by A. C. Arthur
Roslyn shook her head and moved away from the stove. Clasping her hands together she cracked her knuckles and rolled her neck on her shoulders.
He wasn’t supposed to die. She hadn’t really meant to kill him.
It was Henry’s fault. She’d asked him to come, for him to give her the money, but that had never been what this was about. She didn’t want the money without the man. Henry hadn’t come. He’d stayed in Las Vegas with his perfect wife and their perfect children, in that perfect mansion.
Hers! It was all supposed to be hers!
She ran across the room then, grabbing a knife from its stand and turned as if there were someone there to thrust it into. Nobody.
Roslyn turned again, looking, her hand gripping the handle of knife, as she waited. Then she laughed. Of course there was no one there. They were all out, at church. That made her laugh even harder. They went to church to pray for the lies and the pain they’d caused. Albert would lower his head and continue to whisper, “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.” Dane wasn’t his son.
Darla had tried to tell her that, but it was hard to hear as the bitch had gasped for her last breaths. Again, Roslyn’s brain hadn’t told her foot to slam on the gas and ram that rental truck into the back of Darla’s car. Her body had acted all on its own. She smiled again, covering her mouth this time because she didn’t want anyone to hear her giggling. That car accident tore Albert apart. He’d known all along it had been her that killed his wife. Just as that younger brother, the one in Miami, had known she’d killed his little police friend. Those slick ass brothers had known everything all along, but they’d kept their mouths shut.
Well, it was too late for that now.
The secret was out.
Dane was Bernard Donovan’s son.
Bernard!
Not Henry’s.
She let her head fall back and screamed until her body vibrated with the sound. Then she was moving. Going through the house slashing whatever she could with that knife. Pictures, couches, books, mattresses. If it was in front of her she cut it, she broke glass, kicked furniture, and ripped clothes to shreds, all the while crying for what should have been. What could have been her life if those meddling Donovan brothers had never stuck their noses in her business.
She hated them, each and every person with the last name Donovan. She hated them all!
It didn’t matter now. None of it did as Roslyn ran out of the house. She turned back, looking at the palatial estate, a slow smile spreading over her face. None of it mattered anymore.
Finally dropping the knife, Roslyn dug into her pocket and pulled out the paper she’d scribbled the access code to the alarm system on. That had come in handy. She’d picked the lock and walked right into the million dollar home, punching in the code as if she belonged there. Which technically, she did. Balling that paper up, she dropped it to the ground and then reached into her other pocket again. There was a lighter and a pack of matches. Her fingers shook as she held the lighter in one hand, matches in the other. Then she laughed once more, adding a little happy dance this time as her fingers moved eagerly over each item.
She’d broken the kitchen windows. They were too big and let in too much light. Roslyn didn’t like the light very much. It lied to her all the time. Showing her things that weren’t true, that shouldn’t be happening. No, she did not like the light at all. What she did like and what she hadn’t had the opportunity to enjoy in a long time was the quick and potent glint of fire.
Moving her thumb over the top of the lighter she waited to see the first glimmer of fire. When she was younger the sight of fire had set butterflies to dancing in her stomach. As she’d grown older it had taken on a more erotic appeal. That feeling had almost been matched by the time she’d watched the blood dripping from Detective Lucas’s body onto the concrete. Darla’s head bled profusely after the crash. Roslyn’s tongue tingled as she remembered tasting the gooey substance out of curiosity. Death had given her a quick and undeniable high, one she’d never been able to achieve by any of those pills she’d convinced some quack doctors to give her. They had no idea what they were doing, what she needed.
It was this, Roslyn thought as she flicked that lighter again, praying for that spark to appear. She couldn’t rely on her mind. That was screwed up as her family had so politely told her years ago. No, the only thing that ever acted correctly, was her body. See, her thumb flicked over that lighter once more and this time…bingo!
The spark was lit. Roslyn smiled with glee. Licking her lips anxiously she touched the flame from the lighter to the red tipped matches and watched as more color and life exploded before her eyes. Then she was moving, running back towards the house and tossing both the lighter and the matches through the window. With child-like excitement she ran away from the house then, her heart thumping loudly in her chest. Her body moved, legs carrying her fast and far and when that loud boom came, she shivered with pleasure, before dropping to the ground. On her knees Roslyn continued to laugh until she looked over her shoulder and saw the thick cloud of smoke where the house used to be. Then she cried, for every day that Henry had denied her, every second that they could have been together happily in that house.
When her phone rang Roslyn cursed.
“What?” she snapped hastily.
“I’ve got her,” Jaydon said.
Roslyn’s sorrow cleared instantly and her posture straightened as she spoke clearly. “Good. She knows where her cousin is. I want Brynne Donovan and Bailey is going to take me to her, or she can just die like the rest of them.”
