Page 56 of Nocturne

Ara’s on her feet, clapping her hands and laughing, her joy echoing like music that makes me grit my teeth. Eero reaches to hug her, and just before he does, Nico yanks him back by his collar, putting himself between the two. Ara turns to Nico with a wide smile and goes to hug him, throwing her arms around his rigid shoulders like she’s allowed to.

And that’s it.

That’s when the growl rips from me, loud enough that even Iblis flinches.

I don’t care who she’s with—Eero, Nico, or anyone else down there. I’ve had enough of her being passed around like some toy. So many fuckers have tainted the air around her. My patience is gone, as I throw open the door, red flashing hot and bright before my eyes.

Fifteen

Ara

I step back from Nico as the colour drains from his face. In my thrill of winning, I pushed too far, forgetting myself—and now the poor man looks uncomfortable.

“I’m sorry, Nico.” I wince, looking up at him.

Damn, why is everyone so tall. For the first time in my life, I’m starting to feel short and small. Nico shakes his head before he looks down at me.

“It’s okay,”

I flash him a smile, but before he can speak, Eero steps in, shoving him aside and pulling me into his arms. I let out a squeal as he lifts me effortlessly, spinning me around until laughter bubbles out of me.

“That was fucking awesome. Was that a wild guess?”

“You are mean!” I gasp.

“What?”

He chuckles at my expression before he puts me down. Nico pulls him back again and inserts himself between us both.

"Ara Sinclair does not guess! Ever!" I wag my finger under his chin and make a face at him.

I'm still buzzed, still giddy, and having a great time. Who would’ve thought it’d take a pack of gangsters to finally loosen me up?

Nico’s fighting a smile, while Eero laughs without a care.

“You run a chi-square analysis, and you get probabilities on where the ball is most likely to land,” I explain, picking up where we left off.

I cross my arms, confidence buzzing through me. “Take me to any game in this casino, and I’ll make sure you win.Guessing,he says.”

I grumble the last part under my breath, still annoyed by the word.

When I glance around, the handler’s eyes are pinned on me, his disapproving frown impossible to miss.

I wince and quickly look away.

"I shouldn’t have been so overenthusiastic about it, perhaps," I murmur to Nico, feeling the flush of embarrassment creeping in.

Eero quietly gathers his chips, unbothered, while I sneak another glance at the handler. Big mistake. His glare sharpens, cutting straight through me. His gaze shifts briefly to Eero before locking back on me, making me nearly squeak in response.

Why are they allsobig? I wouldn’t want to cross any of them—especially not this one.

“I got lucky,” I say with a nonchalant wave, hoping to smooth things over.

But the man doesn’t budge. His glare stays fixed.

I clear my throat and turn away, muttering under my breath, “Sweet rivers, he must’ve had the runs all day.”

A soft cough makes me glance up to see Nico trying to hide a laugh behind his hand. His attempt at composure only makes me grin. Seeing amusement on his usually stoic face feels like a rare triumph.

---