Ethan didn’t flinch, though his knuckles whitened where his hand rested on the rail. “They’re not rushing,” he said quietly, more to himself than to Liam. “They know we can’t go anywhere.” Liam swallowed hard. The realization crushed what little hope he’d clung to—the pirates weren’t in a hurry because they had all the time in the world.
Then came the first hollow thud. A heavy boot landing square on Aurora’s Wake’s deck. Liam’s eyes snapped to Ethan, terror plain across his face. Ethan didn’t move. He just drew in a slow breath, steadying himself for what was coming next. More boots hit the deck in quick succession, each impact shaking through the wooden planks.