Page 61 of Wedded to the Scottish Duke

“I don’t,” Philip assured him. “I’m just aware of how that man looks like he could kill with one punch.”

“I’ve fought worse,” Keith declared.

He nearly took off his shirt. The last thing he needed was an entire warehouse looking at the scars across his back and asking how they had been put there. He kept his shirt on and moved toward the ring.

“Good luck,” Xander called as Aaron clapped him on the back.

Philip continued to curse and mutter to himself.

As Keith reached the ring, he climbed between the two cords and stepped inside. The Bear turned to face him, grinning wildly andrevealing that he was missing half his teeth. Keith would have guessed that he’d lost them in this ring.

“Now, we have our fighters. We have… the Bear.” The ringleader gestured toward the large man, earning a holler from the crowd. “Then we have…” He paused, looking at Keith. “What’s your name, Sir?”

“The Duke of Hardbridge.”

Keith’s declaration seemed to send a shockwave across the warehouse. Whispers and murmurs rippled through the crowd before they started waving money madly in the air.

Keith caught a few of the whispers.

“Isn’t that the duke who was a Scottish laird?”

“Not just that. He was a warrior.”

The Bear seemed unfazed by such rumors. He snorted and sniffed, wiping his nose with the back of his hand, and then he began to shuffle sideways around the ring, clearly impatient to start the fight. Calmly, Keith walked the other way, keeping him at a distance.

“Have you made your bets?” the ringleader called.

The cries from the audience rose to a roar as people made their last bets.

The Bear took a step forward in the ring, so Keith did too. The ringleader stepped between them, palms outward, preventing them from touching just yet.

“Nearly there, gentlemen,” he whispered, with a sort of malicious grin. “Then you can tear each other limb from limb.”

“Takin’ down a duke, eh?” the Bear said, his eyes flashing red. “I’m going to enjoy this.”

Keith didn’t answer with words—he just raised his eyebrows. The Bear rather looked confused that Keith didn’t take the bait.

“Step back, then we’ll begin,” the ringleader urged them both.

Keith stepped away as the Bear did.

“Are we all ready?” the ringleader bellowed.

Cheers rippled through the crowd.

“Hey! Keith!” Xander called above the cacophony.

Keith moved to the ropes and hung his head down to listen. Xander, Philip, and Aaron had all gathered at the side of the ring to watch.

“They say his footwork is his weak spot.”

“Take out his feet so you can win,” Aaron seconded. “It’s the one way I managed to beat him once.”

“Aye, I’d already seen how he moves about this ring.” Keith laughed when he noted the surprise on their faces. “This isn’t my first fight.”

Then he stood straight and turned to the ring as a bell rang loudly.

“Argh!” the Bear roared and launched himself forward.