The Syndicater: A Dangerous Dark Romance (Dark Verse Book 6)

Clouds rolled on the horizon of the hills.

Amara sat in the gazebo, looking at the darkening sky, her phone in her hands, her heart full.

They had found her.

After decades, years and years of searching, Tristan had finally found a glimpse of peace. Amara felt like her heart would burst for the man she considered a brother, a man who had been her silent, vigilant protector as a boy, her only companion in a strange city when she’d been exiled, her closest confidant of one of her secrets for such a long time. If there was one man she knew who deserved peace and happiness, it was Tristan. Morana and her love had brought some semblance of both into his life, but now, with his sister found, he could finally feel the completion he had been chasing all his life.

The wind picked up, rustling the leaves in the garden, and her eyes landed on the tree she had planted just a few months ago. A magnolia so small it looked like a stronger gust of wind would blow it away. But it had taken roots, gripped into the soil, and was growing, little by little, every single day. Her little Serenity.

‘When are they getting back, Mumu?’ Her mother sat with her, rocking a sleeping Tempest side to side. Amara didn’t know what she would have done without her mother, not just in life and her own healing but now, as a new mother. On days when she got overwhelmed, her mother just knew and stepped in, easily plucking her granddaughter and taking her care over for the day, giving Amara a moment to just breathe.

And as of late, the moments of being overwhelmed had been more than not. Juggling her roles of mother and wife, mafia queen, psychologist, rehabilitation center owner, friend, and everything in between, she felt like she was drowning some days. While Dante and her mother did so much, she didn’t know if it was enough.

As if sensing her anxiety, Lulu climbed on her lap, put her front paws on her chest, and began to purr.

The rumbly motor-like noise relaxed her immediately, and she gave the feline head scratches just as she liked, intensifying the purring. The little feline, who had been with her for so many years, knew when her mama needed her love. Taking a deep breath in, cuddling the cat who was still so small though she was old now, she answered her mother. ‘They just got on the jet. They’ll be coming here.’

Tempest began to fuss slightly, and her mother patted her back, naturally quieting her down. ‘Not Shadow Port?’ she asked in a low voice, trying not to wake up the sleeping child. ‘I would have thought Tristan would take her there immediately.’

She had thought the same, but Dante had been the one to suggest bringing Luna here first. Though Tristan had a massive penthouse he called home, it could be too overwhelming for the girl to suddenly be there. They had no idea if she was afraid of heights or claustrophobia that apartments could give some people. The compound, in contrast, was more open and less suffocating, just in case. There was also incredible security here, as well as Amara, who was an expert at assessing trauma and just seeing how she would be. Tristan hadn’t protested to that, a mark of how much he trusted her and Dante to take care of them.

‘Dante thought she might be more comfortable here at first,’ Amara explained. ‘It’s a neutral territory in a way and a good place for transitions for both Tristan and Luna.’

Her mother nodded, her age now more evident on her face with the crow’s feet and mouth lines that were embedded deeper into her skin. Her heart gave a pang at seeing her beloved mother get older, but she acknowledged what a privilege it was. Her friends didn’t have mothers they could spend time with and see grow into their older ages, no one except Zephyr, and she was currently in a conflict with hers. It made her even more grateful for the relationship and bond she and her mother always had, one Amara hoped she and Tempest would also have one day.

Her coming into their lives had changed everything so much. It had not only changed them all as people but also their ambitions and what they wanted to do in the world. Both she and Dante were on the same page about wanting to make their dark world a better place for her to grow up in, so even if she saw all the darkness, she could see the light too. The only thing she hoped, having seen it too often with friends and clients, was not to give her any sort of parental trauma. It wasn’t in their control but she could hope.

‘Do you want me to have his cottage ready?’ her mother asked. Amara looked in the direction of the lake, though she couldn’t see it. Tristan’s cottage had sat empty since she and Morana had left. They came visiting occasionally and stayed there, so she had the staff keep it clean, but for the special guest they were bringing, she didn’t know.

Going with instinct, she looked at her mother and shook her head. ‘I got it cleaned last week, so it’s ready for them. But I’m thinking of giving Luna the guest room in the west wing. That way, they could live close to each other and have enough space. In case she wanted to stay at the cottage, she would have the choice.’

Her mother nodded, starting to get up but Amara stood before she did, depositing Lulu on the space she’d vacated. The cat immediately curled up, ready to nap.

‘I’ll check things,’ she reassured her mother. ‘You enjoy your time with your grandbaby.’

‘My little Tutu,’ her mother kissed the baby’s head, her nickname for her matching Amara’s. Amara smiled and headed out of the gazebo, brushing her hand over the leaves of the magnolia and moving toward the mansion.

Over the last year, a lot had changed in their home but a lot hadn’t. Structurally, it was still the same stunning marvel that it had always been, the heritage and history of the place preserved in its walls. But energetically, it felt different.

For one, she paid her staff a lot better than her mother had ever been paid. That, in turn, had not only made the staff happier but more loyal to her and Dante. And her mother, who had been well-respected by them for years, had taken over managing any issues. It had brought forth a much better work environment for them, and a much better home for her family.

