Reign (The Syndicate: Crime and Passion Book 2) (10 page)

D
aniela

“
W
here are we going
?” I asked as we settled in the car and then Sergei pulled off.

Sergei kept his hands on the wheel but lifted one corner of his mouth. “It’s a surprise,” he said.

I thrilled at the sound of his deep voice in the cabin of the car, so silky smooth, reminiscent of how his voice sounded within the walls of our bedroom. And the bathroom. The living room. And just this morning, the kitchen.

“You sure we need to go somewhere?” I asked, letting my own voice lower.

He laughed. “You’re making me reconsider. But this will be worth it. I think,” he added a moment later, voice sobering.

The added words at the end of the sentence gave me pause. Sergei so rarely displayed anything other than complete confidence that I didn’t know what to make of the slight hesitation. But I also knew if he found it important, I was more than happy to be a part of it.

I went quiet and focused on the passing streets, thinking about how far we’d come. From my fear and near hatred of him, to this. Almost gleeful excitement and pure joy simply from being with him. I didn’t know what to make of it, but I did know that I wouldn’t question it.

I reached for him, entwined my fingers with his, and nearly swooned when he gave me yet another one of those one-sided smiles.

“Fancy. And odd,” I said as he pulled to a stop at a small gatehouse.

I knew this neighborhood. It was one that was nice but not one of the city’s wealthier. Sergei nodded at the man in the gatehouse and then drove on after the gates opened.

Realization began to come over me, and the moments of joy I had felt started to dissipate. I’d heard the rumors about this compound, and in an instant, I knew where we were going.

Sergei hadn’t looked at me, but he squeezed my fingers, which made me look over at him.

I’d said nothing, so how did he know that I was feeling such trepidation?

I didn’t know how he knew, but he did, and I would steal his strength.

I’d need it.

He parked and a moment later, he let go of my hand and then circled the car. I used the few seconds alone to breath deep and gather myself. He pulled the door open and then extended a hand.

For a moment, I was transfixed, and though he was dressed casually, a pair of cargo pants and T-shirt, I found him impossibly handsome, even more so than he had been in that tuxedo on the day of our wedding.

Again I realized this was who he was. Not the man in the suits who left each day to do things I didn’t want to think about. No, this was him, strong, confident, but also easy, good-natured. He was sharing his true nature with me, and I instinctively knew that not many got to see it.

I was flattered, excited, and those emotions propelled me out of the car and up the front steps.

The door opened before we reached it, and if I had been surprised and worried before, I was even more so now.

And confused.

“Sergei!”

The short, brown-skinned woman greeted Sergei with the warmth of an old friend, and his bright smile in response gave the same feeling.

“Se, there’s someone I’d like you to meet,” he said.

He put an arm around me, and my shock slackened as I automatically reached out. She did the same and we shook hands, the movement somewhat awkward because of my own surprise. But the smile on her face and in her eyes continued to convey that same warmth she’d shown Sergei.

“Pleased to meet you…”

“Senna. I’m Senna, and I’m pleased to meet you as well, Daniela,” she said. “Please, come in.”

I looked at Sergei skeptically, but between Senna’s smile and his comforting hand on my shoulder, I swallowed my trepidation and entered.

The home was small, and, well, homey.

I’d never lived in a place like this before, one that appeared to be inhabited by normal people. Mine had always been large, a showy palace designed to convey Santo Carmelli’s power, his status.

I would have expected the same from Maxim, who I knew lurked somewhere inside, but so far, I was being proven wrong.

I stood awkwardly in the entryway, but then Sergei patted my arm again, and when I looked into Senna’s eyes, I saw a knowing expression that made me smile.

“Sorry,” I said, laughing at myself.

“It’s all right. We usually have dinner in the kitchen. Is that okay?” she asked.

“Um, sure,” I finally said.

Then I followed behind her, finding this experience surreal. I looked back at Sergei, who was grinning like crazy. He knew exactly how disorientating this was for me, and he was enjoying it.

I’d get my comeuppance later. But now, I would break bread over the table of a sworn enemy.

When I entered the kitchen, my gaze immediately landed on Maxim.

He stood in the corner opposite the door, eyes locked on me. But his eerie, almost ominous expression, wasn’t what got me. Nor was it the coldness in his eyes. I’d experienced both before, and though I didn’t know if I could ever get used to either, they took a backseat to what else was unfolding.

He’d rolled his shirtsleeves up to his elbows, the slight imperfection in his clothing making him seem more human. And while his shirt made him seem more human, the small baby he held pushed him the rest of the way.

