Page 46 of Pirate

A large hand on her shoulder had her turning to see Steel behind her. “The ladies were looking for you. Why don’t you head on down to Harper’s room? I’ll deal with this.”

She wanted to argue—she was so fucking pissed at both men—but chose not to. She needed to cool off before she said something she would regret. Which, for her, was showing some serious restraint.

“Fine.” Looking over her shoulder at Pirate, she added, “If Carlos arrests you, I’m not bailing you out. Serves you right.”

At least Pirate had the decency to appear ashamed by his actions. Jumper was currently holding him back with a tight grip on his upper arms. Pirate hung his head and mumbled the most half-assed apology she’d ever heard.

Sophia just shook her head and stormed off. What the fuck had Pirate been thinking? What would cause him to go after Carlos like that? It couldn’t have been because Carlos had knocked on the door. Pirate wasn’t the hotheaded sort of guy.

Pausing at the end of the hallway, Sophia closed her eyes and let out a long groan. If this was about what she’d told Pirate the night before, she was going tokillhim.

Carlos and Piratewere taken to the same exam room. Steel refused to separate them, telling the men that if they chose to act like children then they could sit in timeout while he went to fetch a nurse.

Carlos went into one of the cabinets. He continued down them until he found one of those quick-cold packs. Slapping it down on the counter a couple of times to break open the chemical packets inside, he raised it to his swollen eye that would no doubt be colorful the next day.

“Want to explain to me what the fuck just happened?” he demanded.

Pirate leaned back onto the exam table. His ribs hurt like hell. “Throw me one of those, would you?”

Carlos hesitated long enough that Pirate thought he was going to refuse. Then he threw the ice pack he’d had on his eye to Pirate. He caught it, wincing as his ribs protested the quick move. Supposed he deserved that. Pirate placed the ice pack on his side as Carlos went into the cabinet to pull out a second one.

The tension in the room could have been cut with a knife.

Finally, Pirate let out a long sigh. “Sorry, man. I really don’t know what came over me.”

Carlos looked at him with his good eye. “Never took you to be the fist-throwing type.”

“I’m not usually.”

“So what changed?” When Pirate remained silent, Carlos grunted. “Look, man, as someone who’s recently had a battle with his own green-eyed monster, can I give you a little advice?” Pirate shrugged but still didn’t say anything. “Figure out thecause and then nip it in the bud. Before whatever you’re battling tears you apart from the inside out.”

Pirate’s face tightened. “I’m not battling anything. That I know of, at least.”

Carlos gave him a very pointed look. “Really?” His voice was full of skepticism. “You can’t think of a single thing? So what, the punch to my face was just random?”

“I really am sorry, man. I have no idea what that was.”

“Clearly it has to do with Sophia. How long have the two of you been dating? It must be new because I didn’t know about it.”

Pirate shook his head automatically. “We’re not dating.”

“So you were just checking her tonsils with your tongue while doing the dance with no pants?”

Pirate couldn’t help the dry chuckle that escaped him. “To be honest, man, I have no idea what we are.”

“You’re sleeping together.” Carlos said it as a statement, not a question.

Pirate nodded. “Have been for months but we’re not, you know,together.”

“Are you sure?”

His mind on the damn marriage certificate he’d been handed on that pirate ship in the San Francisco Bay, Pirate nodded. “Yeah. We’re just fucking.”

Though he’d been thinking that phrase for months now, this was the first time he’d said it out loud. And damn if it didn’t leave a sour taste in his mouth.

Carlos studied him around the ice pack. “Are you sure? You don’t seem sure.”

Pirate snapped his head towards his friend. “I’m sure.”

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