Page 65 of The Pakhan’s Accidental Bride

"Let's just get this over with," Kevin says.

Luca steps forward. "Ground rules. Each fight lasts three minutes. No hitting below the belt. No weapons. And when the bell rings, you stop. Understood?"

My brothers nod.

Emil holds up one hand. "I have my own conditions."

"Of course you do," Jack mutters.

"If I'm still standing at the end of all four fights, you accept Kiera's relationship with me. You accept our marriage. No more interference, and no more attempts to convince her to leave."

The brothers exchange looks. Kevin's jaw clenches, but he nods.

Emil's gaze locks on Jack. "And you will not do any investigation on me or my family. No digging into my business, no using your police connections to gather information. You stay out of my world entirely."

Jack's face goes red. "You can't ask me to ignore criminal activity."

"I'm not asking. I'm telling you the terms. Accept them or leave."

The silence stretches out. I hold my breath, waiting.

Finally, Jack nods once. Sharp and angry, but it's an agreement.

"Good." Emil climbs into the ring. "Who's first?"

"Youngest to oldest," Kevin says. "Kaleb, you're up."

My heart pounds as Kaleb climbs into the ring. He's the smallest of my brothers, but he's quick and smart. He bounces on his toes, hands up in a fighting stance.

The bell rings.

Kaleb comes in fast, throwing a quick jab that Emil blocks easily. They circle each other, testing, probing for weaknesses. Kaleb lands a solid hit to Emil's ribs, and I wince at the sound of impact.

But Emil barely reacts. He counters with a hook that catches Kaleb on the shoulder, spinning him slightly. They trade blows, neither gaining much ground. Kaleb's faster, but Emil's stronger and more experienced.

When the bell rings, both men are breathing hard. Kaleb has a split lip. Emil has a red mark blooming on his cheekbone.

"Devin," Kevin calls.

My brother who owns the gym climbs into the ring, and I know this is going to be worse. Devin's built like a tank, all muscle and power. He doesn't waste time with testing. He comes at Emil like a freight train.

The sound of fists hitting flesh makes me flinch. Devin lands a brutal hit to Emil's jaw that snaps his head back. But Emil recovers quickly, driving his fist into Devin's gut hard enough to make him grunt.

They're both bleeding now. Devin's nose is streaming red. Emil's lip is split. But neither backs down. They trade punches like they're trying to kill each other, and maybe they are.

The three minutes feel like an eternity.

When the bell finally rings, Devin staggers back, breathing hard. Emil stays on his feet, but I can see the effort it takes. His left eye is starting to swell.

"Jack," Kevin says quietly.

Oh, God. Jack's the cop. He's trained for this. He knows how to fight dirty and how to take down dangerous criminals.

Jack climbs into the ring, and the look on his face is pure determination. He's not here to prove a point. He's here to win.

The bell rings, and Jack doesn't hold back. He comes at Emil with a combination of punches that would drop most men. Emil blocks some, takes others. A hit to his ribs makes him grunt. Another to his jaw rocks him back.

But Emil fights back with a ferocity that takes my breath away. He's not just defending anymore. He's attacking, driving Jack back with powerful strikes that land with sickening thuds.