Page 63 of The Trouble with Tigers
She scampered back into a sitting position and stared at the unlikely sight of Garrick dangling in midair.
Zeke looked like a Viking warrior with his golden hair wildly unkempt, his white teeth bared, his chest muscles rippling as he held his quarry aloft with one clenched fist.
“Release…me…at…once,” Garrick wheezed.
“Very well.” With a flick of his wrist, he flung Garrick across the courtyard.
He landed facedown.
Zeke’s gaze shifted to Kitty. “Are you all right?” His voice was surprisingly gentle.
“Y-yes.” She gripped the bench, pulling herself up with the intention of going to him, but her legs wouldn’t support her. She dropped onto the seat.
Garrick, now on all fours, gasped for air. “You knocked…the…breath…from me.”
“Get up and face me like a man.” Zeke ground out.
Kitty cried out in alarm.
Garrick dragged himself to his feet, glowering at Zeke. “If you attack me, I swear I’ll take her from here so fast your head will spin, contract be damned.”
“She’s not going anywhere.”
“I agreed to the marriage, Thurgood, but the contract stipulates nothing about her living arrangements for the length of your betrothal.”
“Nor does it say I can’t issue you a formal challenge,” Zeke replied, not missing a beat.
Kitty’s heart seized. She would die if anything happened to Zeke because of her stupidity. “No, Zeke. Please.” She may as well not have spoken.
Garrick seemed to realize the direness of his situation. “I didn’t hurt her,” he said, his voice rising an octave. “She said so herself. You can’t challenge me over such a minor offense.”
“A minor offense? Is that what you call—” Zeke gestured toward Kitty, his mouth clamped shut almost as if he couldn’t bare to say the words aloud. “I could kill you with my bare hands.”
Garrick lurched backwards, and his eyes darted toward the exit. “It looked bad, that’s all. We were simply having a disagreement. She spoke out of turn and I had to teach her a lesson. Ask her yourself.”
Zeke rolled his shoulders. He turned to Kitty, nostrils flaring, twin blue flames burning in his eyes. What would he do if she told him Garrick had attacked her with the intent of forcing himself on her—again?
He would defend her. She knew it like she knew her name. What if he ended up hurt? Or facing criminal charges for harming Garrick, however well-deserved?
“H-he’s right. It was a mere disagreement,” she lied.
Seizing his chance, Garrick pressed on. “Look, Thurgood, if you agree not to blow this whole thing out of proportion, I’ll agree not to remove her from Chissington Hall this very afternoon.”
A muscle ticked in Zeke’s jaw. “You’ll agree not to remove her from the premises for the duration of our engagement.”
Garrick’s mouth flattened into a grim line, but he nodded.
“Hear me well, James.” Zeke’s upper lip curled. “Lay a finger on my fiancé again, and it’ll be the last thing you ever do.Now get out of here before I change my mind and give you the thrashing you deserve.”
Garrick ran for the exit.
“Don’t let me see your face for the remainder of the day.” Zeke did not spare Garrick’s retreating form another glance. But he fixed Kitty with a hard stare.
She could not look away if she tried. “It appears you’ve come to my aid yet again, my lord.” Her voice sounded small. Powerless. She bit down hard on her lower lip.
“Something I wouldn’t have had to do if you’d used some common sense.”
She sniffed, fighting tears. Because, of course he was right.
