The Darkest
Days
Pressley James
Redemption is found within the realms of a true heart……
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
The Darkest Days
(This book is an adaptation of the novel, The Darkest Danger. It represents the same story but with different multicultural/ethnic characters.)
Copyright © 2017 Pressley James
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission from the author.
Cover design:
SelfPubBookCovers.com/dormantwing
Acknowledgment
This book is dedicated to my family. You’re my rock. Love you.
Prologue
“Your time’s up here, Armani,” the burly guard muttered, dragging the billy club along the bars, and a hint of annoyance played across his haggard features. The cell door groaned in protest as he pulled it wide open. “Looks like someone came through for you big time. What a shame because things were about to get more than a little interesting around here.” A lock of greasy, black hair fell over his eyes as he shrugged, and the overhead light shone across his tan brown face. “Guess it pays to have friends in high places, right papi?”
Turning away from the badly scarred wall, Sebastian faced the belligerent guard before sitting up on the worn, rickety cot. The prison-style garb, a badly faded powder blue shirt and worn navy blue trousers, seemed even snugger as he stood. Since he hadn’t shaven in weeks, a beard shadowed his usually sleek jaw line, giving him an edgier look, albeit a dangerous one. And it was fitting considering his volatile anger, he mulled, walking towards the open cell door. Three weeks within the dingy closed up hell-hole had made him harder than he already was, and unsurprisingly, things had been far from pleasant. The guard, especially, had been unrelenting with his taunting, lewd, and crude remarks. Also, he’d been in more than a brawl or two, he noted, nursing his injured jaw with a swollen hand. As he’d suspected, Santini had ensured that there’d been a few goons waiting on him, and they’d worked like hell to make his stay miserable.
But, it was in the dark of the night when things had been the worse, Sebastian mulled, returning the guard’s scowl as he swept past him. For wasn’t it then that he faced his real crime---his lies and treachery against the woman he loved? At night, when he closed his eyes, all he could remember from that horrible night was the bewilderment and fear that lined her beautiful face as he’d been taken away. Wouldn’t the sound of her heartbreaking cries haunt his soul for all eternity?
With barely restrained patience, he followed behind the guard. Even now, it seemed that the man was trying to goad him with his slow, purposeful gait. As they drew closer to the exit door, though, he began to taste sweet freedom. Once they passed through it, a few moments later, he released a pent-up breath, not realizing that he’d even been holding one. Now, dressed in street clothes, he finally felt somewhat human again.
Several feet away, at the circulation desk, Marc stood and was in deep conversation with the attendant. But, upon spying him, Marc moved away abruptly and approached.
After sharing a few, low muttered words, they made their departure.
When they were standing outside the jailhouse, moments later, Sebastian inhaled a sharp breath.
Never would he take freedom for granted again.
The black SUV hang at the curve, and the terse silence followed as he took the driver’s seat. Within seconds, they were driving away, but it wasn’t until miles separated them from the jailhouse when he spoke.
“Sorry for the dead silence,” he said brusquely. “I just have a lot of my fucking mind. And thanks for springing me out.”
“I’ll tell you now that going through Customs these last weeks has been a bitch. Thankfully, things came through at the end.”
“And Vanessa?” he probed, taking his eyes from the road briefly. “Where has the bastard taken her?”
“Atlanta. But, our trail has gone stone cold because we have no idea just where. But, my men are on it. Hopefully, soon, we’ll be able to pinpoint her location.”
“I don’t care if we have to comb every fucking street and alley in Atlanta. We’re going to find her.” He released a pent-up breath. “Damn it, I’ll never forgive myself for involving her in this business with Santini.”
“What’s done is done, and there’s no changing it. All of that’s in the past, dude. Here and now is all that counts.”
“My baby girl?” he asked, and the pain restricted in his chest. “How are things with her? Is Meghan okay?”
