An hour after walking in the room, I threw the papers to the floor and tried to reason with a new idea. “I didn’t tell you, but I’m seeing someone. Do you think he’ll believe I’ve just up and left him for a woman?”

“Enough of this stalling,” Mr Khatri yelled. I caught Prisha cringe and whimper when he stood to stand over me as I still sat in the chair. “You’ve gone over the contract bit by bit, asked all the questions there are, and now you’re telling us this lie about a new friend. Sign the papers, Easton.”

I had been stalling. I just didn’t know what for. I could sign the papers, but in them stated we had to stay married for five years, sire an heir, and live that time in Queensland. I also had a feeling they would keep us on a tight leash.

“I’m not lying. It’s new, but I do have a boyfriend.”

Amit sighed loudly. “Andrew, I thought you went over everything.”

I shifted around to face Andrew. “What do you mean he went over everything?”

Andrew glared at me. “I did, sir. He’s a paramedic, works rotating shifts. Had just moved into a ranch-style home with six dogs. Since his break-up with Oliver, he’s been on a couple of blind dates, but nothing serious has come from them.”

Spinning back to Amit, I snapped, “You had him investigate me?”

“Of course.”

I scoffed. “Yes, of course you would. It isn’t like you’d actually ask me anything or that you gave a shit about me. Ever.” I sat back, crossing my arms over my chest.

“This is your last chance to sign, Easton, before things escalate,” Mr Khatri warned. He moved to stand beside Amit near the fire.

“Why are you doing this to your daughter?” I asked.

“It doesn’t matter why.”

“It does to me. If she’ll give me trouble, I need to know.”

“She will be the best wife any man could have. She’s pure and does as she’s told.”

He made me sick to the stomach talking about his own daughter like she was something and not a real person.

“He wants me to marry off because I love someone else. Someone in a lower social status,” a soft, quiet voice said into the room.

“Prisha, keep your mouth shut.” Mr Khari stormed over to her. His hand rose, and I knew he was about to hit her. I thrust myself out of the chair and over to grip his wrist before he could follow through.

“Do not touch her.”

“Let go of me. Now,” he snapped harshly.

“I will if you step away from her.”

We stood glaring at each other when a knock sounded on the door.

“Honey, we have guests downstairs,” Darlene called.

“We won’t be much longer,” Amit replied.

The door handle twisted and turned. “Honey, why is it locked?”

Yes, Darlene, get me out of here. Then I could call Lan to tell him everything, and he could somehow help.

“I’m in the middle of something,” Amit said through clenched teeth.

Shit.

“Amit, people are waiting to see Easton. I know he’s in there. I heard him. Please have him come out. It’s been hours, and he has many people to see.”

“Darlene, leave. We’ll be downstairs shortly.”

“At least let him say a quick goodnight and goodbye to Jewel before she goes to bed. She’s here waiting for him.”

Amit grumbled something. He waved at Andrew and said quietly, “Easton, go and say goodnight. If you try anything stupid, I’ll have Andrew harm Prisha. You seem not to want to see any harm come to her.”

Fuck. “Fine.” I nodded. Dread twisted inside of me. Slowly, I made my way over to the door while Andrew walked over to where Prisha sat and stood behind her. My heart went crazy with each step I took. I wanted to scream, to run, to warn Darlene about the man she was going to marry, but I couldn’t do any of it. My hands shook as I unlocked the door. I opened it. Only I didn’t see Jewel or Darlene.

My eyes shot wide. I sucked in a ragged breath and almost cried at the sight of Parker.

“You all right?” he asked, his eyes running all over me.

I sniffed. Darn my stupid emotions. I nodded.

He smiled a very rare smile. “Then let’s get you outta here and back to Lan.”

“Easton, that’s enough,” Amit said. It was then I realised he didn’t know who was at the door. I glanced back. I’d only opened it enough for me to see out, not for everyone else in the room.

“I can’t leave,” I whispered back at Parker, and whoever the intimidating, stunning man was beside him.

“I’m here to help with that.”

“I’ll help too,” came a voice behind Parker. He shifted enough for me to see Darlene standing there. “I heard everything. Before Luis came to find me, he started a recording of it all.” Her bottom lip trembled. “I’m so sorry, Easton. I didn’t know—”

“Don’t. He showed you another side.”

