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He was leaving this ship? Sophia pushed the hatch higher, needing to seelimp and tattered from his frame His loose posture was one of exhaustion But even froe point, she could tell his expression was all seriousness Her lungs seized He couldn’t be thinking to leave her again He hadn’t even dealt with her yet

Mallory sneered "You ain, this time in Gray’s face

Gray sloiped his face on his shredded cuff The two , swared silence, Sophia heard the sound of knuckles cracking Then suddenly, Gray stood down As he always did, he stole the advantage with a shrug and a lazy smile If I don’t care about you, that look said, you can’t possibly hurtto hate that look

"Mallory," he began on a tone of false conciliation, "by all s the easy way It would be a shame for this to turn violent" His voice darkened a shade "I don’t like violence"

He swung around to face Joss "Send a party of ableit with sails You take the wounded on into port, and we’ll limp behind as best we can We’ll meet up in Road Town"

"No!" Sophia threw open the hatch and stu Mallory’s protest with her own "Gray, you are not leaving ain I won’t let you"

His face was hard, unreadable as he quickly scanned her appearance

"What the devil are you doing on deck?"

"What a? What are …" Her voice trailed off as she noticed the lascivious leer Mallory was dragging up and down her body Sophia crossed her arined from his voice, and thinner But no less repulsive

"Well, well," he clucked, narrow-set eyes peering at her around a hooked nose "If she stays with this ship, ICan’t say I’d turn down a taste of that tart"

Her cheeks burning, Sophia turned to Gray To her horror, she watched as his mouth tipped in a smirk Almost a smile Curse him, he even chuckled as he strolled back across the deck to face Mallory Was that how he saw her now, too? As a tart? Just another of his countless paraht back in that seedy tavern on the Gravesend quay, when she’d entleman--and he’d looked at her and seen only a bit of skirt

"Mr Mallory," he said, striking his habitual pose of arrogant swagger, "I’d like to thank you"

"For what?"

"For givingthe full force of his body behind the blow The punch connected with Mallory’s jaw, sending hiainst the ship’s rail Before Sophia could even draw breath, Gray hit hi a solid blow to the storoan, Mallory doubled over his boots and crumpled to the deck

"I told you, I don’t like violence," Gray forced out, shaking his hand as he stood over Mallory’s writhing for it"

Sophia’s knees e of the raised hatch for support Tears stung her eyes, although she wasn’t at all certain who or what she cried for

"Put hi his attention fro It’s not big enough for two"

"Well, I can’t have this cur aboard the Kestrel He knows the vessel too well, ht find some way to influence the crew" Gray looked to his brother

"I’ll take Brackett with me"

Joss nodded "You’ll need a few able seamen as well" He turned to O’Shea

The burly Irishman smiled "I’m in"

"You’re first mate, then," Gray said He rubbed the back of his neck as he circled the whiure on the deck "I’ll need Bailey, for sails and carpentry And Davy, if you can spare him Their cook was killed in the blast, so I’ll need soe the stores and pass around biscuit now and then"

"Then you’d best take a few of the goats, too," Joss said "Stubb can’t do thehimself, not ounded men to tend"

Gray nodded

Sophia choked on a sob Here he stood readying to leave the ship, oats and even that horrid Mr Brackett … and ignoring her colance in her direction since Mallory’s insult

She sniffed loudly, wiping away tears with the back of one hand Fool girl, she chided herself Hadn’t she vowed just o that she would not cry?

"Get below" The words could only be aze "Pack your things"

The captain shot Sophia a worried glance, then addressed his brother in soleood idea She’d be much safer aboard the Aphrodite"

"I know," Gray said "But I can’t leave her" It was hardly a pledge of tenderness or e the

"Are you certain?" Joss asked

"I can’t leave her," Gray repeated Irony crept over his face, like the shadow of a passing cloud "I gave my word"

Sophia stepped toward hi eyes finallythat look, nor the blunted steel in his voice Hands tre and mind awhirl, Sophia went below