“Luna and Javier are taking great care of her. Logically, she has questions, and she misses you like crazy.” Marc cast him a fast glance. “She’s not taking things too well.”
“How could she? I’ve been locked up for weeks, Vanessa just up and disappears, and all she knows is that we’re both gone. Just when I believe things can’t get worse, they do. It’s bad enough that I’ve made Vanessa’s life pure hell, but then I go and do the same thing to my daughter.” He sighed. “I’m going to do everything in my power to make things up to the both of them.” Taking his eyes from the road briefly, he looked at Marc. “Got anything else?”
“Of course, there’s more. Santini’s at his old games again. He sent an unmarked package,” Marc muttered, revealing a small manila envelope, and then shook out its contents. Then, he waved the flash drive in midair. “It arrived at the office weeks ago.”
“Intimidation tactic number one,” he said stonily, keeping his eyes fixated on the road. He inclined his head toward the USB port on the dashboard. “Play it. Let’s hear what the bastard has to say.”
After inserting the flash drive into the USB port, Marc adjusted the volume on the stereo.
Seconds later, Victor Santini’s maniacal laughter boomed from the stereo and filled the confines of the SUV. “Armani, by the time you hear this, you’ll be behind bars where you belong,” Victor taunted coldly. “And I’m going to make you pay for all the nonsense bullshit you’ve been putting out for months.” Then, he released a string of curses. “You moronic cocksucker…did you actually think that you could beat me? Do you know who I am? I’m effin’ Maurice Santini’s son and that alone should make you fear me!”
At the criminal’s words, Sebastian tightened his grip on the steering wheel, and while his attention remained on the dangerous, winding road, the anger rose in him. The trees whizzed by as he accelerated, and in the background, he heard Marc’s biting curse.
“Take it easy, bro,” Marc warned, giving a low whistle under his breath. “We both need to make it back to the States in one piece. If we’re going to nail Santini’s ass to the wall, we have to be alive to do so.”
But, still Marc’s warning affected him little, for he was too focused on his nemesis’s words.
“I have what you want, don’t I, bitch? You’d sell your soul to have Vanessa. But, there’s only one problem with that, Armani…she belongs to me!” Victor shouted, crazed. “Did you hear me, damn it! Vanessa is mine, not yours! And how dare you try to take something that belongs to me.” His harsh breathing replaced his words, but it was soon the cold laughter returned. “She hates you now, don’t you know that? Vanessa doesn’t want to have anything to do with you. Not anymore.”
A profound silence deepened in the SUV, and he felt it down to the deepest parts of his soul. Wasn’t that the very thing that he feared, he mulled, which was Vanessa turning her back on him
forever?
“Are you proud of yourself, Armani? Taking advantage of her like that, lying to her day in and day out, pretending to be her fiancé?” Victor continued. “She will never forgive such treachery. Better yet, I won’t allow her to. With her every waking breath, I’m going to remind her of what kind of bastard you really are. And while I’m at it, why don’t I become daddy to that sweet little girl of yours…what’s her name? It’s Meghan, right?” The criminal laughed again. “The question is will I be a good daddy or bad daddy? Bad daddies do all the wrong things, some of them are even unspeakable---”
“Son-of-a-bitch!” he yelled, unable to control his anger any longer.
On the narrow road, the SUV swerved dangerously and the tires squealed as he whipped the vehicle towards the shoulder. The SUV shook violently as the tires hit the uneven space, yet he showed no signs of slowing down. Only the fierce anger drove him, and he couldn’t breach past the haze. And his ire certainly wasn’t appeased as the criminal’s maniacal laughter spilled into the SUV once more. The island trees zipped by fast as he accelerated past them, and the speedometer showed that he was maxing 100 mph.
“Damn it, Sebastian!” Marc exclaimed from the passenger’s side, giving him a hard glance. “What are you doing, man? Literally taking us on a joy ride straight to hell?”
“Hell?” he spat, giving a bitter laugh. “I’m already there, brother, and the fires have been searing me alive since I’ve been there.”