The security had also been changed, men loyal to Dante promoted into better positions and those loyal to Lorenzo cut out. Though Dante was soft with his family, he was a badass with his men, something she saw every day that they looked up to him to lead them. He’d been cleaning up the businesses, getting out of all the shitty contracts and deals his father had been a part of, and though they were still mafia, it wasn’t the same as Lorenzo’s time.

And the extended Maroni family, the one that leeched off of them, had been kicked to the curb, including Chiara, much to Morana’s delight. Adding Tempest to the mix of an already great atmosphere had just put a burst life into the place that hadn’t been there before. Everyone, and she meant everyone, doted on the little girl. One gummy smile from her and the harshest of trained guards melted. She had literally seen a man she’d never seen smile wave at her daughter the other day when she waved at him enthusiastically from her pram.

Entering the kitchen, Amara informed the head chef about the additional guests they were expecting and to prepare a fabulous dinner for all of them. She then instructed the housekeeper to have the guest room prepared and the smaller family dining room ready for their meal together. Done with those, she looked down at her phone at a notification that had come in and frowned.

Immediately, she dialed the number. The phone rang twice before being picked up.

‘Dr. Maroni,’ Nellie greeted.

‘What happened?’ Amara demanded, walking out of the kitchen and down the corridor into the main living area.

‘Lex had a session with Dr. Armstrong today,’ Nellie informed her. ‘And he said something Dr. Armstrong found very odd.’

Amara knew all three in-house doctors reported anything and everything odd to Nellie so she could report it to her. ‘Tell me.’

Nellie hesitated. ‘Lex was speaking about friends before he was found, and we think he slipped up. He didn’t mean to mention it because he clammed up immediately after that.’

Amara waited, and after a beat, Nellie continued. ‘He mentioned Xander and talked a lot about him and how much he liked the boy. Went so far as to say Xander felt like a brother from another mother to him.’

‘Okay,’ Amara acknowledged, waiting for the odd part. She already knew how much Lex and Xander liked each other. It was amazing to know their friendship had somehow solidified so deeply.

‘He mentioned something, Dr. Maroni,’ Nellie told her. ‘The way he was talking, Dr. Armstrong thinks he and Xander have spent much more time together than we know of.’

That gave Amara pause. She looked out the window at the driveway, deep in thought. They had assumed when they found the boys that they’d all just been together temporarily, because none of the boys had shown a lot of bonding with each other. None except Lex and Xander. Could they have been together for longer? Could Lex actually know about Xander’s past and history that none of them knew?

‘Did he say anything else?’ Amara asked, holding the ledge, eyes unfocused as her brain tried to put the missing pieces together.

‘He mentioned a guardian,’ Nellie said, her voice perplexed.

Amara frowned. ‘A guardian angel?’ Children had active imaginations, especially those who were alone. Maybe the boy thought of a guardian angel watching over him.

‘No, an actual guardian,’ Nellie clarified. ‘He said something along the lines of how he wanted to be a cool badass when he grew up, just like their guardian was. And then he clammed up. He’s never mentioned it before so Dr. Armstrong thinks it was a slip, especially since he tried to prod more. But he completely shut down.’

‘Did he mention the guardian in singular or plural?’

‘Plural. Their guardian.’

Their.

Lex and Xander’s.

Who the hell was their guardian? The boys had been with them for a year, and they had never let anything like this slip before. Hell, she never would have suspected they grew up together if this seed of suspicion hadn’t been planted in her head. Now that it was, their behavior and bond were making a lot more sense.

But who had been the guardian? Someone from The Syndicate? Or someone else? Lex thought he was a ‘cool badass,’ so who?

The more she mulled it over, the more her head began to hurt. Hell, she needed a little break. But there was no break to be had. She loved her life and was grateful for every blessing that she had, but lately, she was beginning to feel burnt out, and the candle from both ends almost melted completely.

‘Dr. Maroni?’ Nellie’s voice in her ear reminded her she was still on call. Shit.

‘Sorry, Nellie,’ Amara apologized. ‘I just got thinking. Please let me know if anything else happens. And keep an eye on him.’

‘Of course. Have a good night.’

With that, they disconnected, and Amara looked at the hills she called home and wondered when this would all be over—all the questions, all the mysteries, all the chaos.

At least, a huge step in that direction had just been taken with the finding of Luna. Though she’d told her mother valid reasons, she sensed that Dante had another reason for wanting to bring her here first.

‘We’ll talk later.’

The ‘We’ll talk later’ was their undecided code for ‘there is a lot more that I can’t talk about right now but will discuss when I see you.’

Amara was curious as to what it could be. Knowing they would be in the air and that she had time to kill, she pressed the video button for one of her favorite people.

The call was picked up, and a sight she was not expecting greeted her.

Zephyr, sitting with her hair in a transparent shower cap, the disposable kind, some kind of creamy product slathered onto her head and contained in the cap. It was already dark in Shadow Port, and from the light in the penthouse, Amara could tell Zephyr was on one of the stools around the kitchen island. A glitch at the corner of the screen marred the video.

