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Love in the Darkness 27
AdamI hung up the phone and put my head down on the table. Working for Don Emilio was just as stressful as I assumed. As soon as I introduced his wine to my hotels, it was a bestseller, and his wine brought more business.In three months, I served Don Emilio's wine in all my hotels and eliminated three of the five other brands I sold. Don Emilio's weekly profit, for wine alone, was an average of eighty-five thousand dollars. As for drugs, he was making a thirty million dollar profit a week. All were just working through me. Like most powerful men, Don Emilio wanted more, so I bought and remodeled twenty-seven hotels and started building eighteen more.I was conflicted about how successful I was. The good thing was that Daphnie would be safe. The bad thing, Don Emilio would want me to work closer to him once six months had passed. I didn't understand why he chose me out of all people. Plenty of people had more connections and were better than me. Either way, there was no backing out.
Last Updated : 2023-07-19Love in the Darkness 28
DaphnieI paced back and forth in the waiting room of the Emergency Department. Adam's blood was still all over me, my hands were shaking, and I was on the verge of having an anxiety attack."Daphnie Hanson?" I heard a deep, rough voice say. I turned around and saw a man who looked to be in his late fifties approach me. His hair was faded, light gray on the sides and dark gray on top. He looked like a man you did not want to mess with. Walking next to him was a man who looked to be in his late thirties with light brown hair."Yes?""I'm Sergeant Voight. This is Detective Roman. Can you tell us what happened?""We were on a date; We were facing each other, and then I heard a gunshot, and Adam fell to the ground," I said as I fought back the tears that threatened to fall."Do you have any idea who could've done this?"I knew who was responsible but didn't know who pulled the trigger. I wasn't sure if I should say anything, as I didn't want to get Adam in trouble."No," I shook my head.
Last Updated : 2023-07-19Love in the Darkness 29
AdamIt was pouring outside, and the rain was accompanied by repetitive thunder and lightning. I stood behind the glass doors of my balcony, staring out at the storm. The thunder sounded like gunshots."Ready. Aim. Fire."The final set of shots was made.I watched as the flag was folded and passed to my comrade's family. His parents broke down in tears. My heart broke as his mother cried, "My baby boy!" From my understanding, he was their only child.Once the funeral was over and the headstone was put in place, I approached my comrade's grave and saluted."Sir," Chad said from behind me. I kept my eyes on the storm."What?""Everything's ready.""All the men are prepared?""Yes, sir.""What about Emilio and Lorenzo?""They're taken care of.""Are you sure?""Yes, sir."I let out a sigh and turned around."Alright, let's go."I walked past Chad and to the door.It was an hour's drive to the lot where the trade would take place. I wanted to be somewhere secluded so that no one would see
Last Updated : 2023-07-19Love in the Darkness 30
ChadIt had been one month, two weeks, and six days since Daphnie was in hiding. Adam hadn't slept; he stopped eating as well. I was worried about him.I suggested that we visit Adam's ranch. I figured that being around the horses would be therapeutic for Adam. At first, he was uninterested but reluctantly agreed once I mentioned that he still had to meet the new ranch hands I hired.The entire drive was quiet, and Adam stared out the window while I kept my eyes on the road. It wasn't until we were almost at the ranch that Adam broke the silence."How many are there?""Five. Two take care of the horses, and the other three maintain the property.""Did you get life insurance policies on all of them?""Yes, sir. It was part of the paperwork they signed.""Good."The ranch hands immediately ran to the front gate when they saw my truck. I drove in and parked the car in front of the new house."You rebuilt the house already?""Yes, sir. I had a crew working day and night. I also used some
Last Updated : 2023-07-19Love in the Darkness 31
AdamIt was a long drive from Chicago to where I was hiding Daphnie, and the traffic made it even longer. I had Daphnie hidden away in the woods in Northern Michigan. It was ten-thirty when I pulled up to the log cabin.I walked up to the door and rushed to unlock it, excited to return to Daphnie. Unsurprisingly, all the lights were out.She must be sleeping.Before going to the bedroom, I went to wash up in the bathroom. If Daphnie was sleeping, I didn't want to scare her with my horrid appearance. Before leaving, I had showered, shaved, and put on cologne but looked exhausted. The drive must have taken a toll on me.I splashed cold water on my face and walked to the bedroom. I slowly opened the door and saw Daphnie sleeping with Vader next to her. I sat down next to Daphnie and gently stroked her cheek with the back of my hand. Her eyes slowly opened, and it took less than a second for her to realize I was there."Adam!"Daphnie jumped up and wrapped her arms tightly around my neck.
Last Updated : 2023-07-19Love in the Darkness 32
AdamIt felt good to wake up with Daphnie in my arms again. Daphnie rested her head on my chest as I held her tight."So now what?" Daphnie asked."What do you mean?""Well, Lorenzo will be your shadow; what does that mean for you?""It means he's gonna be an even bigger pain in my ass," I sighed. "I'll have no choice but to show him how I work. However, I don't need to show him emergency procedures. Emilio said I didn't have to teach Lorenzo so I could leave him in the dark over a few things.""As long as that idiot doesn't get you killed. I don't want to lose you.""Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere."Daphnie turned to look at the clock on the wall."You should probably get ready for work.""Yeah, but I don't want to leave you.""I'll be here when you get back."I chuckled and headed to my closet to get ready. Once dressed in my suit, I walked into the bedroom and saw Daphnie brushing her hair."I love you.""I love you too."I kissed Daphnie's cheek and headed out the front door.