I stood, mind trying to reconcile the person who had shown up at my doorstep and told me what would happen to my father should I not give in to his demands with the person who was across from me.

They looked alike, but whereas the Maxim I had first met seemed otherworldly, this Maxim was decidedly human, cradling the baby who babbled and shook a ring of rainbow-colored plastic keys.

“Welcome to my home, Daniela,” he finally said.

For a moment I said nothing, but then I remembered my manners. “Thank you for inviting me,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

He hadn’t invited me. I realized after I’d said the words, but he nodded curtly as Senna lifted the baby from his arms.

“You’ve met Maxim, I see,” she said, pausing to coo at the baby. “And this is our son Luka.”

She walked toward me and then stopped when she stood in front of me. Luka babbled excitedly, and Senna smiled at him and then kissed the soft sandy-brown curls on his head.

“May I hold him?” I blurted out before I could stop myself.

“No,” came Maxim’s immediate response.

Senna continued to smile down at the baby, and I felt a blush begin to burn my cheeks.

“For a moment,” he said a second later.

They hadn’t even looked at each other, but the communication that had passed between them was apparent. Senna didn’t acknowledge it, and neither did Maxim, but I’d witnessed it nonetheless.

I had no capacity to understand that.

As a child, when my father spoke, it had been his word, no thought, no consideration. I’d thought it would be the same with Maxim.

Actually, I hadn’t thought Maxim would have anything reassembling the little family that lived in this normal homey house, but he did. Even more surprising, he seemed to care about Senna’s wishes, her thoughts. Enough that he would reverse himself.

Could he be more than I’d thought he was?

Could Sergei?

I looked at Maxim quickly and received a standard icy stare.

I wouldn’t test the proposition, but I was comforted nonetheless.

“He’s beautiful,” I whispered as Senna settled Luka in my arms.

S
ergei

“
T
hat wasn’t very nice
, Sergei,” Daniela said.

“What wasn’t very nice?” I asked, my voice sounding distant, even to my own ears.

I was busy watching Daniela unwrap herself from the sweet little dress she had worn to dinner. I hadn’t told her where we were going because I hadn’t wanted her to be nervous, but I’d almost changed my mind when she’d stepped down the stairs, the dress hugging her waist and curving against her sweet ass.

I’d held off, though, and was glad I had. I’d wanted Daniela to meet the people most important in my life, and seeing the way she’d hit it off with Senna and tolerated Maxim had proved that instinct right.

Senna and Maxim were the closest thing I had to a family—the only thing—and I hadn’t realized until then how much I wanted Daniela to be a part of that.

Then, for those brief moments when she’d held Luka, my heart had rattled around my chest so hard it left an ache. The look of awe on her face as she stared down at the baby, the longing in it so beautiful.

I couldn’t stop myself from imagining what her face would look like as she held our baby. That would happen, I decided, and my hardening cock agreed.

“Daniela, come here,” I said.

“Just a moment,” she responded, her voice sweet but not like her.

I was immediately suspicious and excited. She was up to something, and I couldn’t wait to see what.

She unlatched her bra, but kept her back to me as she pulled her panties down and then slipped the bra off her shoulders. I lay back against the fluffy pillows, drinking in her body with my eyes as she turned and walked toward me, lying against me briefly before she began to idly kiss me.

“So like I said, it wasn’t very nice, surprising me like that, Sergei,” she said as she began kissing down my chest.

“I didn’t want you to be nervous,” I replied.

“Still, you should have told me. I would have worn a nicer dress,” she said, her breath warm against my side as she continued to kiss me.

“Your dress was fine, but you look better without it,” I said, as I reached for her and cupped her breasts, her taut nipples burning against my palms.

She lowered her head, her warm lips gliding across my skin. I stayed still, though doing so was a challenge. But Daniela was intent, and I was happy to let her lead, especially if she kept doing what she was doing now.

“Is this your idea of getting back at me?” I said as she went even lower and eyed my cock greedily.

“No,” she whispered, “but this is.”

She gripped the base of my cock and then blew softly against my hard tip. I sighed at the feeling of her breath against my skin, but I didn’t respond. Instead, I let her have her way. I gripped the sheets and stayed still as she squeezed me at the base and then stroked her tongue along my slit, gathering the moisture there.

Then she blew, the sensation of her cool breath against my warm skin drawing shivers. Then she did it again, and again, gripping me tight at my base and licking the head of my cock.

