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

If I failed, people would suffer. I didn’t know what success looked like in this situation, but if marrying Sergei was the price of keeping people alive, I’d pay it.

It was what my mother would have done. God, how I wished she was here. I could almost feel her arms around me, smell her light rosewater scent, hear her voice telling me it would all be okay.

She wasn’t here, wouldn’t be coming back. But I would now, as I had always wanted to, try my best to make her proud, do what I knew she would.

I pulled myself off the living room floor and made my way through my bedroom and to the attached bath. Then, as carefully as I could, I scrubbed my face clean and reapplied my makeup.

It took nearly two hours to put it on, but I was happy with how it turned out, the neutral colors looking effortless and natural.

I was good at that, making the hardest chores look effortless.

I grabbed the small bag I had packed the night before, and then, after a deep breath, went back outside. The SUV and driver still sat in the same spot, and had the sun not begun to set, I wouldn’t have known any time had passed.

Wobbly on my heels, which was more a reflection of nerves than anything else, I walked back to the SUV, pushed the bag to one side, and got in.

“I’m ready,” I said to the driver, my voice a whisper.

S
ergei

I
sat
behind the steering wheel and tugged at the fucking tie that threatened to strangle me, breathing a sigh of relief when I finally got it open.

I hated the things, and had only worn it because of Maxim’s insistence that I dress appropriately for my wedding.

Not that he’d bothered to show up for it.

After throwing the tie across the backseat of the SUV, I sped off, wanting to put distance between me and the church. Funny that the house of worship had been as hostile as any other place I’d ever been, and I’d been in my fair share of hostile environments.

As I pulled off, I caught a glimpse of white and instantly, my mind went to her.

Daniela Carmelli.

My new bride.

I sped up, having an urge to do something with the weird spark of energy shooting through me. I also pushed Daniela from my mind. Yes, she was my wife now, but that was irrelevant. Marrying her had only been a means to an end, just another show of my loyalty to Maxim and the Syndicate.

I’d worked for Maxim for years, and I’d never shown him disloyalty. While it was stupid of me to think so, I believed he trusted me, or trusted me as much as he could given his role as head of an international organized crime ring.

But where Maxim may have trusted me, he hadn’t yet given me the responsibility I craved and was more than ready for. He thought me too wild, too unfocused, or at least that was what he said. With him, I never knew for sure. I’d prove him wrong, though, show through my words and deeds that I was ready for more responsibility, and Daniela Carmelli, or more importantly, what she represented, was going to help me.

The woman herself didn’t matter.

It was funny, though, I thought as I drove toward my destination, the surroundings a blur. I’d never planned on having a wife, and I’d never contemplated a wedding, especially not like that one.

Every single eye in the place had been unfriendly. Santo Carmelli had glared at me through swollen eyes, and his assembled men had done the same.

I didn’t give a fuck.

Each of them would have no problem seeing me dead, just as I wouldn’t them. Of course, not a single one, not even Santo, had the balls to make a move. I’d been there alone, unprotected, a calculated decision on my part, and they’d all sat with their thumbs up their asses, too fucking terrified to do anything as Santo’s daughter had pledged herself to me forever.

Fucking pathetic.

A testament to Maxim and the Syndicate’s power. Through some miracle I still didn’t quite understand, Maxim had spared Santo’s life and demanded his daughter as a show of loyalty. And Santo, piece of shit that he was, had given her up.

I didn’t expect more from one like Santo, but the depth of his cowardice was disgusting. Morals weren’t something I often valued in myself or others, but sacrificing your kid to save your own ass was pretty fucking low, even for people like us.

But Santo had given her up and I’d married her, so now it was time for me to reap the benefits. I felt my face turning down in a frown as I thought of Daniela. She could become a complication if I let her.

I wouldn’t.

Still, I couldn’t help but think of what I’d seen in her eyes during those few tense moments at the altar. Of how quickly she had hid everything, returned her expression to one of neutral acceptance in a split second.

It was good that she kept herself under control. I had no time and even less patience for anyone’s antics. Yes, she was an innocent in this, or as close to one as there could be. Seeing her walk to the altar had reminded me of that, given her a depth I hadn’t considered before, but she’d have to stay in line or deal with the consequences. This was my chance to prove myself to Maxim, and I wouldn’t fuck it up.

I drove to a residential neighborhood and stopped at the brick and iron gate a few houses down from my destination and rolled down my window.

“Is he expecting you?”

