Dark Twist: Twisted Series, #1

By TANA BLAISE

He is the king of the criminal underworld.

An enforcer for the most ruthless gang
He always gets the debts paid.

He is a beast, torturous
she is a journalist

His obsession

He introduces her to his world.

Where all appetites are satisfied

Her innocence is questioned

Who is she…really?

What is she capable of?

Strange sensations within

Impossible memories plague her

There's a darkness within her

New instincts and capabilities begin to surface

Her actions cause a gang war

That could mean his death

Perhaps freedom

Of the man she is falling in love with

• Language: English
• Publisher: TANA BLAISE
• Release date: May 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393718260

Book preview

Chapter 1

E

mma Byrne was already sweltering in the jungle heat. The vehicle was impossibly hot and she didn't know what part of town she was in anymore. Sweat was stinging her eyes and she was trying very hard not to move her hands away from her lap. They covered her head in a black bag and for a second she thought to herself, this is it, this is how I'll go out, but that wasn't the case. Several miles later, the van finally stopped. The men that surrounded her shuffled out and one of the men gently held her hand as they lead her out.

After a short walk, she was given a chair and the hood was removed from her head. The room was a vast warehouse filled with wooden crates and vehicles. She shook her black hair out of her face and lowered her gaze as her vision adjusted to the light, and was face-to-face with Duende, the prolific up and coming kingpin of Sao Paulo, Brazil. She did her research. It only took him two years to conquer a quarter of the city. His meteoric rise was a combination of popularity and brutality. She saw pictures of him as a child and he looked so sweet in his school uniform. Today, he looked hard. His eyes were dark and seemed to watch everything with a steady even gaze. The moniker came from his youthful appearance, Duende was Portuguese for Elf and it was very fitting. He was tall, with wiry muscle, and his face was still youthful, but there was an edge that you only got after looking at your demons in the eye and embracing them.

He asked, What is it you want from me? His accent was heavy and thick.

She stammered, I'm a reporter. She wasn't usually shaken like this, but she had read the file and knew his gang, Os Novos Deuses, was at war with Primeiro Comando da Capital. This wasn't the first real test of his strength, but it was certainly the most daunting. My employers, Truth Hunters, are very interested in your story. 

He nodded, This, I already know, my question is how do we move forward from here? He leaned back in his chair and lit a cigarette.

Emma heard a movement behind her and several men spoke in hushed tones. Duende took notice and looked at the commotion and waved someone over. O Que e isso? She understood the phrase, what is it, but Duende and his man spoke and the rest was too fast for her to follow. She stiffened when Duende pulled a large handgun from his desk. He waved Emma to him, Come. Rapida! She did as she was told and he ushered her out. That was when she heard the first gunshot. It was a single shot outside followed by yelling and automatic gunfire. Duende took her hand and ran with her to a back room. Inside was a file cabinet and a metal desk. He pushed the desk out of the way quickly. The sound of gunfire was still present and Emma couldn't tell where any of it was coming from, it seemed to come from every angle. Follow the tunnel and you will be safe. He said and she looked back at him and saw an opening in the floor. He pulled up on a metal ladder and hung it over a lip in the opening leading to an underground tunnel. It smelled like garbage and stagnant water, but the gunfire seemed to be getting louder so she took to the ladder with speed.

She paused, How will I get a hold of you? She asked.

More gunshot sounds distracted him, but he looked at her with the same steely gaze he had when she first saw him. Someone will contact you. He assured her and shoved her down the stairs. She climbed and moved as quickly as she could. There were shriveled light bulbs that dimly revealed the long hallway. The floor was covered in an inch of water and the walls were lined with wires and pipes. Everything looked coated in brown and black grime and she didn't even want to think what her feet were stepping in apart from water, given the uneven and gruesomely malleable texture of it all as she pressed forward. 

The tunnel seemed to wind on for almost an hour and she wasn't sure where she was in relation to the street and even warier of what could happen