She mentioned federal warrants.

“You ruined everything,” Kane said, his teeth clenched.

“You did that yourself when you touched my family,” I said.

The wind outside seemed to grow louder, or perhaps the silence in the cabin had simply deepened.

Down the harbor channel, a faint, rhythmic sound began to rise over the gale.

It was the distant wail of emergency sirens.

They were not the muffled sirens of a routine patrol.

These were the heavy, multi-tone sirens of a full-force response.

“They are coming for you, Everett,” I said.

Kane looked at Marcus, then at the other two guards near the doorway.

“Get the boat moving,” Kane ordered.

“We leave the dock now.”

“We cannot, sir,” the pilot’s voice came over the intercom.

“The harbor entrance is blocked.”

“Two police cruisers just pulled onto the main pier.”

Kane’s eyes darted around the cabin like a trapped animal.

The refined philanthropist was gone.

In his place stood a desperate man who knew his kingdom was crumbling.

He looked at Isabella, then down at the floor where Eli’s hand was still visible.

“Take them,” Kane whispered to Marcus.