“And your salvation rests in Vanessa and Meghan. Don’t turn your back on that,” Marc said sharply, and his words were barely audible above the roaring noise. “If you do, that means Santini wins! Is that what you want?”
In a flurry, the dust surrounded the vehicle as he slammed on the brakes, causing them both to lurch forward. Releasing a round of expletives, he shoved the gear into park. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!” he yelled, beating a hard fist repeatedly against the steering wheel. “I’m going to kill that bastard with my bare hands. All of these threats against Meghan and Vanessa, I won’t stand for it!”
“Calm down, man! Snap back to focus, damn it,” Marc cut in, extracting a cheroot from the slim package. “After a ride like that, I need a hit. Remind me to never ride with you and that maniacal bastard at the same time. Shit!”
But, he hardly attended to Marc’s words, so invested he was in the words that Victor Santini was spewing over the airwaves again.
“Hope you’re enjoying your new home. I suppose that little padded cell isn’t as lucrative as the joints that you usually stay in,” Victor laughed coldly. “Now what kind of friend would I be to you if I didn’t make sure that you had a ‘good welcoming committee’ on the inside? I’m sure that you’ll put up quite the hell of a fight. Don’t worry, I’ve asked them to wait a little while before they break you in right…let you get used to the place before they take you as their lover. If you play nice enough, I’m sure that they’ll be gentle with you.” He paused before speaking again. “I’m watching Vanessa...watching her right now. Sadly, though, some part of her weeps for the lie that is you. But, I’ll make her forget you and that little fuckin’ brat. Both of you will be totally meaningless to her soon,” Victor spat nastily. “How does it feel to lose again, Armani? Like before, I’ve stripped you of everything.” The criminal gave a chilling laugh. “Caitlyn and your boy, they’re dead and gone now because of your incessant stupidity. One would think that you would’ve learned from that little lesson. Again, what made you think that you could take us on? We’re the mother-fuckin’ mafia kings of the south. Realize it, know it, and own that truth.” Again, his laughter was mocking. “Don’t worry about Vanessa, though. The same nastiness won’t be wrought upon her like it was that bitch of a wife of yours. I’ll be smooth and gentle when I take Vanessa’s ass---”
Enraged, releasing a violent curse, Sebastian shoved the gear back into drive and took to the highway again. A mile or so later, the criminal’s words finally played out, and once more, a deep silence stole the space in the vehicle.
Tense, gripping the steering wheel with a vice grip, he continued the drive. But, as the miles passed, his resentment and fiery anger rose.
One thing was certain, he mulled, accelerating the SUV again.
There would be hell to pay.
Chapter 1
A different world….
At least that’s how the beautiful southern city of Atlanta was portrayed on the muggy Saturday evening.
Vanessa stared out the window from the eleventh floor of the condominium suite. Across the way and surrounding the deluxe apartment building all around, the lights shone from the other buildings and skyscrapers in the dark night.
As she caught sight of her reflection in the large paned window, the strangled cry nearly pushed its way past her throat, and again, she found it almost impossible to control a broken sob.
From the thick mane of dark hair that met her shoulders on down to the two-inch heels, she was the perfect package outwardly.
A beautiful made-up doll with hardly any substance…
The crimson-hued satin-crepe evening gown was stunning and met her feet. At the front, the neckline plunged daringly, revealing the smooth contours of her neckline and delicate skin. The fine draping at the hips only flattered her full-figure more eloquently and a subtle train flowed behind.
Her entire dress matched the condominium.
Extravagant elegancy---
Every piece of furniture within the living space was ivory or white. From the carpeting, flood lights, kitchen, dining area, bathroom, sitting area, etc. It was almost unlivable because of its perfect sereneness.
But, everything…all of it, down to the $500,000 engagement ring weighing her finger down---
It was nothing but a lie.
She’d lost every part of herself.
