Chapter 38 Donovan
DONOVAN
Robert’s still talking when my fist connects with his jaw.
The crack echoes through the room, sharp and satisfying. His head snaps to the side, and he topples backward in his chair, crashing to the floor with a grunt that knocks the air from his lungs.
“Don’t,” I say, standing over him while he clutches his bleeding mouth. “Don’t you ever mention her mother again.”
Robert looks up at me with genuine fear in his eyes now, all his pretense of control shattered along with his lip.
“Get up,” Dad says from across the table, his voice cold and final. “My son has something to say to you.”
Robert scrambles to his feet, one hand pressed against his jaw. Blood seeps between his fingers and drips onto his expensive suit. He sways slightly, then grabs the back of his chair to steady himself.
I move back to stand beside Samantha, flexing my hand once. My knuckles throb, but it was worth it to see that smug expression wiped off his face.
“Sit down,” I tell him.
Robert drops into his chair like his legs gave out. He pulls a handkerchief from his pocket and presses it against his bleeding lip, eyes darting between Dad and me like he’s trying to calculate which one of us is more dangerous.
Smart money’s on Dad, but I’m the one who just hit him, so his confusion is understandable.
“Now,” I say, settling into the chair beside Samantha. “Let me explain exactly what’s going to happen, and I suggest you listen very carefully because this offer expires the moment you leave this room.”
Robert nods, the handkerchief still pressed to his mouth.
I pull out my tablet and swipe to the financial documents Davis compiled. Numbers, bank accounts, and debts organized by creditor. It’s a complete map of Robert’s financial destruction, laid out in excruciating detail.
“You owe approximately eight point three million dollars to various organizations,” I begin. “The Volkov operation accounts for four million of that. Then there’s the Chicago syndicate at two million, the Vegas crew at one point five million, and several smaller creditors making up the rest.”
Robert’s eyes widen as I list each debt, each name.
“We’ve contacted every single one of them,” I continue. “Explained that we have information about someone who’s been stealing from them. Someone who’s been playing both sides, taking money from multiple organizations while feeding information to federal authorities.”
“I never—” Robert starts.
“Shut up,” I cut him off. “I’m not finished.”
He closes his mouth, the handkerchief dark with blood now.
“We told them we’d give them a name and location in exchange for writing off half your debts. They agreed. Very enthusiastically, actually. Seems like everyone’s been looking for a reason to hunt you down.”
I swipe to the next screen, showing transfer documents already prepared and waiting for signatures.
“Here’s your choice, Robert. Option one: You disappear.
Quietly. Permanently. You sign documents transferring all of Mandy’s company holdings and assets back to Samantha.
Everything you stole from her mother gets returned.
Then you record a full confession explaining how you manipulated Samantha, how you lied about the Hales destroying Mandy’s company, and how you orchestrated this entire scheme. ”
“And if I do that?” His voice comes out rough.
“We pay off half your debts,” Dad says. “Four million dollars. Enough to get the most dangerous people off your back. We also give you fifty thousand in cash and arrange transport to Mexico City. From there, you’re on your own.”
“That’s it?” Robert looks between us. “You just let me go?”
“You leave Colorado today,” I clarify. “You never contact Samantha again. You never mention this family to anyone. You don’t work with Volkov or any other organization targeting our operations. You disappear completely, and if you’re smart, you’ll stay disappeared.”
“And option two?” Robert asks, though I can see in his eyes he already knows.
I lean forward, making sure he sees exactly what’s in my expression.
“We hand you over to Volkov right now. Along with evidence that you’ve been embezzling from them for three years.
Wire transfers you thought you covered. Offshore accounts you thought they’d never find.
We also inform the Chicago syndicate that you’ve been working with the feds, giving them information about their operations in exchange for immunity. ”
“They’ll kill me,” Robert whispers.
“Yes,” I agree. “They will. Slowly. And when they’re done, whatever’s left of you will disappear into Lake Michigan or the mountains, and nobody will ever find your body.”
