another hard blow to the back of her head and the knife was knocked from her hands all too soon. She stumbled slightly, righting herself with a wave of dizziness, but not before the men had once again restrained her.
She had been right: Cecily was really going to be the death of her.
"Bloody pieces of—!" Cecily bellowed, stalking out of the quarters fuming, skirts flying as she raged. "I have had it with ya wretched lot! This—oh!"
She broke off, seeming to notice the atmosphere and scene before her for the first time. The anger that had previously been bursting out of her before disappeared in an instant, replaced by confusion. A confusion that matched Jane's own. What on earth was Cecily doing? The woman clearly had a death wish to come bursting out here, unarmed and unprepared for what was occurring. Fear clamped around Jane's heart cold and restricting, her head ringing with more than just the effects of the blow.
"Stay where you are," Lock commanded, stalking forward. He had his pistol at the ready, aimed directly at Cecily's head. Seemed the man wasn't taking any more chances with the surprises on this ship. As he damn well should.
But Cecily didn't appear to be fearful or even shocked anymore. Instead, her eyes found Lock and it was like her whole persona had changed completely. Her eyes drank in his toned body and greasy hair like he was something she had been waiting for. Then she tilted her head slightly, a heated, sultry look washing over her face as she adjusted her body to play up her attributes the way Jane had seen her do before when trying to garner the attention of a potential client. The way she had done multiple times for Jane herself.
Jane's heart sank even further.
"Well, if ya say so, love," Cecily stated, giving Lock a wicked smile. She ignored Jane completely, not once glancing over at her. Was this a game? Was it a trick, a rouse? Jane wished the woman would give her a sign, anything to dispel her fears. But Cecily refused to take her eyes off Lock and dread and fear warred for dominance in Jane's heart.
"And who might you be, missy?" Lock asked, licking his lips as his eyes roamed unashamed up and down Cecily's scantily-clad body.
"Their fuckin' whore. Not tha' I ever got anythin' for it," she spat, glaring daggers at Jane. And Jane's heart broke. There was no hint of the love or humor that her eyes normally possessed. Only anger and disgust. The Cecily that Jane knew was gone and the whore they had originally thought her to be was all she was.
It had all been a lie.
Jane opened her mouth to call out, but hesitated, still hoping and praying that what she was seeing wasn't true, that she hadn't been played for a fool. An act, that's what it was. Cecily was just acting. She had to be.
But nothing changed in Cecily's eyes, no spark of mischief or defiance or even a semblance of regret. There was only utter disgust as she grimaced at Jane before focusing once more on Lock.
An act, that's all it was. Just an act. It had to be.
"Ya don't want her," Cecily purred, sauntering up to Lock and pulling herself flush against him, running a finger down his chest teasingly. "She's not good for nothin', except bein' a fuckin' bitch. Put up one hell of a fight, she will, and after the day you've had, wha' with takin' this here screechin' board of a ship, it's sure ta be more of a pain than pleasure. But me, I'll take care of ya. Ya can just lie back and let me do all the work." She gazed up at him from beneath her eyelashes, flirting, teasing, giving.
Just an act, just an act, just an act.
Lock grinned down at Cecily, completely taken by her. Jane couldn't blame him. Cecily knew exactly how to make herself desirable.
"That's quite an offer you're making there." Lock stated. His eyes hardened and his hand snatched Cecily's wrist tight. For her part, Cecily barely winced, just resumed looking at him with sultry eyes.
It was then that Jane's conviction that Cecily was acting was renewed. The woman
She had been right: Cecily was really going to be the death of her.
"Bloody pieces of—!" Cecily bellowed, stalking out of the quarters fuming, skirts flying as she raged. "I have had it with ya wretched lot! This—oh!"
She broke off, seeming to notice the atmosphere and scene before her for the first time. The anger that had previously been bursting out of her before disappeared in an instant, replaced by confusion. A confusion that matched Jane's own. What on earth was Cecily doing? The woman clearly had a death wish to come bursting out here, unarmed and unprepared for what was occurring. Fear clamped around Jane's heart cold and restricting, her head ringing with more than just the effects of the blow.
"Stay where you are," Lock commanded, stalking forward. He had his pistol at the ready, aimed directly at Cecily's head. Seemed the man wasn't taking any more chances with the surprises on this ship. As he damn well should.
But Cecily didn't appear to be fearful or even shocked anymore. Instead, her eyes found Lock and it was like her whole persona had changed completely. Her eyes drank in his toned body and greasy hair like he was something she had been waiting for. Then she tilted her head slightly, a heated, sultry look washing over her face as she adjusted her body to play up her attributes the way Jane had seen her do before when trying to garner the attention of a potential client. The way she had done multiple times for Jane herself.
Jane's heart sank even further.
"Well, if ya say so, love," Cecily stated, giving Lock a wicked smile. She ignored Jane completely, not once glancing over at her. Was this a game? Was it a trick, a rouse? Jane wished the woman would give her a sign, anything to dispel her fears. But Cecily refused to take her eyes off Lock and dread and fear warred for dominance in Jane's heart.
"And who might you be, missy?" Lock asked, licking his lips as his eyes roamed unashamed up and down Cecily's scantily-clad body.
"Their fuckin' whore. Not tha' I ever got anythin' for it," she spat, glaring daggers at Jane. And Jane's heart broke. There was no hint of the love or humor that her eyes normally possessed. Only anger and disgust. The Cecily that Jane knew was gone and the whore they had originally thought her to be was all she was.
It had all been a lie.
Jane opened her mouth to call out, but hesitated, still hoping and praying that what she was seeing wasn't true, that she hadn't been played for a fool. An act, that's what it was. Cecily was just acting. She had to be.
But nothing changed in Cecily's eyes, no spark of mischief or defiance or even a semblance of regret. There was only utter disgust as she grimaced at Jane before focusing once more on Lock.
An act, that's all it was. Just an act. It had to be.
"Ya don't want her," Cecily purred, sauntering up to Lock and pulling herself flush against him, running a finger down his chest teasingly. "She's not good for nothin', except bein' a fuckin' bitch. Put up one hell of a fight, she will, and after the day you've had, wha' with takin' this here screechin' board of a ship, it's sure ta be more of a pain than pleasure. But me, I'll take care of ya. Ya can just lie back and let me do all the work." She gazed up at him from beneath her eyelashes, flirting, teasing, giving.
Just an act, just an act, just an act.
Lock grinned down at Cecily, completely taken by her. Jane couldn't blame him. Cecily knew exactly how to make herself desirable.
"That's quite an offer you're making there." Lock stated. His eyes hardened and his hand snatched Cecily's wrist tight. For her part, Cecily barely winced, just resumed looking at him with sultry eyes.
It was then that Jane's conviction that Cecily was acting was renewed. The woman
Similar Books
