Chapter 1 - THEN WE TAKE THE MONEY
Daniel Bennett swung the wooden baton into Claire’s upper arm.
Pain exploded across bruises that were already dark purple.
Before she could move, he struck her outer thigh.
Her leg buckled.
Claire collapsed onto the white-marble foyer floor and wrapped both arms around her eight-month belly.
“GET RID OF THE BABY!”
She dragged herself backward.
Daniel followed.
Another strike hit her shoulder.
Claire curled around her stomach.
“NO! NEVER!”
Daniel pointed the baton toward her.
“THEN WE TAKE THE MONEY AND START OVER!”
Claire stared at him.
What money?
He raised the baton again.
“THEN YOU LEAVE ME NO CHOICE.”
The front door burst open.
Michael Hale charged inside.
One kick drove Daniel backward.
He crashed onto the marble.
The baton skidded away.
A tiny streak of blood touched Daniel’s lower lip.
Michael ignored him.
He dropped beside Claire.
“Claire.”
She clung to him.
Michael saw the bruises on her arms and legs.
His face changed.
He pulled her behind him.
Then turned toward Daniel.
“YOU ANIMAL! DON’T YOU KNOW YOUR BABY IS ABOUT TO BE BORN?!”
Daniel stared at him.
Then laughed once.
Not because anything was funny.
Because Michael had misunderstood.
“That’s the problem.”
Michael froze.
Claire looked at Daniel.
“What money?”
Daniel’s expression closed.
“Nothing.”
Michael stepped forward.
“You were just screaming about it.”
Daniel wiped his mouth.
“You heard a fight. You don’t know what you heard.”
Claire stared at him.
He had become calm too quickly.
Then Michael noticed a leather folder beneath the broken section of the staircase railing.
It had fallen from Daniel’s bag during the struggle.
He picked it up.
On the front:
May you like
NORTHLINE FREIGHT MANAGEMENT BUYOUT — FINAL FUNDING PACKAGE.
Daniel’s face drained pale.