She didn’t go further, just kept alternating between slow, languorous licks and soft breaths. My cock was so hard it jerked in her grip, precum seeping from me at a steady flow. She didn’t seem to notice or care.

“No more teasing, Daniela,” I said harshly.

A short laugh was her response.

She lifted dark eyes at me and then, eyes still on mine, she swiped her tongue across my slit, collecting the pearls of moisture that had gathered there.

It was only sheer discipline that kept me from coming on the spot.

Instead, I released my tight hold on the sheets and then sat up. Daniela slid down my body, the softness of her breasts and the little points of hardness of her nipples tickling against my skin, and my cock again twitched at the feeling.

She was on her knees now, and I stilled for a moment, watching her, long curvy legs folded under her, full, ripe breasts tantalizing. But, it was her sweet mouth that had me enthralled, the lips that still glistened.

I rose slowly to stand in front of her, never having felt so strong.

Or so weak.

I threaded my fingers through her hair and pulled tight. She lifted her eyes to mine and tilted her head up. I brought her closer, so close that the tip of my cock brushed her lips.

She opened instantly, and I fed her, watching the beautiful sight of her taking my length and feeling as my hardness was wrapped in the warm cavern of her mouth.

I thrust softly, hitting the softness at the back of her throat.

Daniela sighed out but then relaxed and took me even deeper, her hands gripping my thighs. I relented and then pushed in again, and again she accepted me.

I kept my eyes on hers as I moved, saw the desire in them. I also saw the openness, acceptance as I began to thrust harder. She continued to take me and soon, I had a hand on both sides of her head, holding her in place as I thrust, moving deeper until she was taking my entire length, her lips stretched wide to accommodate my thickness.

The sensation was incredible, beyond words, but it was a sound that shattered, Daniela’s soft, almost inaudible sigh, one that was a mix of passion and contentment.

I stilled, and then emptied myself inside her.

She swallowed every drop.

I stayed inside her mouth as long as I could, only releasing her when my softening cock slipped out of her mouth. I kneeled in front of her and then kissed her, realizing that Daniela had pushed me to the edge in a way no one ever had.

I realized that I loved this woman.

And that nothing else could be more dangerous.

S
ergei

“
I
have news
,” Adrian said.

Adrian’s expression didn’t change, but that he’d sought me out told me it was something urgent enough that it couldn’t wait until our evening conversation.

“Tell me,” I said.

By the time Adrian finished and left, Vincent had arrived.

He’d been on the sidelines since I’d taken over. I didn’t trust him enough to give him work, and I wanted to see how he would respond to the frustration. Now might be his chance, depending on his answer.

“What do you know about Davey?” I asked.

“Who’s asking?” he said.

“Me.”

Vincent exhaled and then sat in the chair across from me.

“He’s Santo’s shadow.”

“I thought that was Michael?”

Vincent shook his head. “Michael just wants to be the guy. Davey’s deal is a little different. He’s not a friend, exactly. I don’t know if Santo has those. But Davey has stuck around for years as Santo’s go-to guy when he wants to bullshit and drink.”

“You think he’d try to strike out on his own?” I asked. It seemed unlikely. With the exception of Vincent and Michael, none of Santo’s men had shown any initiative, and the few seconds I’d spent with Davey left me certain he didn’t have any. So what accounted for this change in his behavior?

Vincent snorted. “No.”

I leveled a stare at Vincent. “Did you know he’s dealing?”

He thinned his lips, didn’t speak.

“I take that as a yes.”

“I’m not a snitch,” Vincent said.

“You’re not telling me anything I don’t know.”

He sat back in his chair, studying me, thinking.

“If he’s been dealing or doing anything else for that matter, it wasn’t his idea,” Vincent said.

“Maybe not, but he knows just like everyone else, what’s acceptable and what isn’t. He’s doing it anyway. There’ll be consequences for that,” I said.

“Consequences. And let me guess, you want me to deliver these consequences,” he said.

I nodded, smiled though there was no humor in it. “Yes.”

He gave a grim smile of his own. “You looked surprised I caught on. I’m not as dumb as I look,” he said.

“So?” I asked.

“So, I’m sorry to disappoint new management, especially on a first assignment, but I can’t help you with this issue,” he said.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean I’m not gonna take care of Davey.”

“You’re feeling moral all of a sudden?”

“No, but holding Davey responsible for what Santo does doesn’t sit right. I’m going to have to decline,” he said.

