Page 107 of The Pakhan’s Accidental Bride

He pulls his gun from the holster at his hip. The movement is smooth, practiced. He raises it and aims it at the man's forehead.

"Please," the man whispers. "Please, I have⁠—"

The gunshot is deafening in the small room.

The man's head snaps back. Blood and brain matter spray across the wall behind him. His body slumps forward, held in place only by the ropes binding him to the chair.

I look over at Arnie. His one good eye is wide with terror. He's making high-pitched sounds behind the gag, his whole body shaking.

He's also pissed himself.

A moment later, his eyes roll back in his head and he slumps forward, unconscious.

"Pathetic," I mutter.

Luca holsters his gun. "What do you want me to do with them?"

"Clean up the mess. Keep Arnie alive for now."

"And Miss Walker?"

"She stays in her room."

I leave the interrogation room and head upstairs to clean up. There's blood on my shirt and hands. I wash it off in the bathroom attached to my office, watching the water run red down the drain.

When I'm clean, I change into black pants and a light blue shirt. I roll up the sleeves and look at myself in the mirror. I look like what I am. A Pakhan. A killer. A man who does what needs to be done.

I return to my office and sit behind my desk. Luca follows me in a few minutes later.

"She's been quiet," he says. "No more pounding on the door."

"Good."

"What's the plan?"

I lean back in my chair, steepling my fingers. "I've been thinking about that."

"And?"

"I've been too soft with her." The words taste bitter, but they're true. "I've given in to her on too many things. Let her have too much control. And it's only made her bolder."

Luca doesn't respond. He just waits.

"She thinks she can dictate terms to me. She thinks she can call off the wedding whenever she wants. She thinks she has power here."

"She doesn't."

"No. She doesn't." I meet his eyes. "It's time I reminded her of that. It's time I stopped catering to her demands and her tantrums."

"What are you going to do?"

I stand up and walk to the window. The estate grounds stretch out before me, perfectly manicured and controlled. Everything in its place. Everything as it should be.

"It's time I returned to being a Pakhan."

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KIERA