and under whom he served, when he had met Captain Lock. But despise the rumors that surrounded her and the questions he had been asked, Jane had ordered him to not divulge anything.
"You know, I didn't believe it when I first heard," Lock stated, lowering his weapon as he laughed. Confidence oozed from him as he began to pace in front of Jane, the rest of his crew keeping their pistols at the ready, trained on her and her crew. Jane purposefully kept her eyes on him, not wanting to see the bodies that now littered the deck around her. "The infamous Captain Avery, a woman, captaining her own ship. Thought it… farfetched. Had to see it for myself."
A few seconds passed before he was standing before her once again. He took a step closer, much to Jane's displeasure and swept the muzzle of his pistol through her hair, brushing a lock of it behind her shoulder.
Jane batted the pistol aside, but it seemed Lock had anticipated the move. A rough, calloused hand clamped around her wrist and she was jerked forward, only to be stopped by the sweaty, rank body of Lock himself.
"And it is a sweet sight to behold," he purred, gazing at her predatorily as he wrapped one arm around her torso and comfortably settled the other on her shoulder, so the muzzle of his pistol brushed against her temple. His crew laughed behind him, but whether it was at his proclamation or her obvious displeasure, Jane didn't care.
She stood still, refusing to let Lock intimidate her, even as his hold on her wrist tightened painfully. Instead, she asked coldly, "What do you want?"
"Many things, my sweet," he cooed, leaning down to sniff at her hair and neck. She pulled away sharply, as far as she could. He retreated, but didn't release his hold on her.
"But for now, I'll start with the return of my goods that are currently stashed in your hold." The predatory glint in his eye was back.
Jane just chuckled. "We have nothing of yours."
"Oh, yes, you do. That ship you sank a few weeks ago? That was my merchant. Need to be prepared for this war I've been hearing so much about. And I do enjoy a good rouse, especially if it makes the Royal Navy look like fools." He gazed back toward his idled ship and the Navy flag still waving innocently at the top, before looking back down at Jane and flashing a grin. "But I'm sure you know that by now."
"Yes, I certainly do. And how cowardly you are, hiding behind a flag."
Jane watched as Lock grit his teeth. Obviously, he wasn't too fond of being called cowardly. But he reined back his cool and sneered at her. "Ah, but it works. Makes fools of you all, enemy and brethren alike."
"There is only one fool here, and it is not I."
"We shall see about that." Lock promised in a low whisper. Then he straightened, his voice louder so those surrounding them could overhear, "But I'm afraid I'll be needing recompense for the goods that are now rusting at the bottom of the ocean. Those twelve-pounders were hard to come by."
"Then you might as well learn to swim, Captain ," Jane said matter-of-factly. "The ocean floor is a long way down."
Chuckles of laughter sounded from her captive crew, a few noises of scuffles, and the sound of flesh hitting flesh as her crew got out of hand and fought back. But they were soon subdued once more, and Lock narrowed his eyes at her. A brief flash of anger marred his face before his confident façade once again took up residence.
Before she could even blink, a stinging pain emanated from her cheek and her head was thrown to the side from the force of the blow. "Like I said," Jane said casually, straightening back up and staring back into Lock's eyes, "Cowardly. Slapping a fellow pirate instead of challenging them." She clicked her tongue a few times, shaking her head at his antics.
"I don't need to challenge you. I have already won."
"If that's what you believe."
This time it was the butt of the gun that made contact with the side of her head. The blow was hard, causing her knees to buckle
"You know, I didn't believe it when I first heard," Lock stated, lowering his weapon as he laughed. Confidence oozed from him as he began to pace in front of Jane, the rest of his crew keeping their pistols at the ready, trained on her and her crew. Jane purposefully kept her eyes on him, not wanting to see the bodies that now littered the deck around her. "The infamous Captain Avery, a woman, captaining her own ship. Thought it… farfetched. Had to see it for myself."
A few seconds passed before he was standing before her once again. He took a step closer, much to Jane's displeasure and swept the muzzle of his pistol through her hair, brushing a lock of it behind her shoulder.
Jane batted the pistol aside, but it seemed Lock had anticipated the move. A rough, calloused hand clamped around her wrist and she was jerked forward, only to be stopped by the sweaty, rank body of Lock himself.
"And it is a sweet sight to behold," he purred, gazing at her predatorily as he wrapped one arm around her torso and comfortably settled the other on her shoulder, so the muzzle of his pistol brushed against her temple. His crew laughed behind him, but whether it was at his proclamation or her obvious displeasure, Jane didn't care.
She stood still, refusing to let Lock intimidate her, even as his hold on her wrist tightened painfully. Instead, she asked coldly, "What do you want?"
"Many things, my sweet," he cooed, leaning down to sniff at her hair and neck. She pulled away sharply, as far as she could. He retreated, but didn't release his hold on her.
"But for now, I'll start with the return of my goods that are currently stashed in your hold." The predatory glint in his eye was back.
Jane just chuckled. "We have nothing of yours."
"Oh, yes, you do. That ship you sank a few weeks ago? That was my merchant. Need to be prepared for this war I've been hearing so much about. And I do enjoy a good rouse, especially if it makes the Royal Navy look like fools." He gazed back toward his idled ship and the Navy flag still waving innocently at the top, before looking back down at Jane and flashing a grin. "But I'm sure you know that by now."
"Yes, I certainly do. And how cowardly you are, hiding behind a flag."
Jane watched as Lock grit his teeth. Obviously, he wasn't too fond of being called cowardly. But he reined back his cool and sneered at her. "Ah, but it works. Makes fools of you all, enemy and brethren alike."
"There is only one fool here, and it is not I."
"We shall see about that." Lock promised in a low whisper. Then he straightened, his voice louder so those surrounding them could overhear, "But I'm afraid I'll be needing recompense for the goods that are now rusting at the bottom of the ocean. Those twelve-pounders were hard to come by."
"Then you might as well learn to swim, Captain ," Jane said matter-of-factly. "The ocean floor is a long way down."
Chuckles of laughter sounded from her captive crew, a few noises of scuffles, and the sound of flesh hitting flesh as her crew got out of hand and fought back. But they were soon subdued once more, and Lock narrowed his eyes at her. A brief flash of anger marred his face before his confident façade once again took up residence.
Before she could even blink, a stinging pain emanated from her cheek and her head was thrown to the side from the force of the blow. "Like I said," Jane said casually, straightening back up and staring back into Lock's eyes, "Cowardly. Slapping a fellow pirate instead of challenging them." She clicked her tongue a few times, shaking her head at his antics.
"I don't need to challenge you. I have already won."
"If that's what you believe."
This time it was the butt of the gun that made contact with the side of her head. The blow was hard, causing her knees to buckle
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