***
Continue to the next page to see an updated Donovan Family Tree
The Donovan Family
1st Generation
Elias & Gertrude Donovan – Children: Rowan (m. Adeline) and Charleston (m. Cora)
Rowan & Adeline Donovan – Children: Isaiah (m. Dorethea), Aaron [d] (m. Sondra), Abraham (never married) and Bridgette a.k.a. Birdie (never married)
Charleston & Cora Donovan – Children: Cephus (m. MingLee), Joanna (m. Johnathan Bowers), Katherine (m. Myles Denton), Della (m. Robert Sats)
2nd Generation
Isaiah & Dorethea Donovan – Children: Albert (m. Darla[d]), Henry (m. Beverly), Bernard (m. Jocelyn), Everette (m. Alma), Reginald (m. Carolyn) and Bruce (m. Janean)
Aaron [d] & Sondra – Child: Gabriel (m. Maxine)
Abraham Donovan – Child: Margo (m. Klevon Whitfield)
Birdie Donovan – No Children
3rd Generation
Albert & Darla – Children: Brock (m. Noelle), Brandon (m. Amber) and Bailey
Henry & Beverly – Children: Lincoln (m. Jade), Trenton (m. Tia) and Adam (m. Camille)
Bernard & Mary Lee – Child: Keysa (m. Ian)
Bernard & Jocelyn – Child: Brynne
Everette & Alma – Children: Maxwell (m. Deena) and Benjamin (m. Victoria)
Reginald & Carolyn – Children: Savian (m. Jenise), Parker (Adriana), and Regan (Gavin)
Bruce & Janean – Children: Dion (m. Lyra) and Sean (m. Tate)
Gabriel & Maxine – Children: Roark, Ridgely and Suri
Margo & Klevon – Children: (triplets) Alexis, Adonna and Amelia
**Key: m = married; [d] = deceased
The Donovan Series
The Seniors are listed in order by birth and their children are listed below them (also in order by birth)
Senior – Albert Donovan
Brock & Noelle {Book#4 Full House Seduction}
Brandon & Amber {Book#13 In The Arms Of A Donovan}
Bailey
Senior - Henry & Beverly Donovan
Lincoln & Jade (Children: Twin daughters, Torian & Tamala) {Book#1 Love Me Like No Other}
Trenton & Tia (Child: Son, Trevor) {Book#3 Defying Desire}
Adam & Camille (Children: Sons, Josiah and Jordan) {Book#2 A Cinderella Affair}
Senior – Bernard & Jocelyn Donovan
Keysa & Ian {Book#6 Holiday Hearts}
Brynne
&n
bsp; Senior – Everette & Alma Donovan
Maxwell & Deena (Child: Daughter, Sophia) {Book#5 Touch of Fate}
Benjamin & Victoria (Child: Daughter, Aria) {Book#9 Pleasured By A Donovan}
Senior – Reginald & Carolyn Donovan
Parker & Adriana {Book#11 Embraced By A Donovan}
Savian & Jenise {Book #12 Wrapped In A Donovan}
Regan & Gavin (Child: Son, Raleigh) {Book#10 Heart Of A Donovan}
Senior - Bruce & Janean Donovan
Dion & Lyra (Child: Daughter, Ilyssa) {Book#7 Desire A Donovan}
Sean & Tate (Child: Daughter, Briana) {Book#8 Surrender To A Donovan}
The Donovan Friends
The Desdunes
Lucien & Marie Desdune
Lynette & Brice (Child: Son, Jeremy) {A Christmas Wish - Under the Mistletoe Anthology}
Cole & Loren {Always My Valentine}
Samuel & Karena (Child: Son, Elijah) {Summer Heat}
Sabrina & Lorenzo (Children: Daughters, Delia & Desirae, Son, Daniel) {Guarding His Body}
The Bennetts
Marvin & Beatriz Bennett
Alexander & Monica {Winter Kisses}
Ricardo & Eva {Always In My Heart}
Lorenzo & Sabrina (Children: Daughters, Delia & Desirae, Son, Daniel) {Guarding His Body}
Adriana & Parker {Embraced By A Donovan}
Gabriella
The Lakefields
Paul & Noreen Lakefield
Monica & Alexander {Winter Kisses}
Karena & Samuel (Child: Son, Elijah) {Summer Heat}
Deena & Maxwell (Child: Daughter, Sophia) {Book#5 Touch of Fate}
Books in reading order:
Love Me Like No Other
A Cinderella Affair
Guarding His Body
Defying Desire
Full House Seduction
Touch of Fate
Summer Heat
Winter Kisses
Holiday Hearts
Desire A Donovan
Surrender To A Donovan
Pleasured By A Donovan
Heart Of A Donovan
A Christmas Wish
Always My Valentine
Embraced By A Donovan
Wrapped In A Donovan
Always In My Heart
In The Arms Of A Donovan
Falling For A Donovan (coming soon)
Destiny of A Donovan (coming soon)
