Chapter 7 - The Trap at the MergerColin survived.
Colin pointed the gun toward him.
“Don't.”
Rachel's hand hovered near her jacket.
Colin noticed.
“You too.”
She lifted her hands.
Margaret turned toward her younger son.
“Put it down.”
“That's what Dad always said.”
Colin's smile disappeared.
“Put it down. Clean it up. Stop embarrassing the family.”
Nathan's voice was low.
“You tried to kill Grace?”
Colin looked at him.
“No.”
Grace blinked.
Nathan's jaw tightened.
“Then who did?”
“Malcolm.”
Margaret whispered, “Colin.”
“What? We're finally being honest.”
Colin walked farther into the room.
“Yes, I stole money.”
Nathan stared at his brother.
“For how long?”
“Seven years.”
“Why?”
Colin laughed.
“Because being your brother is expensive.”
Nathan almost moved toward him.
Grace touched Nathan's back.
Colin continued.
“You inherited Dad's office, Dad's trust, Dad's board seat. I inherited people asking when I was going to become you.”
“You had every opportunity I had.”
“No. I had every opportunity you allowed me.”
Nathan stared in disbelief.
“I gave you a division.”
“You gave me scraps.”
“A division worth six hundred million dollars.”
“And you still controlled it.”
Colin's hand trembled.
Grace realized something.
He was terrified.
Not powerful.
Terrified.
“Malcolm found you,” she said.
Colin looked at her.
“Smart as everyone said.”
“He discovered the theft and blackmailed you.”
“Initially.”
“Then you started working together.”
Colin's silence answered.
Nathan asked, “What was the plan?”
Colin's eyes flicked toward Margaret.
“Take the company.”
Margaret's face showed disgust.
“You were never capable of running it.”
“That sounds like you.”
Colin lifted the gun.
Nathan's voice sharpened.
“Don't point that at her.”
Colin laughed bitterly.
“Even now. Protecting Mommy.”
“No. Protecting you from something you can't undo.”
For a second, the brothers looked at each other.
Then Colin's face crumpled slightly.
“I didn't want Grace dead.”
Grace whispered, “You threatened Nathan.”
“I sent the first messages.”
Nathan's expression changed.
“Why?”
“To scare you.”
Grace stared.
“You made me disappear.”
“Yes.”
“You watched me leave?”
“I thought you'd go to family. Police. Somewhere trackable.”
Nathan stepped toward him.
Colin raised the weapon.
“Stay back.”
“You let my pregnant wife live on the street.”
“I didn't know she was pregnant!”
The room went silent.
Colin looked at Grace.
“I found out months later.”
“Then you kept threatening me.”
“That wasn't me.”
“Who?”
“Malcolm.”
Rachel asked, “Why?”
“Because Grace had the only surviving copies of the Marlowe transfers.”
Grace shook her head.
“No. Evelyn had copies.”
Colin laughed once.
“Evelyn's copies were destroyed.”
Grace went cold.
“The fire.”
“At her storage unit.”
“So mine were the only ones.”
“Yes.”
Nathan said, “Then Malcolm found her at the hotel.”
Colin nodded.
“He's been following Victor for weeks.”
Grace looked at Nathan.
“Victor led him to me?”
“Accidentally,” Rachel said.
Colin lowered the gun slightly.
“Malcolm's done waiting.”
“For what?”
Colin looked at Nathan.
“Tomorrow's merger.”
Nathan frowned.
The acquisition meeting.
Four hundred million dollars.
Colin continued.
“The merger gives Whittaker access to federal transportation contracts.”
Rachel's face sharpened.
“And Malcolm wants control of the company.”
“He wants revenge.”
“By killing Nathan?”
“No.”
Colin's voice dropped.
“By making Nathan take the fall for everything.”
Nathan stared.
“The forged signatures.”
“All yours.”
“You signed them.”
“Copied yours.”
Grace suddenly understood.
“If authorities discover Marlowe now…”
“They'll think Nathan stole millions.”
Rachel cursed under her breath.
Colin nodded.
“And the bridge records? Malcolm has originals.”
Nathan's face hardened.
“He'll release them.”
“After tomorrow's merger. He wants the share price destroyed, federal investigators involved, and you arrested.”
Margaret stepped toward Colin.
“We can stop it.”
Colin laughed.
“No, we can't.”
“Yes.”
“No, Mom. You don't understand.”
His face became pale.
“Malcolm has people everywhere.”
A red laser dot appeared on Colin's chest.
Grace saw it first.
“Colin!”
Nathan lunged.
The window shattered.
Colin spun and fell.
Margaret screamed.
Rachel drew her weapon.
Another bullet hit the wall.
Nathan dragged Grace behind the desk.
Rachel shouted into her phone.
“Shots fired!”
Margaret crawled toward Colin.
Blood spread across his shoulder.
“Colin!”
The shooter fired again.
Nathan pulled Margaret down.
Outside, tires screamed.
Then silence.
Rachel checked the window.
“Gone.”
Grace crawled toward Colin.
He was conscious.
Barely.
He grabbed Nathan's sleeve.
“Listen.”
Nathan pressed his hand against the wound.
“Save your breath.”
“Malcolm has… a man inside the merger team.”
“Who?”
Colin coughed.
“Derek Shaw.”
Nathan's CFO.
A man who had worked beside him for eleven years.
Nathan closed his eyes briefly.
Another betrayal.
Colin squeezed his wrist.
“He'll trigger the transfers tomorrow.”
“What transfers?”
“Thirty million into your personal accounts.”
Rachel stared.
“That makes the case look airtight.”
Colin nodded.
Nathan said, “We cancel the merger.”
Colin's eyes widened.
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because Malcolm has a second plan.”
“What?”
Colin's voice weakened.
“If you cancel…”
He coughed blood.
Grace leaned closer.
“If he cancels, what happens?”
Colin looked toward her stomach.
“He takes the baby.”
Nathan's face transformed.
Grace went cold.
Margaret whispered, “What did you say?”
Colin struggled to breathe.
“He knows she's pregnant.”
Nathan gripped his brother.
“Why would he take my child?”
Colin stared into Nathan's eyes.
“Because he thinks your father destroyed his family.”
The sirens approached.
May you like
Colin whispered:
“He wants you to know what losing yours feels like.”
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