Jade jerked her arm free and stood defiantly in the face of El Senor and the padre. Her fiery passions were alive in her snapping black eyes and no amount of humiliation could quench the fire that burned in her belly. Her glare took in the priest who stood drinking with the pirate, holding his mug aloft in the way of greeting. From the red tip of his nose, it was evident that he enjoyed rum entirely too much. She had heard of the clergy who were in the back pockets of their evil overlords but until this very second had never seen such a thing with her own eyes.<br/><br/>Iron Face hit her in the small of the back and said,<br/><br/>“Curtsy to the Father. We are proper in this household.”<br/><br/>Jade rolled her eyes but managed a quick bob that revealed to much leg and too much of her womanly charms.<br/><br/>To her dismay, the priest, after holding his mug for another refill, and the doula, after shoving Jade to a sprawling fall at the feet of the pirate, retreated and closed the door softly behind them. Jade was left alone. She scrambled to her feet and put as much distance between herself and that barbarian as possible. On the table was a small knife, much like the one used for cutting cheese or one’s personal morsel of food. This she snatched up and held it out in front of her, snarling,<br/><br/>“Touch me again like you did and I will put out your eye at the very least and slit your throat at my best.”<br/><br/>The dog collar around her neck had not been loosened and she was really having trouble getting enough air. Dark spots floated in the air around her and Jade felt the floor tilt. Her hand was quivering from holding the knife so tightly and she swayed, putting out her hand to the table to steady herself. The pirate’s swarthy face swam in and out of view and nausea ran through her. Sweat popped out on her pretty forehead, causing the black curls to cling to her face. . Jade was going to be ill and pass out if she couldn’t get this collar off.