“Easton,” Amit barked.

“Step back please,” the man beside Parker said. I did. He looked to Parker. “After you.” Parker lifted his chin in return, and when I backed further into the room, Parker stepped in after me, then the other man, and finally Darlene.

“What is this? Who are you? Darlene, I asked for privacy,” Amit declared. “Get out,” he yelled and started striding towards us.

“Keep moving and you’ll regret it,” Parker warned, and it was in such a dark, rough voice Amit stalled midstep and slowly lowered his foot to the floor.

I shifted to Parker’s side. Close to his side. I ignored him tensing because right then, I never wanted to move away from him in case he disappeared, and I was still stuck in the room without help. “Andrew has a gun,” I told him. “The one behind Prisha.”

Parker nodded, just a small one. “My name’s Detective Parker Wilding. I’m here to collect Easton Ravel, and have incriminating evidence that goes against an Amit Ravel for forcing his son into a marriage contract, for conspiring with a Mr Khatri over this deal to gain money and business status, but more significantly, we have evidence of you agreeing to pay a hitman to murder your soon-to-be wife if this deal with Easton didn’t go down.”

“What?” I breathed. My body trembled with the amount of hate and dread coursing through me. “You were going to kill her?” I whispered harshly, and heard Darlene sob behind us somewhere.

Amit was going to kill her if I didn’t sign.

Murder his fiancée.

Leave Jewel without her mother.

Hot rage burst forward.

It had my feet eating up the floor, rushing him. Amit’s hands came up. He yelled something, but I didn’t hear.

Someone else screamed something. There was more shouting, more cries.

I heard nothing.

I wrapped my hand around his throat and pushed him back until he hit the wall. I got close. My mouth right next to his ear as I squeezed his throat. “You were going to kill her. You’re a motherfucking bastard who doesn’t deserve to live, but I’ll let you live so you can rot in jail.”

“Fuckin’ drop it,” Parker roared.

“He needs to move,” Andrew screamed.

“Drop the fuckin’ gun or I shoot.”

Amit tried to choke through his words. I released him a little. “You’ll never get your mother’s things.”

I chuckled. “I don’t care. I have something better. Seeing everything you have go down the drain. That right there is victory for me.”

I released his neck, stepped back, and smashed my fist into the side of his face.

Then I felt pain.

Pain sliced through my side.

Crying out, I dropped to my knees.

Sounds started to penetrate.

A gun was fired.

Parker yelled, “Stay down. Stay the fuck down. Liam, grab his gun. Everyone move to the corner there. Move. Now! Darlene, get Prisha over with you. Fuck. Easton? Easton?”

I chuckled. “I’m okay.”

“Bullshit. Liam, stay on them,” Parker ordered. He was as damn bossy as Lan.

I needed to see my own injury to patch it up. Andrew, the dick, must have shot me. Cringing, I slid off my jacket, untucked my shirt and pulled it up.

I jumped when Parker fell to his knees in front of me. He tucked his gun into the back of his jeans.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he chanted. His hands gripped my face. “You got shot. You got shot.”

I giggled, adrenaline crashing in on me. I felt tired for some reason and giddy. “I know, but it’s fine.”

“It’s not fuckin’ fine,” he growled.

“Parker—”

“Show me,” he demanded.

“Parker it’s—”

“Show me.”

I shook my head, coming back to myself. The stinging throbbed at my side, just below my ribs.

“Parker—”

“East, show me the fuckin’ wound,” he clipped roughly.

East.

I’d always been Easton.

Not East, like Lan called me.

Lan. I wondered how he was doing. He’d be out of his mind with worry.

“Fuck it,” Parker bit out. He lifted my arm, pulled up the shirt and then paused, staring at my scrape. The bullet hadn’t even penetrated. It took off some skin for sure, but I would be fine.

Parker dropped my shirt, straightened and stared at me.

“Told you.” I smiled.

He said nothing, but his hands were back on my cheeks and next, he tugged me in to plant his mouth on mine for a quick, hard kiss.

Whoa.

It only lasted maybe a second, but it was still long enough for my stomach to dip and my pulse to race.

He moved back, stared at me again, and then stood just as people burst through the office door yelling, “Police, nobody move.”