Indignation overwhelmed her when she saw the other pirate examining the clothes she'd hung on the chairs the night before. "Get away from my clothes. I assure you they won't fit you."
The scarred-cheek pirate laughed at his friend's red face. She didn't care. But she couldn't get out of bed with the pirates in the room. She noticed that the door was wide-open. A thoughtless mistake on their part? Or was there a guard out there again?
Her shoulders slumped when she saw a man's arm wave across the opening as whoever was out there stretched, likely bored with his duty. So she glanced about the room as she wondered why Bastard wasn't in it.
The drapes had been drawn open to let in the morning sun, and a tray of food was on the table. But nothing explained why two pirates were loitering in the room with her. If she was to have in-room guards now as well as one at the door, something must be amiss. With Bastard? If his wound was worse than he'd let on and he'd collapsed, they'd tell her, wouldn't they? Maybe not.
"What are you doing in here?" she asked.
"Changing the cap'n's bedding," the embarrassed one said belatedly, heading to the bed to do that.
"We are?" The other one looked confused.
"Get o'er here and help," his friend ordered.
She watched them for a moment yanking at the sheets before she raised her brow and asked the man in an amused tone, "So he has servants now?"
They both glanced at her at once, though only for a second before getting back to their supposed task, although Scar Face mumbled, "Not bleeding likely."
The other volunteered, "We help as needed, and just now it is. The captain doesn't need to be doing this in his condition-thanks to you."
"He probably won't appreciate your babying him just because of a little wound." Jack shrugged carelessly. "But make sure you tell him you changed his bedding. I don't want him to think I did it. Does he even know you're in here?"
At least one of them revealed a little nervousness at her guess, but it was nothing compared to the near panic he displayed when Bastard walked in. The captain was more than a little angry as he approached both men. One man made a wide circle around him and bolted out of the room. Scar Face backed away more slowly. He appeared more annoyed than afraid that he'd gotten caught.
///
"You know you aren't allowed in my cabin." A furious undertone was in Bastard's voice. "And how did you get in?"
"Followed the boy in with the food."
"If it happens again, you'll think Catherine's paramour had it lightly."
"No need for threats like that." The pirate displayed a little wariness now. "We just wanted to make sure you didn't damage the hellcat what stabbed you last night. Protecting our interests is all."
"Next time ask. Get out."
Bastard's anger didn't dissipate as the second pirate vacated the cabin. Jacqueline was fascinated by what she was witnessing. Not only was Bastard bare chested, his jaw was hardened, his shoulders tensed, and he was flexing the muscles in his arms as if he were itching to inflict mayhem on the pirates. She blushed a little, but only because his leaving his cabin like that, exposing the bloody bandage wrapped around his torso, let his whole crew see exactly what she'd done to him, if they hadn't already been told about it.
When his eyes moved to her, she saw the stormy expression in them. Sitting there with the blanket held up to her neck, she was hesitant to say anything because she wasn't at all familiar with this side of the man. But as he stared at her, his anger seemed to ease, and finally the tension left his body, too.
He crossed back to the door and closed it, telling her, "My men won't bother you again, but if anyone other than Mort or my cabin boy enters the cabin when I'm not here, you have my permission to raise hell."
"As in?"
"Scream really loud until I show up."
She raised a brow. "How many times do I get to cry wolf before it doesn't work anymore?"
"I'm serious."
"You don't think I'll do it just to see you come running?"
"I don't think you're stupid, no."
"But it would be interesting!"
He gave her a hard look, but it wasn't the least bit intimidating after what she'd just witnessed. He seemed more like the man she knew, which meant she could resume her usual goading.
She did wonder why a degree of disgust had been in his voice when he'd called those two pirates "my men," but she merely pointed out, "Your crewmen don't seem very happy to take orders from you. Why is that?"