Page 25 of The Pakhan’s Accidental Bride

Jack's cop instincts have kicked in as he studies Emil. "Yeah, little sister. You want to explain what's happening here?"

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Then another. It doesn't help. When I open them again, all six men are staring at me, waiting.

With a heavy sigh that comes from somewhere deep in my soul, I walk over to the couch and plop down. The robe rides up my thighs, and I yank it back down, ignoring the way Emil's gaze follows the movement.

"Fine," I mutter. "You want to know what's going on? I'll tell you what's going on."

I launch into the story, starting with the club. How I'd gone out with friends, trying to have a normal night. How Arnie had shown up, my ex-boyfriend who can't seem to understand that 'ex' means it's over. How he'd cornered me, gotten too close, made me feel trapped and scared.

"I panicked," I admit, my voice quieter now. "Arnie was right there, and he wouldn't leave me alone, and I just… I grabbed onto the nearest guy and told Arnie we were engaged."

"And that guy was him?" Jack jerks his chin toward Emil.

"That guy was him," I confirm.

Kevin's eyes narrow. "And then what happened?"

"Then Emil played along. He was very convincing." I shoot Emil a look. He's leaning against the wall now, arms crossed over his chest, and God help me, the man is built like sin. Broad shoulders, thick arms, and a chest that looks like it could stop bullets. Which, given tonight's events, might actually be a useful quality. "Too convincing, apparently, because he went and put an announcement in the newspaper without asking me first."

"You claimed me publicly," Emil says, his voice low and dangerous. "In front of witnesses."

"It was a lie," I protest. "A desperate, spur-of-the-moment lie to get Arnie to back off. Any fool would have known that." He raises an eyebrow at me, but other than that, he doesn't show any response to my basically calling him a fool.

"It became truth the moment you spoke it."

"That's not how it works!"

Kevin holds up his hands. "Okay, everyone, just calm down. Kiera, you can't actually be considering marrying this guy. You don't even know him."

"I'm not considering it," I snap. "That's what I've been trying to tell him."

Emil's jaw tightens, the muscle there flexing in a way that shouldn't be attractive but absolutely is. Damn him. Even when I'm furious, even when he's being the most infuriating man I've ever met, my body still reacts to him. The dark intensity in his eyes makes me feel like I'm the only person in the room, even surrounded by my brothers.

Still, the man says nothing. He just looks at me with a smug expression that says he thinks I'm just throwing a tantrum and I'll come to my senses. What an egotistical jerk. He's so full of himself, I'm surprised he doesn't burst at the seams.

"Moving on," Jack says firmly, though his cop stare has intensified on Emil.

"This is insane," I say, standing up. The robe falls open slightly, and I catch Emil's gaze dropping to the exposed skin of my chest before snapping back up to my face. Heat floods through me, unwanted and inconvenient. "All of this is completely insane."

"Kiera," Kevin starts, but I cut him off.

"No. I'm done. I'm going to bed." I point at the door. "All of you can see yourselves out. Or stay here and argue all night. I don't care anymore. I just want to sleep."

I march toward my bedroom, my bare feet slapping against the hardwood floor. Behind me, voices rise in protest, but I ignore them. I'm done, so completely done with this entire nightmare of a night.

In my bedroom, I strip off the robe and pull on my favorite pajamas, soft cotton pants, and a worn T-shirt. The familiar clothes feel like armor, like I'm reclaiming some small piece of normalcy in a world that's gone completely off the rails.

I crawl into bed and pull the covers up to my chin, but sleep doesn't come.

My mind won't shut off. It keeps replaying everything. The gunshot. The way Emil had moved, fast and lethal, pushing me down and covering my body with his. The solid weight of him, all muscle and heat. The way his hand had felt on the back of my neck, protective and possessive at the same time.

And before that, at the club. The way he'd looked at me when I'd grabbed his arm. The way he'd played along without hesitation, sliding into the role of my fiancé like he'd been born for it.

Who is he, really? What kind of man puts an engagement announcement in the newspaper for a woman he barely knows?

From the living room, I can hear voices. They're still arguing. The idiotic men haven't left. Of course they haven't. Because why would anything about tonight be simple or straightforward?

I press my hands over my ears, but it doesn't help. Kevin's voice rises, then Emil's, deeper and more controlled. Jack says something I can't make out. Devin and Kaleb chime in.