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further suggested we have a company-wide meeting early this afternoon.”
    “We’ll stick with that plan. What was the message?”
    “He was retiring.”
    Her eyes narrowed. “You expected people to believe that?”
    “I beg your pardon?”
    She picked up her coffee and sipped from it. He couldn’t help but notice she hadn’t offered him the other cup. And he refused to ask for it. Truth was, he could do with a shot of coffee, badly enough to consider hiring Thompson away from his big brother, Connor. This deal had been in the works for a few weeks, which meant it had moved shockingly fast. Due diligence took him months, even a year.
    But branching into logistics was a natural extension for Donovan Worldwide. As it was, their shipments were handled by a brokerage firm. Most of the time that worked well. But if they could broker for others, there was money to be made, and Nathan had been looking at opportunities for a long time.
    Starting their own logistics business was always a possibility, but the potential to scoop up a company that was in a perilous condition had galvanized him and the team.
    That had meant, however, that he’d operated on less than four hours sleep a night for at least the past several weeks.
    “Mr. Newman has always been honest with the company. Transparency is one of our core values.”
    “So everyone knows that the tugboat captain had a previous accident?”
    She opened her mouth. Before she spoke, she closed it again. “He was exhausted. Had a newborn baby at home.”
    “And?”
    Unflinchingly she met his gaze and asked, “Are you always a cold-hearted bastard, Mr. Donovan?”
    The words hung between them, a challenge more than a question. Any other employee would be fired for insubordination, and he suspected she knew that. But because he needed her, and because of the genuine note of emotion in her voice, he held on to the edges of his fraying temper. “You don’t protect one person at the potential risk of the entire company, Ms. Lane. Perhaps you didn’t learn that in business school?”
    “Not everything is so clear in life. Have you ever given anyone a second chance?”
    “When someone in accounting has an arithmetic error? Sure. But when the risk is this high? Not ever.” He paused momentarily to be certain she understood his position. “When his wife gave birth, Seward could have applied for a leave of absence. There are provisions for that. Paid leave, even. Instead, he took medication to stay awake. His history will come out during the investigation. And because Samuel protected him—and continues to do so—the company could be held liable.”
    Her shoulders slumped.
    “The potential fines may still cripple the company. Seward should have been fired after the first incident. The company has a zero-tolerance policy for drugs and alcohol. Showing leniency sets a bad precedent. As my first act as CEO, I am terminating him. You can let HR know, or I will. Which do you prefer?”
    Her hand shook as she put the cup back on her desk.
    He saw her eyes narrow, barely disguising the anger in them.
    “I’ll do it.” She nudged her chin up.
    “Donovan is taking a risk here. A big fucking one, Ms. Lane.”
    “Don’t expect me or our employees to appreciate that,” she replied infuriatingly. “Painting Mr. Newman as a villain, or inept, will only make you look bad.”
    She was right about that. “So what is your recommendation?” he asked.
    “We’ll say that Mr. Newman realized he had some health issues and wanted to spend more time with his family. You have been working behind the scenes at an effortless transition. The timing had to be ramped up.”
    He nodded.
    “You’re stepping up to help him out. We’ll do our best to make you look good. Like a hero.” She gave a half shrug, as if that weren’t possible. Then without giving him the opportunity to respond, she continued, “At this morning’s meeting, we’ll announce the date of Mr. Newman’s official