Chapter 7 - The Brother’s Last Stand
The legal proceedings against Michael took a turn for the worse.
It turned out he hadn't just been gambling with my money.
He had been involved with a high-stakes loan shark ring in Los Angeles.
They didn't care about my lawsuits or the frozen accounts.
They wanted their money,
and they knew I was the one who had it.
I received a call from a number I didn't recognize while I was at the office.
"Mr. Voss,"
a voice rasped,
low and dangerous.
"Your brother owes us three hundred thousand dollars."
"He says you’re the bank."
"My brother doesn't have a bank,"
I said,
my heart beginning to pound.
"He has a lawyer."
"We don't talk to lawyers,"
the voice replied.
"We talk to families."
"If we don't see the money by Friday,"
"We’re going to come and see your wife."
I hung up the phone,
my vision swimming with rage and terror.
Even from a jail cell or a hideout,
Michael was still a threat to Emily's safety.
I didn't call the police.
I called a private security firm,
men who had served in elite military units.
"I want twenty-four-hour coverage on the apartment,"
I ordered.
"And I want my brother found."
I didn't tell Emily.
I didn't want to see that look of fear return to her eyes.
I told her I was increasing security because of the "media attention" from the lawsuits.
But she knew.
She saw the way I looked at the door.
She saw the way I checked my phone every five minutes.
"Is it Michael?"
she asked one evening,
her voice quiet.
"He’s in trouble,
isn't he?"
"He’s always in trouble,
Emily."
"But he’s not going to touch you."
"I’m not afraid of him,
Daniel,"
she said,
stepping into my arms.
"I’m afraid of what he’s doing to you."
"He’s turning you into a man who lives in the shadows again."
"I won't let him,"
I vowed.
Two days later,
my security team found Michael in a motel in Barstow.
He was beaten,
terrified,
and looking for a way out.
I didn't go to see him.
I sent Marcus with a check and a document.
The check paid his debt.
The document was a final,
irrevocable waiver of any claim to the Voss estate,
and a confession of his role in the fraud against Emily.
"Tell him this is the last thing he will ever receive from me,"
I told Marcus.
"If I ever hear his name again,"
"I will let the wolves have him."
Michael signed.
He disappeared into the desert,
a man without a name or a family.
May you like
The threat was gone.
But the cost of my blood was becoming more than I could bear.
