DaphnieI had returned from the gym, exhausted from my intense workout; I had spent most of every day working out. Adam and I had our own personal section of the gym in each hotel. We also had our own trainers; I met with mine thrice weekly.Feeling too weak to do anything, I fell on the couch. Right as I was going to turn on the tv, my phone started ringing; it was playing Adam's ringtone.I missed talking to Adam. Before I could talk myself out of it, I grabbed my phone and answered."Hello?""You answered!" Adam said excitedly."Yeah. What's up?""How have you been?""I've been better. How about you?""Well," Adam sounded so shy. "I was hoping you would go on a date with me tonight.""Adam, I don't think that's a good idea," I said. I had no idea why I was protesting when I was dying to be in Adam's arms."Daphnie, please. I want to have a nice evening with you. Besides, I have some good news to share."I let out a sigh. Adam and I couldn't go on like this."Okay.""Great! I'll pic
AdamDr. Charles said I should confront my past rather than escape it. That meant getting back in touch with my squad members, visiting my father's grave, and even going to Syria. He was an idiot if he believed I would do that. However, it was an excellent excuse to visit Phil Sweetheart; he did play a huge role in my recovery by helping save my leg.I pulled into the parking lot of his clinic. The building seemed rather large for private practice; it was almost as big as a school health center.Something's going on here.I would have to act like I didn't know who Dr. Sweetheart was. After all, I only spoke to him once while in the hospital.It was so long ago, yet I remembered everything as if it was yesterday.I was ready to shout from the pain, on the brink of tears. The pain in my leg was excruciating; I kept taking deep breaths."Adam, everything's gonna be okay," Ben reassured me."They better come up with something fast," I groaned."They are. I talked with the doctor, who said
LorenzoI sat back in my chair, drinking a glass of cheap whiskey. I was fed up with how my life turned out; Adam humiliated me by destroying my company, and Amber was a clingy pain in my ass. I had no idea that woman would be so annoying. During our time together, she constantly talked about how mad she was at Daphnie for not apologizing. Just to shut her up, I would give her my credit card, so she could have a "relaxing" shopping spree to get over it.I finally had some alone time in my office: I had sent Amber on a spa getaway and paid off the people in charge to confiscate her phone. Their excuse was that it was to "eliminate outside distractions and focus on embracing the opportunity to relax and connect with one's inner self."There was a knock on my door. Slightly annoyed, I called out, "come in."When the door opened, I was surprised to see a Greek man step in. He was taller than me, I'd say six foot one. He was dressed neatly in a black business suit and black tie. He was wel
Adam"Adam, you can't always be in control of everything," Dr. Charles said. I decided to tell him about the stress Lorenzo's new business partner brought me. The gala was tonight, and I couldn't be more on edge."I can try," I said.Dr. Charles let out a sigh. Sometimes I think he feels that I'm a lost cause."Adam, why do you need to control everything?""So things can turn out the way I want them to.""Why is it so important that things go your way? Why can't they go a different way?""Let me ask you this, Dr. Charles," I retorted. "Why do you have to treat your patients with a certain method? Why do they have to have a certain outcome when they're done with counseling?""The method I use is what's best for them, and I have a goal that the outcome is that they recover from whatever disorder they suffer from to help them live a better life.""Exactly!""Adam, you've experienced quite a few traumatic things that were outside your control: your mother leaving, your father being abusiv
Lorenzo"I'm gonna kick Daphnie's ass the next time I see her," Amber said as she applied ice to my face. Daphnie managed to sprain my jaw; I had no idea she could throw such a hard punch. It also didn't help that she was wearing a ring.I lay on my side, trying to ignore the pain from the pressure Amber was applying as she held the bag of ice to my cheek."I can't believe her. She just attacked you for no reason! I tried kicking her and Adam out, but they refused to leave. I should've called security to escort them out; I wanted to tell the paparazzi what happened, but I couldn't find them."Will you just shut up?If allowed to, Amber could ramble on for hours. I let out a groan, hoping to shut her up."Oh, you're still in pain?" She asked in a loving tone. "I'll get you some Ibuprofen."Amber carefully lifted my head from her lap and stood up to get Ibuprofen. I savored the few seconds of silence that I had. After giving me the Ibuprofen, Amber rested my head on her lap again, putti
AdamAfter a long morning leading several training sessions at my security company, I headed to my central hotel. I needed to review reports Zamora made on the few investors Alexandros scraped up for Lorenzo. I was tempted to leave when I remembered I had an overdue meeting with Maybell Sweetheart.Daphnie told me Maybell was the one who talked her into coming back to me, so I instructed the bar manager to send Maybell to my office when her shift was over. I wanted to thank her personally. Daphnie and I would still be separated if it weren't for her. I would still be home alone, crying and hoping Daphnie would return to me.I was triple-checking the profits of each of my hotels when there was a soft knock on my door."Come in," I called out.The woman stepped into my office slowly and fearfully. "Maybell," I said as I stood and walked around my desk. "It's a pleasure to meet you finally; I'm Adam Carter."I extended my hand to her. She seemed timid as she cautiously shook my hand; her
AdamI held Daphnie's hand as we walked into the clinic. I dreaded this appointment, but I promised Daphnie that she and our child would receive only the best.As we walked to the front desk, the receptionist greeted us, "Hello, how may I help you?""My wife has an appointment at 2:15.""Okay, what's the name?""Daphnie Carter.""Carter?" I heard that woman say in a fake surprised tone. Quinn walked into the waiting room and glared at me."If it isn't the high and mighty Adam Carter," she mocked. "What brings you to see a quack like me?"I began to clench my fists but stopped when I felt Daphnie tug at my hand, letting me know I was hurting her."Quinn. It's been a long time."The quack stuck out her tongue. "Not long enough. What brings you here? Don't you have your own physicians?""Yes, but as much as I hate to admit it, you're the best, and I want only the best for my wife," I said as I looked at Daphnie, who looked at me with a smile."That's right, you're married." Quinn turned
DaphnieI had an uneasy feeling as we drove to the police station. We were greeted by Detectives Halstead and Upton as soon as we entered."You have got to be kidding me," I mumbled."Adam," Halstead said. "Mrs. Carter.""Why were we called here?" Adam asked."Let's go discuss this in private," Detective Upton said.We were guided through a few hallways and into an interrogation room. Although I had a sweater, I felt so cold. Adam immediately took off his leather jacket and wrapped it around me. Once we sat down, Detective Halstead closed the door; I scooted closer to Adam."Well, as I said, Lorenzo Velasco was found dead in his apartment."Detective Halstead threw some photos in front of us, showing Lorenzo's body from different angles. A bullet was in his head."So, what are we doing here?" I asked. The nervousness I felt was replaced with irritation.""Well," Detective Upton started. "Adam is our primary suspect.""Why is that?" Adam asked, seeming unfazed by the accusation."Adam,
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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