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his first swing.
    The ghost of an impish smile with twinkling eyes
    winked at him, and he missed the bag completely.
    Overbalanced, he staggered forward, nearly plowing
    directly into his former employer’s tall form.
    “Oy, Russell, you’ll never win another tourney with
    a pitiful showing like that.”
    Avery righted himself quickly, bringing his fist upward
    in defense. “Prachett. What are you doing here?”
    Thomas Prachett laughed, moving closer to Avery.
    His heavy boots thudded on the straw- strewn floor. “I’ve
    need of my best man, is all. I told you I hadn’t finished
    with you.”
    Avery circled, maintaining the distance between
    them. His nerves fired with alarm as he stared down his
    past in the form of a tall, thin, and cruel man. Prachett
    had loaned him funds when he’d had nothing, but Avery
    had paid sorely for that loan. Only the duke’s mercy
    had rescued him from an early death in the boxing mills
    at the hands of one of Prachett’s victims— or the man
    himself. “I’ve repaid my debt to you. You can have
    nothing else from me.”
    “Your debt is satisfied only when I say it is. That
    pittance you’ve returned to me, yes, but where is my
    interest? A man must have his pride.” With a swift move,
    Prachett lifted the crop he’d been holding and brought it
    down across Avery’s bicep.
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    Gina Lamm
    Geek Girls Don’t Date Dukes
    A hiss of pain escaped Avery, but he ignored it. “Your
    damnable pride is naught to do with me.” He swung
    at Prachett’s face, but the stinging pain in his arm cost
    him focus. Prachett dodged the less- than- perfect blow as
    drops of blood rained onto the straw.
    “Oh, but it is, lad. Without you, Emersen has moved
    up the ranks. He cannot be beaten. Except, perhaps…”
    Prachett trailed off as he moved closer. “By you. The
    Houndstooth tourney is soon, and you must enter.
    You’ll lose there, and the wagers will turn against you.
    By the time you face this new threat, I’ll have secured my
    fortune in the betting books.”
    Avery snarled as his anger overtook him. “Never
    again. I have left that life behind.”
    Prachett snapped his fingers, and three men burst into
    the room. Avery fought like a wounded bear, striking
    and kicking and struggling against his captors, but there
    were too many. When they’d restrained him, pressing
    his body into the straw beneath the bag, Prachett leaned
    down and blew his foul breath across Avery’s face.
    “If you will not do this for me, you may consider
    your time on this earth over and done. I will not tolerate
    another failure. I will not be shamed again.”
    In answer, Avery spat in Prachett’s face.
    Prachett shoved himself upright, dashing the spittle away
    with a ragged and stained sleeve. “Lads, convince him.”
    i
    “And this is the conservatory.” Henrietta led Leah into a
    room full of potted plants. The evening light shone through
    the many windows, giving the greenery an almost- living
    glow. The scent of damp earth hung heavy in the air.
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    Leah looked around, nodding sagely. Sure, it was a
    nice room, but the charade was starting to grate on her
    nerves. Mrs. Harper would probably have a stroke if
    they were late to dinner, and Henrietta wasn’t showing
    any signs of backing down yet. It was getting tough
    to maintain her patience with the girl. They’d already
    traipsed through half the huge house without any sign
    of the duke. And while the number of valuable and
    interesting antiques was impressive, Leah was starving
    and completely done with the hike.
    “It’s very nice. But shouldn’t we be heading to
    supper now?”
    The girl crossed her arms over her middle, her mobcap
    slipping to one side. “I told you, it’s been delayed.” She
    pointed toward the back of the room. “The orchids are
    quite lovely. They’re by the windows, just