Last Updated : 2023-07-19Love in the Darkness 33
ChadI slowly pulled into a parking spot outside the bar. I was shocked Adam wanted to meet, considering he was getting married in a week. I assumed he and Daphnie would be busy with last-minute preparations. He said it would be a casual meeting, which shocked me even more.I walked inside and looked around; I saw Adam sitting at the bar, dressed in a black T-shirt, black leather jacket, and jeans. That was a sight I never thought I would see; it was odd to see Adam so laid back.I checked my watch as I approached the bar and saw I was right on time, which meant Adam had arrived early again."Can you ever be late?" I joked. "Or at least right on time?"Adam looked at me as I sat down next to him."No. I've kept the same mentality since I finished boot camp; that's something I can't change."I let out a sigh. Adam was right; he couldn't change, no matter how hard he tried. He would always be that Marine who fought to survive. I had no idea how Daphnie would handle being married to Adam
Last Updated : 2023-07-19Love in the Darkness 34
BenI watched as Adam tried to fix his tie with shaky hands. After several minutes, I chuckled and walked over to Adam."I got it," I said as I grabbed Adam's tie and effortlessly fixed it."Thanks," Adam said as he took a deep breath. "I'm so nervous.""Well, from what I've heard, it's normal to be nervous on your wedding day; after all, you're fully committing yourself to the love of your life.""Ben, you're not helping.""You know I'm just messing with you," I chuckled."Ben," Adam panicked. "I'm not good enough for Daphnie; I don't deserve her. What if she decides to leave me? I wouldn't blame her if she did, but what if she finds someone better? What if she stops loving me?""Hey!" I yelled, trying to snap Adam out of the panick he was in."You've come a long way, and I've seen you change for the better. Daphnie is madly in love with you; I can tell by how she looks at you that she will never stop loving you. The only advice I can give you is to keep showing her how much you love
Last Updated : 2023-07-19
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Love in the Darkness 70
Adam"Shhh... You're okay," I gently cooed as I swayed side to side with Nightingale on my shoulder. She had been crying all morning, no matter what I did. We were ready to go and waiting for Chad and Ben to pick us up.I heard the front door open, and Ben called, "Adam, it's me!""I'm in the living room," I said, hoping Ben could hear me over Nightingale's cries."What's going on?""She won't stop crying."Ben quickly came to my side and asked, "Is she sick?""No. I checked her temperature, changed her diaper, fed her, and she's still upset."The front door opened again. I expected it to be Chad telling us it was time to go; I was surprised to see Maybell walk in."Oh, no. What's wrong?" Maybell asked as she stepped into the living room."I don't know. She won't stop crying, no matter what I do."Maybell gestured for me to hand her Nightingale, and I reluctantly did so. She cautiously walked over to the couch and sat down."She knows what today is; she's sad too."I took a deep breat
Love in the Darkness 69
AdamI sat in the back of my SUV, trying to calm my rage. We finally found the house. Alexandros has his vacation home signed under a different name; his distant cousin was the legal owner. He probably arranged that for a scenario like this, where he had to go into hiding. It was so obvious yet so challenging to figure out.What was driving me toward insanity was that we had to wait; Alexandros had gone on a brief vacation and took Nightingale with him, leaving Daphnie alone. I wanted nothing more than to break down that door and hold Daphnie in my arms, but Alexandros had a security system that would let him know if someone broke in or out. If he knew I found Daphnie, he would take off somewhere with Nightingale. I needed to make my move when they were together.As we waited, I hacked into the security cameras and would occasionally check on Daphnie. Being so close yet so far away was fueling my anger. I wanted to beat Alexandros to a pulp, crush his skull, stab him repeatedly, and w
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AdamThe worst part of any mission was waiting. Alexandros had a vacation home in Pittsburg that was an hour and twenty-five minutes flight, yet I had to wait. Chad had concluded that Alexandros had left his Michigan home a few hours before I arrived. He needed time to get settled and check if I was after him. If he knew I knew his whereabouts, he would relocate Daphnie and Nightingale, making it difficult to get them back.In the meantime, Chad kept an eye on security footage in Pittsburg. At the same time, I strategized how we would get Daphnie and Nightingale back. Chad and I would only be on this mission; it was too risky to send all my men to Pittsburg, and Ace would give away our position if he barked."Sir," Chad said."What?""Security footage shows Alexandros shopping for groceries; Nightingale was with him.""What about Daphnie?""No sign of her, sir.""He knows Daphnie won't run without Nightingale; he must be keeping them separated.""If Alexandros wants a happy family, he
