Reign (The Syndicate: Crime and Passion Book 2) Read Online Free Page A

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.
    Knowing Maxim like I did, I knew he thought Senna and Luka were weaknesses, but I didn’t agree. He’d been in love with her for years, and at least now he got the joy of being able to show it.
    I looked at Senna, today dressed in a bright yellow T-shirt and jeans. The color of the shirt beautifully complemented her brown skin and only added to the glow that seemed a halo around her.
    “Hey, Se,” I said, leaning over to hug her short, curvy frame against mine before I let her go and looked down at her. “How are you?”
    She looked a little tired, understandable, I guessed, but happy.
    “Never been better,” she said as she moved to the small couch in the office and sat down.
    “So Maxim and little Maxim aren’t being too much trouble?” I said, sitting next to her.
    “Little Maxim is a joy. Maxim is…Maxim,” she said, laughing.
    I joined in, relieved to see my good friend happy.
    “So, how was it?” she asked, her brown eyes bright, curious.
    “How was what?” I said.
    “Sergei….” she said, her voice edged with skepticism.
    “Oh. That,” I said, remembering the wedding that had momentarily slipped my mind. “Nice, I guess.”
    “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you, but…” she said.
    “Yes,” I replied.
    There was no need to say anything else. Maxim wouldn’t have allowed Senna within ten miles of the wedding, not only because of the danger but because of Senna’s past with Santo. I didn’t know what had happened, but it was bad, and was the reason for all this. Still, I hadn’t wanted Senna there either. She was a good friend to me, and I’d never see her hurt, even though having a friendly face there would have been nice.
    “What’s she like?” Senna asked, her eyes even more curious.
    I shrugged and called up an image of Daniela and purposefully ignored the memory of looking into her dark eyes. “She’s…pretty.”
    Senna frowned. “Pretty? That’s all you got?”
    I shrugged again, thinking of the black hair swept up neatly without a single stray. I’d thought she was wearing makeup, but I hadn’t been able to tell whether she was covered or if her golden brown skin had had a glow naturally, her plump lips had been that naturally glossy. “She’s very…rich-looking,” I said.
    “What does that mean?” she asked.
    “Well, she just looks polished, pampered. Probably had everything handed to her all her life,” I said.
    “Santo Carmelli is her father,” Senna said as if that settled the matter.
    “Yes, that probably sucked,” I said.
    “No probably about it. Besides, you can’t judge her based on what she looks like,” Senna said.
    “I’m not judging her. I simply answering your question,” I said.
    “Okay, so she’s polished. What else?” she asked.
    “What’s up with the questions?” I said, mostly to cover for the fact that I had no idea how to begin answering them, and the fact that I found myself wanting to be able to.
    “It’s not every day you get married, Sergei. Color me curious. I’ve been deep in diapers and bottles, so it’s nice to have something new to chat about,” she said.
    “Yes, so…” I paused, not sure what else to say.
    “What about her personality?” she asked.
    “Nice,” I quickly replied.
    She narrowed her eyes at me. “You don’t know?”
    I shrugged.
    She shook her head. “Sergei, you’re married