. Ass slap after ass slap was landed, but I wasn’t sure if it was from them feeling bad about my dad passing. But the further I got into practice, I knew it was from how well I’m playing.

We ran the rest of practice like this, and let’s just say I made triple the number of passes to Zamir that he wanted from me.

? * Rhett meets Zamir and me outside the locker rooms, and he looks ghostly white…

I joke, “Rhett, bud, you don’t look too good.”

“We’ve gotta move. Now.” The shake in Rhett’s voice is enough to have my heart rate picking up.

“Fill me in,” Zamir barks out.

“I just got a call from Noah saying somebody drove up and shot Dino. He said it looked like it was only his shoulder, but he didn’t see where he went. Vin is on his way up here to scope the outside out and try to find him. Boss said he would’ve come but didn’t want to leave your cousin and his hacker alone in the warehouse.”

“We’ll find Dino. I’m sure he sent them running and is checking the perimeter.” Zamir places his hand on Rhett’s shoulder, and I shove down the pang of jealousy. I know he’s just trying to comfort him in this wild time, but what’s mine is mine.

“Noah at least said he didn’t get taken, so that gives me some hope.”

We bust out the door right as my phone starts to ring, and it’s Marcello.

In a serious tone, I answer, “Sir.”

The grunt that nickname gets me every time I say it sends joy racing through my veins. “Vin found Dino in the back. The premise is clear, but stay alert. I’m sending a clean-up crew, Vin got excited.”

I thought Marcello was overexaggerating like most days, but no.

He was not in the slightest.

As we make our way to the side of the building, we find Vin’s wrapping his belt around Dino’s shoulder as he cries out in pain. Rhett takes off in a full sprint, and I notice Zamir’s head whipping around, making sure Vin didn’t miss anybody.

From the looks of it he didn’t. We practically have to step over bodies as we get to the guys. Rhett hits his knees on Dino’s other side, and before I know it, their lips are smashing into one another.

Zamir yells, “I fucking knew it!”

“I had no goddamn clue. Why didn’t you fill me in, ” I whisper yell to him.

I’m trying not to draw attention to us, and thankfully we’re on the side that no traffic comes down, but still.

I hope Noah’s clearing the cameras…

“We need to get him to Doc, but he’ll be okay. There’s an exit wound in the back,” Vin explains. I’m still looking shocked at all the bodies. “Boss gave me the clear to kill, and that never happens. They were coming after you guys.”

Zamir walks over to one of the bodies and pulls out the wallet in his pocket.

“Fuck,” is all he murmurs.

After stopping by the surgery gallery and seeing Doc already at work on Dino I feel a little bit better, but then I remember the whole reason we had to come to the warehouse in the first place… Zamir’s cousin Alex is here.

Zamir’s holding my hand, practically dragging me down the hallway, trying to find Marcello and Ellie, and in turn Alex and Arben. To my surprise, we pass by every torture room and find that no one is tied up in them.

And to my even bigger surprise, they’re in the boardroom. Marcello and Ellie are on the side with their faces to the door, and I’m guessing this is Alex and Arben with their backs to us.

As we enter the boardroom, Ellie explains, “I figured I would be courteous to our guests and show them the boardroom instead of the torture rooms…”

“That was very sweet of you, Shpirt Im. ” I watch as Alex’s brows raise at Zamir’s pet name for Ellie. He presses a kiss to the top of her head and sits beside her at the table.

I lean down to her ear closest to Marcello and whisper, “You’d look real hot at the head of the table, in charge.” And my head immediately goes to lying her out and making a meal of her.

Alex looks at Zamir and starts to explain, “Agron is doing all the deals and working for Andrei, and we need to take him out if we want to have any symbolization of normalcy back in our lives. I don’t know what they’re after, but they’re clearly not going to stop for anything.”

Zamir considers this for a moment. “We knew it was my dad when your dad and mine were both heading to the Valley of Fire and only one of them walked out of there alive.”

Noah walks into the boardroom. “Boss, can I have a word?”

Marcello questions, “What’s this pertaining to?” Noah’s eyes fall onto Alex and Arben, and Marcello’s quick to say, “If it’s them needing to be harvested, just tell me now so I can tell Doc he has an even longer night ahead of him.”

The dry, completely unbothered tone he uses always makes me want to giggle when it comes to him harvesting these fucking organs.

* ? Colors - Elvis Drew

* ? Caraphernelia - Pierce The Veil