Page 120 of Dukes for Dessert

“Trust is a dangerous fallacy. The only thing I trust is that a person will always act in their own self-interest. Because of that, my lady, you can rely on me to keep my word in this respect. What is that old adage? The enemy of my enemy is my—”

“We are not friends.”

“Uncomfortable allies, then,” he offered. “You do what you have to do, Countess, and then I will rid the world of Arthur Weller.”

“I’m not a countess any longer. I’m a dowager…little better than a seamstress now.”

“Modesty doesn’t suit you,” he quipped. “You’re becoming quite a name in the world of fashion.”

“How do you know that?” The rank skepticism in her voice brought out a teasing smile he wished he could turn on her.

“Well, you kidnap a person once or twice and you tend to get attached,” he admitted. “Tell me you haven’t experienced something of the same issue. That you have not looked for mention of me here or there?”

She groaned with more disgust than the moment warranted, in his opinion. “I’d all but forgotten you existed.”

Lies.

Sebastian had many skills, and the chief among them was being able to tell when someone fed him a falsehood.

“Will I ever be anything but the villain to you, Veronica?” The question had left his lips before he could call it back.

“How could you not be?” She gestured wildly. “You turned on your captain and took my sister-in-law and best friend hostage during a mutiny. You threatened to kill her!”

He rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t have done it. Everyone knows that. I only needed to make a point.”

“No one knows anything of the sort! How the devil did you escape prison? I was certain you’d have hanged for your crimes by now.”

His brows met in confusion. “Surely you’ve heard.”

“Heard what?”

She really didn’t know? Oh, this was a lark.

“How long have you been on the Continent?” he asked.

“Since Ash married Lorelai, and don’t you dare change the subject.”

Ash. The Rook. His captain. His brother. His best friend. He’d have died for that man. He’d killed for that man. He’d hung his future, such as it was, upon the life they’d built at sea.

Only to have it disintegrated by the Rook’s forgotten past. Ash had bound himself to a lost love and a brother he’d been twenty years without.

And Sebastian, his first mate and his most loyal friend, was set adrift.

And he might have acted…hastily. Now that time had separated him from the debacle, he had regrets.

Especially when it came to Veronica.

“I agree that I owe you this boon,” he granted. “I will wait to assassinate Arthur Weller until you have carried out your plans.”

“Thank you.”

“Let us shake on it.” He offered his hand.

“I’d rather not touch you.”

Another lie.

Interesting…