“You let them launder their money through the riverside development,” I said.

“They needed clean assets, I needed liquid capital,” Ethan said. “It was a perfect partnership.”

“And the FBI?” I asked. “Do they know about your partners?”

Ethan laughed out loud this time, a booming sound that echoed in the empty room.

“The local field office has been looking the other way for five years,” Ethan said. “The Assistant Director is a personal friend of my attorney.”

He reached out and grabbed my chin, his fingers digging into my jaw.

The pain was a sharp reminder of the night he had cornered me in our hallway.

“You are completely alone, Claire,” Ethan whispered.

I didn’t pull away.

I looked past his shoulder at Liam, who was watching me with a mixture of terror and resolve.

“Nobody is coming to save you,” Ethan said. “Not your brother, not the police, and certainly not the law.”

“You really think you’re untouchable,” I said, my voice muffled by his grip on my jaw.

“I know I am,” Ethan said.

He released his grip, shoving my head back slightly.