Page 121 of The Worst of Them

A surprised laugh burst from her. “So romantic.”

“You didn’t let me finish.” His heady gaze moved to the bruise on her collarbone. “I was going to say you have chicken shit on your sleeve, so it’s probably best you remove your shirt.”

She pursed her lips with a thoughtful hum. “In front of everyone?”

“In private, of course.” His fingers pressed into the small of her back. “But if you insist on having an audience, I’ll happily recommend myself. I have a rapt attention and a hands-on approach.”

Her cheeks burned hotter. Jack’s grin widened, turning from seductive to thoroughly entertained.

“My word, you’re so easy to bother,” he said, his voice closer to normal. He swept a finger over her cheek. “Your face was halfway to red before I even touched you.”

She gave his shoulder a light shove, not hard enough to send him tumbling off the ship, but enough to make him hold on to her tighter. “Ruin me more, Jack, and I’ll blush less.”

His lips quirked in dissent. “I like your blush. And you’re not ruined. You never were.”

Gladness threaded around her heart. She brushed long strands of golden hair away from his face, moving her fingers through the soft locks until they reached the nape of his neck. “That’s not what I meant, but thank you.”

“I know. But since you’re mine, I resent any suggestion you’re less than worthy of the world, and I feel terribly compelled to defend you.” He snapped his teeth at her wrist, and as soon as she dropped her hands, he said, “I saw you speaking with the captain. I’m surprised you let each other live. Was it a productive conversation?”

“I think we’re actually well on our way to friendship,” she said. “You never told me how amenable he is.”

A sardonic smirk. “What’d he want?”

“To welcome me to the family.”

“That didn’t look the least bit welcoming. Try again.”

With a laugh, she asked, “What do you think he said?”

“Fickle hearts,” he said without pause. “Youth.”

“And he doesn’t need to know what Robin told me about the map.” She shook her head, glad, at the very least, that she wasn’t the only one subjected to Copson’s judgment. “I don’t believe him.”

“I don’t either,” Jack agreed. “But I also wouldn’t put it past him to take us both for fools⁠—”

“It’s unfair, ya know,” came a voice from behind Cecily. She looked over her shoulder to see Fiero standing no more than two paces away, his face twisted in fury.

He was the only one who hadn’t bothered to hide his contempt for what Jack had done the day before. While the women had merely gone quiet and cast their gazes away from Cecily, Fiero was louder in his grief, bemoaning Morgyn’s absence short of calling it unfair—short of doing anything that might attract Copson’s wrath after Jack had justified the decision to be rid of her before everyone.

It seemed, however, that his wisdom was to be short lived.

“Don’t be a fool,” Jack warned. He shifted forward, stepping down off the rail.

“Nah,” Fiero said. “It ain’t fair, you flaunting your girl after you killed mine.”

Jack pushed past Cecily to stand before the pirate. Though the first mate was tall, Fiero still managed to dwarf him.

“I didn’t see you step in to save her,” Jack said. “You could have. At the very least, you might’ve encouraged her to jump and gone with her, and we would have released you gladly.”

“You would’a killed me if I’d stepped up,” Fiero grumbled. “Unfairly, just like Morgyn.”

“You’re an idiot,” Jack sneered. “Not only for not having listened to a word I said, but for challenging me on it.”

Fiero was shaking his head before he finished speaking, his gaze going to Cecily over the Jack’s shoulder. “She tried to kill Morgyn.”

“Not on this ship,” Jack said. Cecily had told him about her time in Bridewell, and how she’d attempted to murder Morgyn on that first day. But that had been the only time.

“Morgyn didn’t do anything to your girl on this ship either,” Fiero spat. “And I ain’t scared of no Copson boy, so I’ll kill your bitch, then I’ll come for you⁠—”