27. Kiera
KIERA
Iwake up the next morning with dread clenching my gut.
The honor fight. The stupid, ridiculous, completely unnecessary honor fight that Emil insisted on last night. I stare at the ceiling of the guest bedroom, my mind racing through all the ways this could go wrong.
My brothers are going to hurt him. Or he's going to hurt them. Or everyone's going to end up bloody and broken, and it'll all be my fault for getting involved with Emil in the first place.
I throw off the covers and get dressed quickly, pulling on jeans and a simple black sweater. My hands shake slightly as I brush my hair. I need to talk Emil out of this. There has to be another way.
When I get downstairs, he's already in the dining room, sitting at the head of the table with a cup of coffee and the morning paper. He looks completely calm, like he didn't just challenge four men to fight him.
"Morning," he says without looking up.
"We need to talk about today."
"No, we don't."
I pull out the chair next to him and sit down. "Emil, please. You don't have to do this."
He finally looks at me, his dark eyes unreadable. "Yes, I do."
"Why? What's the point? You've already won. I'm here, aren't I? I agreed to marry you."
"This isn't about winning." He sets down his coffee cup. "This is about respect. Your brothers need to know I'm not some weak man they can intimidate or manipulate. They need to see that I can hold my own."
"They already know you're dangerous. Jack's a cop. He's seen your file."
"Knowing and seeing are two different things."
I lean forward, trying to catch his gaze. "You're going to get hurt."
Something flickers in his expression. Surprise, maybe. "You're worried about me?"
"Of course I'm worried about you." The words come out sharper than I intend. "My brothers aren't pushovers, Emil. Kevin's been working out his whole life. Devin owns a gym. Jack's had police combat training. And Kaleb might be a teacher, but he's scrappy as hell."
"I know what they are."
"Then you know this is a bad idea."
He reaches out and takes my hand, his thumb brushing over my knuckles. The gesture is surprisingly gentle. "Kiera, I've been fighting my whole life. I grew up in the Bratva. I've survived things your brothers can't even imagine."
"That doesn't mean you're invincible."
"No. But it means I know what I'm doing." He squeezes my hand. "Sometimes, violence is the only language men understand. The only way to settle things. Your brothers need this. They need to feel like they fought for you, even if they lose."
I want to argue more, but I can see the determination in his face. He's not going to back down. And part of me, a small, traitorous part, understands why. I just wish it didn't have to involve my brothers beating the hell out of him.
"Fine," I say, pulling my hand away. "But if you end up in the hospital, don't expect me to feel sorry for you."
His lips quirk in what might be a smile. "Noted."
We eat breakfast in tense silence. I can barely taste the food. My stomach is twisted in knots, and I keep glancing at the clock. Eleven fifteen. Eleven thirty. Eleven forty-five.
At exactly noon, the doorbell rings.
Luca appears in the doorway. "They're here, Pakhan."
Emil stands, rolling his shoulders. He's wearing dark pants and a fitted black T-shirt that shows off his muscular frame. For a man in his forties, he's in incredible shape. But so are my brothers.
This is going to be a disaster.
We walk through the estate to the gym, a massive room I didn't even know existed. It's got weight equipment, cardio machines, and in the center, a full-sized boxing ring.
My brothers are already there, standing in a line like soldiers. Kevin's face is set in hard lines. Jack looks grim. Devin and Kaleb exchange glances, but neither looks happy about this.
"Gentlemen," Emil says, his voice carrying across the room. "Thank you for coming."
"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.
Jack gets him good with an uppercut that makes Emil's head snap back. Blood sprays from his nose. But Emil doesn't go down. He wipes the blood away and keeps fighting.
When the bell rings, both men are barely standing. Jack has a black eye forming. Emil's nose looks broken, blood streaming down his face.
One more fight. Just one more.
Kevin steps forward, and my stomach drops. Kevin's the oldest, and also the angriest, the most protective.
He climbs into the ring, and I can see the fury in his eyes.
The bell rings.
Kevin doesn't hold anything back. He comes at Emil like a man possessed, throwing punches with everything he has. Emil blocks, dodges, and counters, but Kevin's relentless. A hit to Emil's already injured ribs makes him gasp. Another to his jaw staggers him.
I grip the ropes of the ring, my knuckles white. Emil's going to fall. He has to fall. No one can take this much punishment and stay standing.
But he does.
Even as Kevin lands blow after blow, even as more blood streams from Emil's nose and a cut opens above his eye, Emil stays on his feet. He fights back with everything he has left, landing hits that make Kevin grunt and stumble.
The three minutes stretch into forever. Every second feels like an hour. Every punch makes me flinch.
Finally, mercifully, the bell rings.
Kevin steps back, breathing hard. His face is bruised, his knuckles bloody. But he's standing.
So is Emil.
Emil sways slightly, his face a mess of blood and bruises. His left eye is swollen nearly shut. He's got cuts on his cheekbone and above his eyebrow. He looks pale, like he might pass out any second.
But he's standing.
My brothers look just as bad. All of them took a beating at Emil's hands. All of them are bloody and bruised, holding various body parts in pain.
The gym is silent. My brothers stare at Emil with expressions I can't quite read. Shock, maybe. And something else. Something that looks almost like respect.
"Well," Emil says, his voice rough. "I'm still standing."
Kevin nods slowly. "Yeah. You are."
"Then we have an agreement."
Another pause. Then all four of my brothers nod.
"We accept it," Jack says quietly. "The relationship. The marriage. We won't interfere."
"And the investigation?"
Jack's jaw clenches, but he nods. "No investigation."
Emil nods once, then sways again. Luca moves forward quickly, but Emil waves him off. "I'm fine."
He's not fine. He looks like he's about to collapse.
I climb into the ring and move to his side, but he shakes his head. "See your brothers out first."
Right. Because even now, even beaten and bloody, he's thinking about appearances. About showing strength.
I climb back out and walk my brothers to the front door. They're all quiet, subdued. When we reach the entrance, I turn to face them.
"I'm ashamed of you," I say quietly.
They all look at me in surprise.
"Four against one," I continue. "You ganged up on one man. And he still beat you all silly."
"Kiera," Kevin starts.
"No. I don't want to hear it." I cross my arms. "You got what you wanted. You got your fight. Now leave."
They exchange glances, but they don't argue. One by one, they file out the door. Kevin's the last to leave, and he pauses.
"He's tougher than I thought," he admits.
"I know."
"Take care of yourself, Kiera."
"I will."
He nods and walks out. I close the door behind him and immediately turn, rushing back through the estate toward the gym.
I need to see Emil and make sure he's okay. But when I burst back into the gym, my heart stops. The ring is empty and Emil is nowhere in sight.
"Luca!" I call out, spinning around. "Where is he?"
Luca appears from a side door, his expression carefully neutral. "He was taken to the in-house doctor."