The room falls silent except for the crackle of the fireplace. Robert stares at the documents in front of him, the handkerchief forgotten now, blood drying on his chin.
“How do I know you won’t kill me anyway?” he finally asks. “Even if I take your deal?”
“You don’t,” Dad says simply. “But you know for certain what happens if you refuse.”
Robert’s hand shakes as he reaches for the pen lying on the table. He looks at Samantha one last time, maybe hoping to see some mercy or hesitation.
She stares back at him with cold eyes. “Sign the papers, Robert. Take the deal and get out of my life.”
He picks up the pen.
It takes forty minutes to process everything. Documents transferring the company assets. Financial releases. Legal disclaimers witnessed and notarized by our lawyer on every page. Then we set up the video camera on a tripod, and Robert records his confession.
He explains in detail how he married Mandy to access her business for money laundering, and how he used her company to pay off his gambling debts.
How he manipulated Samantha’s grief after her mother died, feeding her lies about the Hales destroying Mandy’s life.
How he orchestrated her entire relationship with Logan just to get an inside source on our operations.
His voice cracks twice during the recording, but I don’t feel an ounce of sympathy.
When he’s finished, Dad downloads the file and backs it up to three separate encrypted servers. Insurance in case Robert decides to resurface later.
“We’re done here,” Dad says, standing. “Marcus is waiting outside to escort you to the airfield. A plane leaves for Mexico City in two hours. I suggest you be on it.”
Robert stands slowly, as if his bones turned to glass during the confession. He doesn’t look at any of us as he gathers his briefcase with trembling hands.
At the door, he hesitates. Turns back. “Samantha, I’m—”
“Don’t,” she interrupts, her voice sharp. “Just go.”
Marcus appears in the doorway, his hand resting casually near his hip again. Robert follows him out without another word, and the door clicks shut behind them.
Silence fills the room.
Samantha’s shoulders start shaking first. Then her breath comes in short gasps, and suddenly she’s crying. Not quiet tears, but full-body sobs that make her fold in on herself.
Dad reaches her first, pulling her against his chest. I move to her other side, my hand on her back as she breaks down completely.
“It’s over,” Dad murmurs against her hair. “He’s gone, and he’s never coming back.”
“Everything I believed,” she chokes out between sobs. “My mother, the plan, all of it was based on his lies.”
“I know,” I tell her. “But now you know the truth. And we’re going to make sure you get everything back that he stole from you.”
She cries for a long time. We hold her through it, letting her purge years of manipulation and grief. On the phone screen, Kai watches with an expression I rarely see on my youngest brother’s face. Protective. Fierce. Like he’d hunt Robert down himself if the man ever tried to come back.
Eventually, Samantha’s sobs turn to hiccups. She pulls back from Dad’s chest, wiping her face with her sleeve.
“I’m sorry,” she says. “I shouldn’t—”
“Don’t apologize,” Dad cuts her off. “You have every right to fall apart. Robert destroyed your life for years. You’re allowed to grieve that.”
“What happens now?” she asks, voice small.
“Now we make sure he actually leaves,” I say. “Marcus will confirm when he’s on the plane. Then we’ll monitor to make sure he stays in Mexico and doesn’t try anything stupid.”
“And what about me?” She looks between us. “What about the baby? What about everything I did while I was here?”
Dad cups her face in his hands, forcing her to meet his eyes. “You were manipulated. You came here under false pretenses because someone you trusted lied to you. That’s not your fault.”
“But I still lied to you,” she whispers. “I still came here planning to hurt you.”
“And then you fell in love with us instead,” Kai says from the phone screen. “That counts for something.”
A ghost of a smile crosses her face. “I’m a terrible spy.”
“The worst,” Kai agrees. “Which is exactly why we’re keeping you.”
She laughs, watery and broken, but genuine.
My phone buzzes with a text from Marcus: Robert’s in the SUV heading to the airfield. Twenty minutes until departure.
“He’s leaving,” I tell the others.
Samantha takes a shaky breath and nods. “Good. I never want to see him again.”
“You won’t,” Dad promises. “We’ve made sure of that.”