But Liam couldn’t. The cries from across the water were impossible to ignore—loud now, angry, like a promise of what was coming. The noise grew louder—engines snarling, voices rising in a guttural chorus that carried over the water. Spray burst into the air as the first boat surged closer, veering sharply at the last second.
Its hull slammed into the side of Aurora’s Wake with a shuddering thud. Liam yelped, stumbling against the rail. One of his cases slid across the deck with a sickening scrape before Ethan caught it with his boot. “Hold on!” Ethan shouted. The impact pushed them sideways, turning the bow just enough to nudge them off course.