“Santo accepted that? Gave you a chance to politely decline?” I asked incredulously, unable to believe the idea even as I voiced the question.

“Fortunately I was never in that position,” he said.

“And what if I told you that the Syndicate wasn’t a place where you could just politely decline?” I said.

“Then I’d thank you for the opportunity, and be on my way. Or at least hope I would,” he said.

“Good thing it hasn’t come to that,” I said, more convinced now that Vincent could be a useful asset.

He frowned. “So you don’t want Davey handled?”

“No,” I said.

His eyes flashed, but he quickly recovered. “I didn’t realize I was being tested.”

“You handled it well despite that last reaction,” I said.

“So does this mean I don’t have to sit around and rot anymore?” he asked.

“Yes,” I said.

“What?” he said. There was a gleam in his eye now, one that I recognized, because I had looked the same way when Maxim had finally given me a real chance.

“Davey’s dead,” I said.

He didn’t look surprised. “He short somebody?”

“Don’t know yet, but I’ll find out,” I said.

“You need me to clean him up?” he said, standing, his entire demeanor different, focused.

“Yes. Go with Adrian.”

Vincent was gone in the next instant, but I stayed in the office I hated so much.

Santo had crossed a line, and even in the best of times, Maxim wouldn’t stand for it. With Santo, there was no room for error. I felt the same, but I was also torn, pulled by a reality I hadn’t considered.

Because I loved Daniela.

And now I might be forced to kill her father.

D
aniela

A few days later, I went back to my house to gather even more of my belongings.

I’d considered the idea of taking everything from the house, but decided to wait. Things were going good between me and Sergei, better than good, but I was still cautious. I didn’t want to upset the applecart, because so far, things were perfect, and even though I was where I wanted to be, I was a little superstitious and didn’t want to do anything drastic.

I felt things for Sergei I had never felt for anyone else, and it wasn’t simply a matter of sex. Which wasn’t to say the sex wasn’t wonderful. It was. Beyond wonderful. But who he was as a person was the thing to behold.

How funny he was, how kind, but also strong, was a revelation to me. I said often that I had never met anyone like him, and every day he proved that, showed me little parts of himself that surprised me. How he and Senna were friends, how much he cared for Luka but still managed to be strong, something I admired.

Some part of me thought that maybe I had been lucky for a second time in life. Nora had found me, and now Sergei.

So I would just go with it, let things play out however they would, and hope that they stayed as good as they had been so far. I quickly gathered the items I wanted to take back to the house, then walked toward the door, stopped short when I saw Michael standing in my living room.

“Michael?” I said, frowning at him.

“You forgot to lock the door, Daniela,” he said, coming to stand in front of me.

I didn’t point out the fact that he had entered without an invitation, but I was irritated nonetheless.

We had known each other for our entire lives, but things would never be like they were before, and after my last conversation with him, that comfort we had shared, or that I’d thought we had, anyway, was gone. Now I wondered if I had ever known him at all.

“Has something happened?” I asked.

“I didn’t like the way we left things,” he said, not answering the question.

“What are you talking about?” I said.

“Things at Santo’s house… That conversation wasn’t how I wanted to leave things.”

“And how did you want to leave them?” I asked.

He reached for my hand, but I tucked it behind my body out of reach. He frowned but then continued on.

“Daniela, I care about you. I worry about you. You’re my friend.”

“I appreciate it, Michael,” I said, though I felt anything but appreciative. “I’m making the best of things.”

“And how are you doing that, Daniela? Making the best of things?” he asked.

I frowned at him.

“Are you implying something?” I asked, pulling myself to my full height, using the superiority I had so rarely used but that Nora had taught me well.

“You looked very comfortable,” he said.

My frown deepened, but I maintained my calm. “Michael, unless you’re here for something in particular, I need to be leaving,” I said.

I didn’t owe him or anyone else an explanation, and more importantly, Sergei was going to be home soon, and I wanted to see him.

Michael nodded. “Fine. I see where we stand, but I have some bad news,” he said.

My heart jumped into my throat at his words, the somber expression on his face. “Why didn’t you mention that earlier?” I asked, not hiding the annoyance in my voice.

He shrugged. “I was hoping to reach an understanding before we got to business, but it seems like you’re certain where we stand,” he said.

I gritted my teeth and then glared at him, only barely holding back a scream. “Michael, what’s happened?”

It was his turn to frown. “It’s Davey. He’s dead.”

I gasped, looked at Michael. “How?”

His eyes gleamed with something like triumph in them. “Ask your husband.”