Page 84 of The Pakhan’s Accidental Bride

"Will you stop?" I ask quietly. "The investigation. Will you stop?"

He's silent for a long time, his cop instincts clearly warring with his love for me. Finally, he sighs.

"Yeah. I'll stop."

Relief floods through me. "Thank you."

"But if he hurts you, all bets are off. Investigation or no investigation, I'll come after him myself."

"Fair enough."

We finish lunch with lighter conversation, talking about his work and my wedding plans. By the time we leave, some of the tension has eased. He hugs me goodbye in the parking lot, holding on a little longer than usual.

"Be careful," he murmurs against my hair.

"I will."

The drive back to the estate is quiet. Luca doesn't ask what we discussed, and I don't volunteer the information. But I can see the curiosity in his eyes when he glances at me in the rearview mirror.

When we arrive, I head straight for the kitchen. An idea has been forming in my mind all afternoon, wild and probably stupid, but I can't shake it.

The kitchen staff looks up in surprise when I enter. The head chef, a stern-looking woman, wipes her hands on her apron.

"Miss Walker. Can I help you with something?"

"I need you to prepare dinner tonight. Something special. For about a dozen people."

Her eyebrows rise. "The Pakhan didn't mention guests."

"He doesn't know yet. But he will." I pull out my phone. "Can you do it?"

"Of course. What time?"

"Seven o'clock."

She nods and immediately starts barking orders to her staff. I leave them to their work and head upstairs to my room, dialing Kevin's number.

"Kiera? Everything okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm calling to invite you and the guys to dinner tonight. At Emil's estate. Seven o'clock."

Silence. Then, "Are you serious?"

"Completely serious. Bring Mark too. I want all of you here."

"Kiera, I don't think that's a good idea."

"I don't care what you think. I'm inviting you to dinner. Will you come or not?"

Another pause. "Yeah. We'll be there."

I make three more calls, getting similar reactions from Jack, Devin, and Kaleb. But they all agree to come. Whether out of curiosity or concern, I'm not sure. Probably both.

Now I just need to tell Emil.

I find him in his office, bent over paperwork with that intense focus he gets when he's working. He looks up when I knock, and something in his expression softens when he sees me.

"How was the fabric store?"