Outside, rapid, heavy footsteps began heading directly toward our door.

The silver doorknob began to turn.

Liam lunged forward, throwing his entire weight against the heavy wooden door just as the brass handle began to click downward.

He jammed his thumb against the deadbolt, forcing it into place, but the mechanism groaned under the sudden pressure from the other side.

“Get the bag, Claire,” Liam whispered, his voice dangerously calm.

I struggled to sit up, but a sharp, stabbing heat flared in my fractured ribs, forcing a gasp from my throat.

On the bedside table, right next to a plastic pitcher of water, lay my black leather shoulder bag.

Inside it was the encrypted external hard drive containing the complete ledger of Ethan’s shell companies.

“I have it,” I managed to say, my fingers wrapping around the cold leather strap.

My hand shook so violently that the water pitcher rattled against the metal tray.

Liam scanned the dark room, his eyes adjusting to the green, rhythmic glow of my vital monitors.

He reached for the heavy steel crash cart parked against the wall.