He looked away, staring at nothing. When he met my gaze again, his mouth gave life to a string of noiseless statements. With each rapid word, he grew angrier and more agitated. Since he wasn’t trying to slow down and help me understand, I suspected he was venting rather than giving me any real answers.

I could tell him to write it all down. But I was too impatient to wait when I had questions he could answer with a single syllable.

“Over the past weeks, did you talk to Ashley about us?” I stiffened, uncertain how to proceed in foreign waters. “Did you discuss…everything? Our marriage? Our separation? Did he tell you how I tried to use him to escape?”

He nodded through every inquiry, his expression hard and unflinching.

“He didn’t know you were in Jade’s hold when he captured me.” My mind raced to make all the connections. “Did you tell him? Does he know that’s why you hunted HMS Blitz?”

Another nod.

“I didn’t fall easily into his bed. I swear it.” A swallow stuck in my throat. “I was angry with you, and I needed a backup escape plan. And…I was attracted to him. Am. Still. I love him, Priest. But when my relationship began with him, it was fraught with pain and distrust. Until he saved me from the admiral. Did he tell you about that? About my imprisonment on the flagship and the violation that happened to me?”

Aye. His teeth clenched in what I assumed was a hot hiss of sound.

He stood and turned away, hiding his expression as his fingers stabbed through his hair, flexing and releasing.

“Priest…” I didn’t wish to hurt him. Not anymore. I didn’t know how to fix this.

He made another turn, hands on his hips, head bent, pacing forward, walking aft, pivoting forward, eying me. Then he looked at the table beside me.

I followed his gaze to the tiny scroll. “Did you read it?”

He stopped pacing. Nodded.

I crossed my arms, finding the pain from the motion bearable. “Tell me it’s a map.”

A grin startled at the corner of his mouth, struggling to pull free. I stared at those lips, my own twisting into a smile as he said, Aye.

“Tell me something.” I narrowed my eyes. “Where did you hide the compass on my ship?”

Now he grinned with abandon, damn near laughing out his response. Jobah.

“Jobah?” I couldn’t have read that right. “That goddamned traitor had it the entire time? I’m going to kill him.”

You won’t. He shook his head, trying to rein in his smile.