The new guy—I hadn’t bothered to learn his name—stared at me suspiciously and then into the SUV.

I gritted my teeth and stared back, noting that there was no recognition on his face, though he certainly knew who I was.

“I don’t have an appointment if that’s what you’re asking,” I said more calmly than I felt.

“No appointment? Come back when you have one,” he said.

He turned and began walking back toward the security tower.

“Open the fucking gate,” I barked.

I tried to cut new guys like him a break. I remembered all too well how rough it was to rise in the Syndicate—and the consequences for failure. But I was tense, almost irritable after that fucking farce of a wedding, and my patience was running thin.

The new guy looked at me and then pushed the communication device lodged in his ear.

“There’s a visitor here,” he said, eyeing me as one hand drifted toward the gun at his waist, his attempt to be threatening, project an air of confidence. He’d learn that confidence didn’t come from weapons, or he’d die. Thirty seconds more and I would have given him his first lesson.

Lucky for him, the gate slid open, and I drove through and accelerated toward the main house.

I’d met Adrian after the wedding and confirmed that nothing out of the ordinary had happened, a fact he’d no doubt reported to Maxim. Adrian was Maxim’s eyes and ears, and a brutally effective weapon if called upon. He was also one of the few people I trusted.

He was standing on the sidewalk as I pulled up, his densely muscled frame and searingly intense aura even more out of place here in the suburbs than Maxim and I were.

“I need an appointment now?” I asked as I parked and got out of the car.

“Marcos was simply doing as instructed,” Adrian said.

“Marcos is his name? Tell him I won’t be so nice next time,” I said.

Adrian said nothing, not that I had been expecting a response.

Instead, he continued to stand looking out over the suburban neighborhood that Maxim had taken over, eyes sharp, searching, for what in particular, I didn’t know.

But there would be something.

If not today, then tomorrow, some day in the future.

It was the nature of our lives, the nature of the business to which we had all dedicated ourselves. Pretending otherwise wouldn’t make the danger any less real.

Or the stakes any higher.

I walked to the front door and knocked, though I was certain the home’s occupants had been aware of my arrival long before I reached the front door. Still, Senna, Maxim’s wife and one of my best—and only—friends appreciated these little niceties, and I was happy to oblige.

I waited a moment and then entered, walking into the small front area where Maxim stood waiting for me. He was impeccably dressed as always, a navy suit and gray tie both handmade for him, his face deceptively blank, eyes cold, empty.

Also deceptive.

Maxim was famous in our world for his distance, his reserve, and I supposed I was one of the few who knew that an actual human lived behind it. Not that he would ever admit it.

“Security’s new. And eager,” I said.

“Good. I have things to protect,” he replied.

He turned then, and I followed him to the portion of the house he had taken as his office.

Maxim also owned six other houses that surrounded this one, his buffer from the outside world, but this was by far the smallest and most modest. I suspected that had everything to do with Senna and knew Maxim would live anywhere if it meant being with her. My lips quirked with laughter I’d never let out. The stubborn fucker had fought his feelings for Senna for years, and I was glad he’d finally come to his senses.

“You’re settling into family life,” I said as I took off my jacket and tossed it aside, then paused to look at the baby monitor perched on Maxim’s desk.

He gave me that same icy stare, but I saw an almost imperceptible shift in his expression, annoyance at either my tossing the jacket or mentioning his home life. Or he could have simply hated that I wasn’t wearing a tie. It was sometimes hard to tell with Maxim, though he had no trouble speaking his mind, and I had no doubt he would if the mood hit him.

He didn’t address either and instead said, “So it’s done?”

“Yes. It’s done,” I said.

Maxim nodded. “And Santo was there?”

“There as instructed with all of his men and their families. It was a beautiful wedding,” I said sarcastically.

“Good,” Maxim said. “Now we wait, see how Santo’s going to respond.”

I frowned. “I thought the purpose of all of this, including me getting married, was so Santo wouldn’t respond.”

“You were mistaken,” Maxim said.

I’d slouched down low in the chair but sat up quickly. “You care to explain? Because getting married for no reason is not my idea of fun,” I said.

“Why? Do you think your marriage to Santo’s unfortunate daughter will change your life?”

“Isn’t it supposed to?” I asked. I wasn’t sentimental, but having a wife would change something. Apparently Maxim didn’t agree.

