“Where’s your protector?” he murmured, stepping in too close. Rough fingers slipped through a lock of her hair.
She jerked her head back and swatted his hand away. “Leave me alone.”
He laughed. “You wound me. Just think what goodacquaintanceswe could make.”
His arm snaked out, fingers digging into her flesh. She tried to twist away but his other hand slid around her waist, fingers splaying across her hip as he leaned in, breath hot and foul.
“You’ve got spirit,” he said, dragging her from the crate and a half-step toward him. “That’ll make it more fun.”
She stiffened, bile rising in her throat. The ship went still as conversations faded and footsteps slowed. But no one stepped forward. Why should they? They were pirates. She was nothing but an object intheir eyes. Her limbs trembled as he twisted toward the main hatch.
“Get your hands off her.” Isaac’s words came from behind her, low and lethal.
Burke yanked her against his chest. “Guess what, sailor?” He spit the last word like an insult. “You don’t get any special privileges on this ship. This pretty little doxy’s no longer yours alone—any of us can have a turn.”
A fist blurred past Josephine’s face and crashed into Burke’s jaw. The pirate stumbled back with a grunt, releasing her as Isaac surged forward, teeth bared. Burke retaliated with an elbow into Isaac’s ribs. But Isaac didn’t falter. He sidestepped the next punch and struck again, his fist splitting Burke’s nose with a crack. Blood sprayed, and still they kept swinging at each other. Josephine couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. This wasn’t a fight either man intended to lose.
She scrambled out of the way as the scuffle spilled across the deck. The two men grappled like animals, slamming into barrels and rigging, boots scraping over the planks.
With a roar, Burke drew his cutlass, the steel hissing through the air. Isaac ducked the first swing and caught Burke’s wrists, wrenching the blade wide. After a vicious twist, the weapon clattered to the deck between them. Isaac drove his shoulder into the pirate’s chest, shoving him back into the railing. While the man fought to keep his balance, Isaac’s hands wrapped around the pirate’s throat and forced him down to the deck.
Veins bulged in Isaac’s forearms as he bore down, muscles straining. Burke thrashed beneath him, gasping, face darkening as Isaac pressed harder. Josephine’s breath caught as the pirate’s eyes began to roll back in his head.
A shadow moved. Another pirate. Sunlight flared off a drawn dagger—aimed straight for Isaac’s back.
“No—!” Josephine lunged forward, diving for the fallen cutlass. Her fingers closed around the worn hilt, swinging the blade up toblock him. Not fast enough. Fire lanced through her shoulder as the dagger grazed flesh.
She cried out but didn’t fall back. Didn’t let go. Arms shaking, she held the cutlass high and glared into the man’s eyes. The pirate hesitated, eyes flicking next to her.
Isaac stepped forward, his gaze locked on him. “Back off,” he growled.
The man looked left and right. Narrowed his eyes. He shifted his weight, readying for a strike.
“Enough!” The deep voice cracked like a whip.
Thorne stood outside his cabin, his eyes hard as iron. Every movement on deck stilled as the captain strode forward. The crew fell silent, eyes darting between the pirate and the combatants.
“Damn it, Thorne, control your men. I thought you ran a tight ship.” Isaac snarled the words as Burke groaned and staggered to his feet.
Thorne marched over, his eyes narrowed. “I do.”
His arm snaked out, lightning fast and Burke doubled over, his mouth gaping open in a wordless scream. When the captain yanked his hand back, a dagger gleamed in his hand. Blood dripped from it, splattering to the deck in fat drops.
Josephine’s eyes widened as a red stain spread over the sailor’s shirt. He raised his hands, clutching his chest as he wheezed. He staggered back one step. Another. Hit the railing. Thorne followed him and twisted his hand in the man’s shirt collar. He leaned in close and muttered something in Burke’s ear before giving him a violent shove.
Josephine twisted away, but a heavy splash rang in her ears. The sea swallowed Burke without ceremony. No one moved. No one spoke.
A gull cried overhead.
Thorne wiped the blade on his trousers and slid it away. “As I said,I don’t tolerate disobedience.”
Josephine’s heart pounded at the chilling calm in his voice. She took a step back, but her knees buckled, sending her to the deck.
“You’re hurt.” Isaac knelt and tore a strip from his shirt. He pressed it to her stinging shoulder and she bit back a gasp.
“I’m fine.” She gritted her teeth. “It’s just a scratch.”
He stilled, eyes locking with hers. “You could have been killed.”
