Page 52 of The Pakhan’s Accidental Bride

I shake my head. "That's bullshit. He always has a choice. He's the Pakhan, right? He can do whatever he wants."

"It's not that simple." Luca moves to the sitting area and gestures for me to join him. After a moment's hesitation, I do, perching on the edge of one of the chairs while he takes the couch.

"You saw Emil punishing that man," Luca continues. "You witnessed something that very few outsiders ever see. The family would be concerned that you'd tell someone. Your brother, for instance. The one who's a cop."

My stomach drops. "Jack."

"Yes. They couldn't take that chance. If word got out about what you saw, about Emil's methods, it could cause problems. Legal problems. Political problems. The kind of problems that destabilize power."

"So they'd kill me to keep me quiet." The words taste bitter on my tongue.

"They'd see it as necessary. As protecting the family." Luca leans forward, his elbows on his knees. "Emil is doing what he can to protect you. If you're his wife, you're family. Untouchable. No one can harm you without his permission."

I want to argue, want to tell him that I'll take my chances, that I can keep my mouth shut, that I don't need Emil's protection.

But the words stick in my throat because I remember the shooter outside my apartment.

"I can keep my mouth shut," I say anyway, because I have to try. "I won't tell anyone what I saw. Not Jack, not anyone. I'll take my chances."

Luca shakes his head slowly. "It's not that easy."

"Why not?"

"Because it's not just about you anymore." His voice is gentle, but the words hit like a sledgehammer. "Your brothers' lives are in danger too."

The room tilts. "What?"

"If the family decides you're a liability, they won't just eliminate you. They'll eliminate anyone you might have told. Anyone who could be a threat."

"But I haven't told anyone anything."

"They don't know that. And they won't take the risk." Luca's expression is grave. "Your brother Jack is a cop. That makes him especially dangerous in their eyes. If they decide to act, he'll be the first target."

"The police force can protect him." Even as I say it, I know how naive it sounds.

"Can they?" Luca's eyebrows rise. "The family has connections everywhere. In the police department, the mayor's office, and in the courts. All they have to do is say the word and your brother could be killed in the line of duty. A tragic accident. A shootout gone wrong. It happens all the time."

The air leaves my lungs in a rush. I can't breathe. Can't think.

Jack. Kevin. Devin. Kaleb.

My brothers. The men who raised me, protected me, loved me even when they drove me crazy with their overprotectiveness.

"You're lying." But I can hear the weakness in my own voice.

"I wish I were." Luca stands. "Emil is trying to protect you the only way he can. By making you family. By giving you his name and his protection. It's not perfect, but it's the best option you have right now."

He moves toward the door, then pauses with his hand on the handle.

"For what it's worth," he says quietly, "Emil cares about you. More than he's cared about anyone in a very long time. This isn't just about obligation or protection. He wants you to be his wife."

Then he's gone, and I'm alone in this beautiful prison.

I sit there for a long time, staring at nothing. My mind keeps circling back to the same thoughts and horrible realizations.

I'm trapped. Completely and utterly trapped.

If I refuse to marry Emil, his family will kill me. And probably my brothers, too, just to be safe.