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AdamDaphnie and I lay together on the couch. I was leaning against the corner as Daphnie lay her chest on my back so my arms could wrap around her waist. The television wasn't on, nor did we say anything; we sat in peaceful silence. I gently grabbed Daphnie's left hand and ran my thumb over her promise ring.I smiled as I gently kissed her cheek; I was so lucky to be with Daphnie, and I couldn't wait to call her my wife someday."I love you," I softly said.Daphnie giggled and said, "I love you too."I snapped out of the flashback and refocused on checking the accounts of some of Phil's benefactors. I couldn't believe the number of people who supported his work. Then again, these were people in high places, probably unaware of what happened in his clinic. I narrowed it down to a few men closely linked to the stock market and the Greek mafia. Surprisingly, few had private planes; they preferred to fly first class or business.My attention was caught when I noticed one man had bought s
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AlexandrosI was foolish to think this would be easy; I paid the doctors to keep Adam Carter hospitalized for several weeks. Still, the man managed to escape and somehow found out I was the one who had taken Daphnie and Nightingale. Now I understood why so many people feared him; the rumors about 'The Devil Dog' were true.I let out a frustrated sigh. I had spent so much time preparing this home for my family, and now we would have to flee. I heard rumors of how quickly Adam Carter worked and hunted down his enemies. I knew it was a matter of time before Adam figured out our location, and I had no doubt he'd bring an army with him.We were currently in Port Huron, Michigan. I had a vacation home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where we could stay while preparations at our new Ireland home were finishing. If we left now, we could easily escape before Adam Carter could find us. My only challenge would be getting Daphnie to come with me without a fight. After her reaction toward me when she
Love in the Darkness 65
AdamWith Ace by my side, I walked into my central hotel, ignoring everyone who greeted me. I wanted to hunt down whoever kidnapped my family as soon as possible. Diego could only do so much as this wasn't his expertise. Chad would've been able to find a lead by now and deduce where my wife and daughter were, but he wouldn't help me.I was practically on my own.When I stepped into the elevator, it couldn't move fast enough. My patience was running dry. Every moment I was without Daphnie caused the ache in my chest to worsen. I needed to find her. Without Daphnie and Nightingale, my life had no purpose.I stepped out of the elevator and walked to my office. I stopped a few feet from the door, feeling uneasy in my stomach. Ace's body tensed, and he began to growl. I took out my gun and slowly approached the door without a sound. I kicked the door open and stepped into my office to be greeted by Dr. Phil Sweetheart sitting at my desk."Hello, Adam," he casually said."Dr. Sweetheart," I
Love in the Darkness 64
DaphnieI woke up with a headache. The pain worsened as I opened my eyes and blinked a few times to clear my blurry vision. I suddenly remembered what had happened. I quickly sat up, ignoring the throbbing pain in my head."Adam?" I called out. "Adam!""Shhh! You'll wake her up," someone said.I looked in the direction of the voice and saw Alexandros sitting in a chair, holding my daughter in his arms."Alexandros," I said in a threatening tone. "Give me my daughter.""OUR daughter," Alexandros said as if he were correcting me. "You know, I was excited when you were pregnant; I was a little worried she would look like that lousy excuse of a husband, but I see she looks just like you. Except for her eyes, we can always have that taken care of. Hopefully, doctors will figure out how to change eye color in a few years, and then she'll be perfect.""What the hell are you talking about?" I asked.Alexandros chuckled and sighed, "Daphnie, you're a smart woman; it shouldn't be difficult for
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Daphnie"I'm home!" I called out as I stepped through the front door with groceries in my hands. Adam usually did the grocery shopping, but I wanted to make something special for dinner to surprise him. I walked into the kitchen and put the groceries on the island. I decided to head upstairs to check on Adam and Nightingale since Adam didn't reply.I peeked into Nightingale's room and found it to be empty. I walked down the hall to my and Adam's room and smiled at the site. Adam was sleeping on his back with one hand behind his head and the other protectively on Nightingale, who was curled up on Adam's chest. I grabbed my phone from my pocket and took a picture. After setting the image as my wallpaper, I quietly walked over to the bed. I gently kissed Adam and Nightingale on the cheek and went to start cooking.It didn't take long to prepare the pork shoulder; I started prepping to make mashed potatoes and corn once it was in the oven. After boiling the potatoes, I was startled by Ada
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Daphnie"Okay, so the stage will be set up along the east wall, and our table will be to its right," Adam said as he looked over the floor layout for the gala."Will anyone be joining us?""Unfortunately, yes. The board members of my company will be sitting with us.""You invited the board members, who may be working with the FBI, to a mafia gala?""Yes.""Why?"Adam looked at me with a smile."So I can show them who's boss.""Oh, Lord. I don't want to know what you're doing.""I think you'll like it.""Whatever you say."Adam chuckled. "How are the decorations going?""Great, actually," I said as I looked at Adam. "The tablecloths will be white with a smaller gold tablecloth over them. There will be a clear vase in the center of each table with a gold ribbon wrapped around it and white carnations inside, along with the table number. The chairs will be white cushion ones with gold accents on them. The entrance and the stage will be decorated with white and gold balloons. Since everyon