In the glass window, her eyes met the buffed bodyguard’s.
These last several weeks, hadn’t he been privy to her open misery? Though he stayed silent most of the time, she’d seen evidence of some humanity within his stocky six feet frame. Pity had shone in his dark gray eyes more than once, and she’d considered the fact that at some point, he could become a weak link.
But, perhaps, the man would never be, she thought with a sinking heart. And sadly, hadn’t she proven that she wasn’t good at reading people at all? She’d certainly been wrong in thinking that she could convince Victor of anything.
Besides, wasn’t there only one obvious truth?
She was now his prisoner.
Seven days a week, 24-7, Paulo was basically her shadow, hovering on the fringes while watching her every move. Sometimes, she pondered if it were even safe to breathe. Not only that. She had no access to a cell phone or any other technology---
Again, she fought against the rising frustration.
Fortunately, thank goodness, she sighed, at least, she had the privilege of staying at the condominium alone---except for the bodyguard. Still, it was the closest thing to real freedom that she had.
She frowned.
Naturally, Victor didn’t trust her to not flee.
And he was right to, she mulled, breaking eye contact. There’d been countless nights where she’d contemplated running away---
But, where would she go, she thought, blinking back the tears. She was penniless, destitute, and broke. If she fled, she probably wouldn’t get that far. And worse, she sniffled, Victor would carry out his loaded threats and hurt both Sebastian and Meghan---
When the doorbell suddenly pealed, she jumped.
Through the glass’s reflection, she watched as the bodyguard opened the door, and her heart sank as Victor materialized at the threshold. With a curt nod, he dismissed the bodyguard. As the door closed behind him, Victor strode across the expensively decorated living room.
She couldn’t dispel her animosity as she turned to face him. Raising her chin, she summoned what little bravery she had left.
“Despite the puffy face and streaking tears, you look absolutely sm
ashing, Vanessa,” Victor murmured with an icy smile, taking her hands in his as he stopped before her. “Everyone will be raving about how you’re the most beautiful woman there, as it should be, since it is our engagement party. I expect you to have your composure and act together when it’s time.”
“Have there been any developments or changes in the kidnapping case against Sebastian? And have you called your goons off, yet?” she asked, pulling free of his hold, and stiffened. Still, she fought against the sickening feeling at his brief touch. “You promised that you wouldn’t hurt him or Meghan. It’s the only reason that I agreed to come here in the first place. If you hurt either of them, I swear---”
Victor’s face screwed in anger. “You pathetic little whore. Is that all you know to do---spend every waking hour pining after that lover conman of yours?” He blew an exasperated breath. “By some miraculous design, the bastard managed to make the $10,000,000 bail, and just how he did, I can’t fathom it. All that I can deduce is that he has friends in high places. But, he’s no longer on that hellhole island where they worship him at the altar. No, he’s back on US soils, and the good old American justice system will decide Armani’s fate.” His smile was lethal. “I hope he rots in prison for the rest of his miserable life. As for my ‘goons’ as you call them, they’re on him, and they’ll stay on him as long as he’s a threat. But, trust me---Armani won’t be a problem much longer.”
She held her breath. But, still, the pain stabbed her heart like a jagged knife. “Where is he?”
Victor released a frustrated breath. “Upstate New York and he’s hiding in that impenetrable fortress of his parents. The place is like Fort Knox, and it’d take a damn army to get in. But, when he does go out, my men are watching him like a hawk. Nothing that he does escapes my notice.” He gave her a long look. “Don’t his actions prove to you that he cares nothing about you? Why hasn’t he come to your rescue and saved you from my clenches?” His smile was cold. “No, the bastard cut and ran when he had the chance. Once the truth was ousted, he no longer had use for you. But, you don’t care about that, do you? And that makes you even more pathetic than you already are. Hate to break it to you. But, right now, he’s probably ramming his penis up some other broad’s ass.”
The Darkest Days (Torn Apart Book 2) Page 1
