Sean grimaced. “No.”
A surge of satisfaction filled him—much to his dismay. “Well, you should,” he said. Devlin touched his throbbing jaw. “I expected the blow of a boy.”
“I am not a boy anymore. Why did you have to surprise us?” Clearly Sean did not want to discuss bedding Virginia Hughes.
“So it is an ‘us’?” he asked quickly.
Sean grimaced. “I care deeply for her, Devlin, but no, there is no us. You hurt her terribly when you left. She needed warning, not I.”
“Somehow I am not sure I believe that,” Devlin said, staring closely at him.
“You can believe whatever it is that you wish to,” Sean said roughly. “I am only her friend.”
“You don’t look at her like a man looks at his friend,” Devlin remarked.
“And you may pretend indifference toward her but I can smell the lust,” Sean retorted with anger.
“You are so wrong,” Devlin said softly, but they both knew it was a huge lie. “And I do not want to argue with you. You’re my brother. We are on the same side.”
“We are not on the same side anymore, not when you have done this. Free her, Devlin, let this ransom go. Free her and leave Askeaton.”
“I can’t. I’m taking her to Wideacre tomorrow.”
Sean’s face tightened. “If you hurt her again, I will kill you.”
Devlin stared, trying to decide if Sean meant it, if he could love Virginia so much that he would put her ahead of his family.
Sean flushed.
A terrible silence descended.
“I do hope you did not mean that,” Devlin finally said. “After the ransom, she can return here—to you.”
“I meant it. I suggest you stick your cock elsewhere.”
Devlin smiled, but it felt like a grimace. He wandered the room now, very disturbed. This was what he wanted, he tried to remind himself, a match between Sean and Virginia, but now, his reminder was hollow and so obviously a pretense. Hehatedthe idea of them together, no matter how he fought that hate. But then, hatred was what he knew—and did—best.
Finally he sighed and sat down. If Virginia decided to return to Askeaton to be with Sean after her ransom, he would give them his blessing, pretense or not. “You know, I have spent the past three months patrolling the coast of Spain by day and preying upon the few remaining French privateers by night. We seized four ships in that span of time, four ships and eight hundred in crew.”
“Are you making a point?”
Devlin glanced at him. “Yes, I am. In all that time, I never spared a single thought for Virginia. Out of sight, out of mind.” He did not tell Sean how much discipline that had taken.
“How proud of yourself you must be.”
Devlin met his brother’s stony gaze. “I am sorry I did what I did. My regret is vast.”
“Then maybe you should tell her that!”
Devlin started. “And what would that accomplish?”
Sean snorted in disgust. “What would it accomplish? You broke her heart. Perhaps you can help to mend it!”
“Sean, I beg to differ. I could not possibly break her heart. She is my prisoner—not my lover.”
“Now I beg to differ. She is in love with you,” Sean said.
Devlin stared, so stunned he could not think coherently, not for a long moment.
