The tall man’s smile widened—not warm, not kind. The kind of smile that made Liam’s stomach drop. Ethan’s jaw clenched. He knew exactly what they’d come for. The deck felt unbearably small with the four men on it. Their presence filled every corner, their movements confident, assured.
Liam sat rigid on the bench, the ropes of fear tightening around his chest until he could barely draw breath. The tall pirate lingered near Ethan, his gaze fixed and unblinking. He didn’t shout again—he didn’t need to. His silence was a weight of its own, pressing down on both of them. One of the others paced slowly past Liam, the soles of his wet boots thudding against the wood.