Page 81 of Shattered By the Currents

“Looks like it.”

“What does that have to do with Raven?”

“Her signature is everywhere.” Ethan turned back to the screen and pulled up a few different documents. “Bank authorization forms. Business loan applications. Vendor agreements. She’s also listed as a minority owner.”

Connor was shaking his head before his friend finished speaking. “She couldn’t have known what she was signing. Either that, or he forged her signature.”

Ethan pulled up another account. “This is a joint account she shares with her fiancé. A savings account in her name. There are small but regular deposits made so they don’t trigger alerts.”

The fuck?

“I also looked into the shop’s biggest ‘clients.’ Companies with no real employees. Mailing addresses to P.O. boxes or empty offices. Companies that were incorporated shortly before payments began.”

“So the shop isn’t just laundering. It’s actively fabricating businesses.”

“Yep. I’m going to keep digging. I’ll find out what I can to prove her innocence, but you need to talk to her about this.”

Connor’s mind spun a million miles an hour. Shewasinnocent. Of course she was.

You thought Margaret was innocent too.

The voice in his head felt like a gut punch.

“You okay?” Ethan asked.

“When I was told about Margaret, I didn’t believe it. She wasn’t that person. And when she told me she was innocent, I didn’t question her.” He frowned. “But then the evidence proved shewasguilty, and it was only when she was backed into a corner that she told the truth.”

“Margaret and Raven are two different people.”

“When I told Raven about Margaret being involved in illegal activities, I swear I saw fear in her eyes.” He forced his gaze from the screen to his friend. “Do you think that’s an odd reaction if she’s innocent?”

It took Ethan a second to respond. “I don’t know.”

“Her signatures are all over this illegal business.” Connor took a moment before voicing the next part, fucking hating thewords that came out of his mouth. “There’s a chance she was an equal partner. But maybe something happened. She tried to get out and he did something. Hurt someone she cared about. If it’s true…I don’t know if I can do that again.” Connor almost spoke the words to himself. “Margaret told me,promised me,that she wasn’t involved in her father’s crimes. And I believed her.”

“Because you loved her.”

Connor’s frown deepened. “What if how I feel about Raven is clouding my judgment?”

“You need to talk to her, Connor.”

He could have laughed. “I’ve tried. The number of times I’ve asked her,begged her,to tell me what happened between her and Xander… She won’t.” He shot to his feet, the room suddenly feeling too small. “I’ve got to go.” Where, exactly, he had no fucking clue. Home? To Raven?

“Connor—”

“Thanks for looking into this.”

The drive from Ethan’s was a blur. He canceled his run with Joel, but only because he didn’t feel like running with someone else. Not today.

He went to the old firehouse. The place was quiet, but then, of course it was, it was a Saturday. No one was here.

He turned his phone off, shoved in his earbuds, and walked into the forest. Then he ran. Sprinted so hard he exhausted his body. Pounded his feet so hard into the ground that his legs began to ache.

He wanted to trust Raven. But how was he supposed to do that when she wouldn’t be honest with him? He wanted to bring her into his world and be part of hers, but he didn’t know what her world was.

When he eventually returned to the firehouse, his lungs burned. But he didn’t stop there. He jumped straight into theworkout room, donned his gloves, and started to hit the bag—loud, angry punches.

This was it. This was the point where he needed the truth. He needed her to tell him that she’d had no idea about Xander’s money-laundering business. That he’d tricked her into signing those documents. And then he needed to make the choice—trust her or let her go.