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with,” she shot back softly. “But your boasts do not impress me.”
    He just stared at her and Kellington was suddenly afraid she had been too bold again. She stared back, waiting for him to explode, but he continued to gaze steadily at her. Then something strange happened; the corner of his mouth twitched. Then the other corner twitched. Soon, he had broken out in to a full-blown smile and deep dimples carved ruts down each cheek.  His teeth, from what she could see, were straight and relatively white.  Had the man not been so dark and horrifying, it would have been a nice smile.
    “Nay, I did not expect that they would,” he replied, rubbing at his face as if the smiling had hurt somehow. “But I would tell you just the same. You are a naïve girl and you will understand this world you find yourself a part of.  This is my world now.  You must adjust so there are no mistakes in the future.”
    “Mistakes?” she repeated, not liking the sound of that. “What kind of mistakes do you mean?”
    His smile vanished. “I told you earlier. You are confined to this keep. You will not stray from its walls without an escort.  I have warned you of my wrath should you disobey.  I will not warn you again.”
    She was wise enough not to argue with him.  He was beginning to intimidate her again but she fought it.  She averted her gaze, looking to her hands.
    “I will not stray from these walls, my lord,” she cast him a hooded glance, “if you will bring the women in the chapel back into the keep. I swear to you that we will all stay here and resume our duties as normal, which are necessary to the function of Pelinom.  You cannot do without us.”
    He put his hands on his slender hips, his expression bordering on a glare.  “Do you actually think to bargain with me?”
    “May I?”
    His eyebrows rose. “God’s Blood, you’re a saucy bit of baggage. I’ve killed men for less than what you display.”
    Somehow, she didn’t fear his statement.  For as annoyed as he appeared, there was a lack of force behind it.
    “Are you going to kill me, then?”
    He shrugged. “Perhaps. But not today.” He eyed her a moment, thinking on her offer. It made some sense. “Very well, Lady Kellington.  If you can guarantee that your women will not cause problems and will not stray from this keep, then I will release them to your custody.  But if one of them creates even the slightest disturbance or the smallest infraction, my wrath will fall upon you.  Do you comprehend?”
    She rose from the bed with a smile on her lips.  Jax watched her approach, realizing he had never seen her smile.  It was the most glorious thing he had ever witnessed; her teeth were straight, white, and she had a big dimple in her left cheek. He could have gazed at that smile for a thousand years and never grown tired of it.
    “Thank you, my lord,” she said as she stood before him. “Thank you for your display of mercy.”
    Jax hadn’t thought of it that way. He didn’t like the sounds of it and that unbalanced him.  The lady, in fact, unbalanced him.  Everything about her was beginning to shake him.  Without another word, he moved around her and headed for the door.
    “My lord?” she called after him.
    He hesitated, hand on the latch. “You must want something more.”
    “Why do you say that?”
    “Because the only time you address me formally is when you want something. I’ve never heard you say it any other time.”
    She pursed her lips regretfully. “I am sorry. Does that displease you?”
    He thought on it. “Nay,” he finally shook his head. “I suppose not. What else do you want?”
    She seemed to lose her confident manner.  In fact, she began wringing her hands and he dropped his hand from the door latch.
    “What do you want?” he asked again.
    She cleared her throat softly. “If… if I ask you a question, will you tell me the truth?”
    “It depends on the question.”
    “Please, my lord?”
    He lifted an eyebrow.