“No. What it’s supposed to do is give Santo a reminder and incentive to stay out of my way and yours. As an added benefit, it might help those swayed by such things look more favorably on the Syndicate taking over,” Maxim said.

I shook my head, surprised yet not. Maxim’s calculation knew no bounds. “Your very own hearts and minds campaign?” I said.

“I have no interest in their hearts or their minds, only what they do. Had I not made a promise, I would be more than happy to have Santo and any who support him wiped from the face of the earth,” Maxim said.

Santo had been a boss of his small territory for years, but when he’d gotten sloppy and started drawing attention, Maxim had acted. Relished it, in fact, in a way I’d never seen in the usually detached Maxim.

“Do you think it will come to that?” I asked.

“It will if Santo steps out of line.”

“And you’re banking on him doing so?” I asked. “This is all just an elaborate trap for you. You’re waiting for the moment that Santo fucks up?”

“No. But if that moment presents itself, I won’t hesitate to capitalize on it,” Maxim said.

“So this marriage was meaningless?” I said, frowning. I didn’t want distractions, and some part of me recognized Daniela Carmelli would be one if I let her, probably still would be despite my best efforts.

“Who knows? Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe Santo’s most recent brush with death has opened his eyes. Maybe you and Daniela will live a long and peaceful life together. I don’t know,” Maxim said.

“And you don’t care?” I replied.

“I care to the extent that if that happens, it means things have gone according to plan, but if they deviate, I won’t lose any sleep over it,” Maxim said.

I laughed. “And here I was, thinking my feelings mattered.”

“Well now that I’ve corrected that erroneous perception, what do you plan to do?”

Maxim folded his arms behind him and looked at me, clearly ready to talk business.

I laughed again but then sobered. Wedding or not, I had work to do, and I would never do anything to make Maxim regret giving me the responsibility he had so far or hesitate to give me more in the future.

“Still trying to get an understanding of the business because it’s sloppy, way too lose, but so far, it’s nothing the Syndicate would ordinarily concern itself with,” I said.

“Yes. It’s my understanding Santo expends a great deal of energy on insignificant things,” Maxim said.

“Yes, gambling, whores, protection, some pills here and there. All petty bullshit that doesn’t make big profits,” I said.

Maxim shook his head, his expression brimming with disgust. I had known Maxim for almost all of my life, but I’d never seen this level of disdain for anyone. There were people he disliked, more he didn’t respect, but none got this level of hatred.

I understood it. Santo had threatened Senna. If given the chance, I would kill the asshole myself. She was a good person, one of the few that I cared about in the entire world, and to have her threatened by Santo, or anyone else, was something that enraged me.

Maxim scowled but then returned the subject back to business. “Nonsense. Is there anything of value in Santo’s poor excuse of an operation?” he asked.

“The gambling has potential with the right leadership, and Santo has some ties with a few state officials,” I said.

Maxim didn’t look pleased, but he said, “Work those then, see if something useful comes out of them.”

I wanted to pump my fist but stayed still, knowing Maxim wouldn’t appreciate the gesture. Still, this was a good day. The Syndicate operated at the highest levels of organized crime, and so some local gambling and a few state officials wouldn’t get his attention. I wasn’t all that excited about it either, but I saw this for what it was.

Maxim was giving me a chance.

If I handled this right, kept Santo under control, turned his pitiful business into something that might be worthy of the Syndicate’s time and attention, Maxim would reward me with the chance to move up, do real work, and maybe, one day, his respect.

That was all I’d ever wanted.

I’d spent my life moving up, having gone from street enforcer to a part of Maxim’s inner circle. Now there was a prime opportunity for real responsibility, and I would not let it pass.

A moment later, there was a knock on the door and both Maxim and I stood. “Come in, Senna,” Maxim said.

As the door slowly opened, Maxim walked toward it, intently focused on the woman who walked in.

“He’s awake,” Senna said, coming to a stop in front of Maxim.

Maxim took the small bundle from Senna’s arms, a smile ghosting on his face. It quickly cleared, but there was still a remnant of softness on his face. Then he left the room without looking at me again. Maxim rarely allowed me or anyone else to see him with his son, Luka, and I more than halfway suspected it was because he didn’t want anyone to see the love he felt for his family.

An entirely futile effort as far as I was concerned.

Maxim had scarcely said a word about the baby, and I had only learned of his birth through Adrian, but despite how Maxim tried to hide it, I could see the new, deep tenderness in him, an extra dimension to the affection he’d always held for the woman who now stood in the office.