Christopher poured them both more wine, the last of the pitcher, and held up his cup. “I was content with having you swear your sword to me,” he said. “Imagine how feared I will be when all know I have The Dark Lord in my arsenal.”
Jax grinned, holding up his cup to the man. “Beware,” he said. “It may bring you less awe than you think. There are those who still hate me a great deal.”
Christopher shrugged, sipping at his wine. The sweet, potent alcohol had already gone to his head a little. “What do we care?” he said. “I will simply have you go out and kill them. Then no one will hate you because they will all be dead.”
Jax laughed softly. “The last man I killed was fifteen years ago during a border raid against the Scots,” he said. “I fear that I may be out of practice.”
Christopher looked at him, suddenly appearing very sober. “If negotiations with this mercenary fail, then we will have noalternative but to take the field,” he said grimly. “We will need your sword, out of practice or not.”
Jax’s gaze held the man steady. “Then you intend to go into battle with me?”
“You have not formally asked me to.”
“I would not dare to hope. But I would be deeply honored if you would.”
Christopher smiled. “Then that makes us allies, you and me.”
Jax shook his head with awe. “I never thought I would see the day when Christopher de Lohr, the most respected knight in England, would ally himself with me.”
Christopher’s grin broadened as he brought his cup up again and tipped it against Jax’s in a show of solidarity, of unity, and of a new alliance.
“It is better to be the right hand of Lucifer,” he said softly, “than in his path.”
Jax lifted an eyebrow. “So you have agreed to help me simply so I will not be insulted and turn against you?”
Christopher was ambivalent. “Think what you will.”
Jax had to laugh at him. After that, the conversation moved on to other subjects and more food was brought out. Jax actually shared a conversation with Edward, who was able to overcome his fear of the man and behave intelligently. Lady de Lohr even returned with her children in tow, four of them, two young girls who were around five and six years of age, and two toddler boys. The younger girl, Brielle, had absolutely no fear of Jax and even came to sit next to him, very curious about the strange man in her father’s hall. Jax lost himself in conversation with a five year old who reminded him very much of Allaston at that age. It made him miss her all the more.
Chatting with de Lohr and his family and his knights, Jax felt more at home and more comfortable with these strangers than he had with almost anyone, ever. He had never understoodalliances or relationships outside of his own family, but at the moment, he was coming to. He understood that these people had overlooked his reputation, the darkness he perpetuated, and were willing to see the man beneath. They were willing to help the fearful father. Eventually, Jax sent word to his army that all was well, and Cole and Julian came forward to join their father in Lioncross’ massive hall.
Before the day was finished, Christopher set out a missive to Cloryn Castle, the rumored seat of the mercenary. It contained all of the terms he had discussed with Jax earlier in the day with instructions to the messenger to leave it at Cloryn’s gate and ride like hell home. They didn’t want the mercenary getting his hands on one of Christopher’s men.
All that was left now to do was to wait.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Cloryn Castle
Allaston was onher hands and knees in front of Bretton, her buttocks in the air. It was such a perfect target and he knew it, but at this moment, he was so furious at her for pushing him in front of his men that he could hardly see straight.
He was a killer, and he was her captor, and he was more than capable of taking her life in a most heinous manner. Everyone looking at him was expecting him to do it, waiting for the moment when he would ram the sharp end of the pole into her intestines, punishing her for her insolence and disobedience once and for all. Aye, he knew what his men were expecting and had anyone else been the target, he would have complied without hesitation. But it wasn’t just anyone else. It was Allaston.
He was angry with her. Positively furious. So much so that when she turned her round little buttocks into the air, he came up behind her with the pole and, just to scare her, rammed it underneath her so that it slid up between her knees and hands, underneath her body. Startled, she barely had time to shriekbefore he was grabbing her around the waist and spanking her within an inch of her life.
At least five good whacks, right on the backside, and Allaston howled in pain. Then, Bretton grabbed her by the long, dark braid of hair and pulled her through the forest of bodies until they reached his horse. She was weeping and gasping with pain, and fright, as he picked her up and tossed her, belly down, across his saddle. Mounting up behind her, he spurred his charger towards the group that was preparing to accompany him to Newtown. He positively bellowed at them.
“Return to Cloryn,” he yelled. “I am going to teach this wench a lesson once and for all. Go back and wait for me!”
He was so mad that Grayton and Teague didn’t question him in the least. They immediately directed the escort party back to the great gates of Cloryn while Bretton thundered off down the road with Allaston slung across his saddle. As the escort party moved back into the bailey, the two commanders lingered at the gatehouse, watching Bretton race down the road with the prisoner, suspecting he was going to do to the woman what he should have done at the beginning. He was either going to murder her and bury the body, or he was going to make her wish she was dead. Either thought pleased them greatly.
But Bretton wasn’t going to kill her. He had to publicly beat her so he wouldn’t lose the respect of his men, and even then, he was sure they were suspicious of his intentions towards her. He knew that Grayton’s argument about the fact that she was Jax de Velt’s daughter, their greatest asset and a prisoner to boot, would have some effect on his men. Grayton was very loyal to him but he also had strong opinions. Bretton was fairly certain Grayton wouldn’t turn his men against him, but he would certainly turn them against Allaston.
So he had to remove her, to get her away from the situation, and as he pounded down the road from Cloryn, he came to acrossroads within a quarter of a mile and began to head south. Then, and only then, did he slow the animal’s pace because he was certain the rough ride was not at all comfortable on Allaston as she lay on her belly in front of him. To her credit, however, she hadn’t muttered a sound.
The horse slowed to a walk. Bretton shifted his reins to the other hand and promptly smacked her on the butt again, hard enough so that she grunted. He eyed her dark head.
“Are you conscious?” he asked.