‘What happened to your screen?’ Amara asked, laughing.

‘Long story,’ Zephyr sighed. ‘But good news is that Xander fixed it for me enough that it’s functioning.’

At the mention of the boy and the questions around him, Amara felt her smile dim slightly. She wished there was a way for them to just get him to talk, but he was locked down tight about anything to do with his past. ‘How is he?’ she asked instead, focusing on her friend and sister-in-law.

‘I love him,’ Zephyr was enthused. ‘We had such a good day. We cooked, colored my hair, played god-knows-how many rounds of uno, and I lost most of them. Then we watched a sci-fi movie that went completely over my head, but at least the main guy was hot.’

Amara chuckled. ‘That’s what matters, eye candy.’

‘I know, right?’ Zephyr laughed too, and Amara was so happy to see it. It had been too long since she had seen her friend so bright, her eyes shining and lips so wide. The death of her sister had hit her hard. Amara couldn’t even imagine the kind of pain she must have been dealing with, but the light had gone out of her eyes for so many weeks, Amara had begun to worry. And she knew she hadn’t been the only one. Grief was inevitable, but they couldn’t lose sight of life and the relationships they did have.

Zephyr hopped down from the stool and picked up her phone. ‘I have to wash this out so come with me.’

‘Where’s Xander?’ Amara asked. It was too early for his sleep time.

‘He had some homework to do, so he’s in his room,’ Zephyr told her, setting the phone down on the sink. Amara watched the ceiling as she heard the sound of the door locking and the shower turning on.

‘You could have just flipped your hair down and washed it, you know,’ Amara told her, talking to the guest bathroom ceiling. It looked to be the same guest bathroom she’d used when visiting.

There was just the sound of running water for a few minutes before Zephyr spoke. ‘I would have usually. But I get dizzy if I bend too much or too quickly these days.’

Amara felt a furrow come between her brows. There wasn’t any connection between grief and dizziness that she knew of. Unless she wasn’t eating or keeping herself hydrated enough. But she’d just mentioned cooking and eating so that was out.

‘Have you seen a doctor?’ Amara asked, concerned about this. Dizziness, especially persistent, wasn’t a good sign.

‘Yup.’ The sound of water shut off, and Amara could hear the shampooing instead. ‘I’m pregnant.’

A gasp left Amara. ‘No way!’

Zephyr chuckled. ‘Yes, way!’

Amara shrieked with happiness, a sound Zephyr matched on the other end before her face suddenly appeared on the screen, shampoo and all. ‘Don’t tell anyone!’

She ran back to the shower, and Amara laughed. ‘Your secret is safe with me. Why haven’t you told your husband yet?’

‘I want to surprise him.’

Ah. So that was what the whole makeover was for. They talked as Zephyr rinsed her hair out, telling Amara about the safety of dyeing hair during pregnancy, what to use and do, and how she’d done many dye jobs for pregnant ladies when she’d been a hairstylist. After a few minutes, she came back on the screen in a cute loungewear set and a towel wrapped around her head.

‘Do you know if Alpha be staying over at the compound?’ Zephyr asked her, moisturizing her face. ‘I haven’t talked to him yet. I’m scared I’ll spill the beans on the phone, and I don’t want to. I need to see his face when I tell him. Possibly doing something naughty.’

Amara shook her head. ‘I have no clue,’ she answered the first question. ‘But if he does, you need to pack up Xander and get here. Both of you!’

Zephyr nodded, her hair hidden under the towel. Amara was curious about the color, but she wanted to let it be a surprise. It was good to see the other woman so excited about things. Amara knew firsthand how becoming a mother changed her perspective on things. Suddenly, her worldview became more focused, life shifted and realigned to make the best of things. Or at least it did for the good mothers. She had no idea how some, like her friend’s mothers, let their children alone to be devoured by the demons.

‘Are you doing okay?’ Amara asked, genuinely hoping for a good answer.

Zephyr sighed. ‘I guess. It varies from day to day, you know.’ Amara knew exactly what she meant. ‘Some days, I miss Zen so much I feel like I won’t be able to breathe. But some days, like today, the world feels a little brighter again. I feel like the baby,’ she held her stomach for a second, ‘is her way of looking out for me, you know? Like she saw me struggling and wanted to send me something to live for again.’

‘That’s a beautiful way to look at this, Zee,’ Amara told her, touched by her perspective. It was no news how deeply the death had shaken her, and seeing her be optimistic felt like a balm to her soul.

‘It’s so weird.’ Zephyr massaged her face, her skin plump and glowing. ‘I’ve only known about the baby for less than a day, but I already love her so much!’

Amara could relate. Learning she had been pregnant had shifted everything for her. It was why she’d run away. ‘Her?’

Zephyr just smiled. ‘It’s a feeling.’

‘Then trust it,’ she advised. ‘Take it from one mom to another. When it comes to the babies, trust your gut.’

‘I just hope nothing bad happens now.’

Amara bit her tongue on that. She hoped too, but something inside her, something deep-rooted that was worried for her family and friends, told her it was far from over.