Page 81 of Bound By Hate (Born in Blood)

“Where the fuck are the guards?” the announcer of the auction says.

It’s then that I realize—I knocked the guards out.

I react on instinct. It’s what saved me all those years living in a bad neighborhood. It’s the reason I’m alive today.

I rush forward and jump onto the stage, knocking the announcer out. It only takes one punch for him. Fucking weakling.

Mila turns to me and gasps. “Aleksander?”

“Shh. Stay there.” I run back to Viktoriya, and she asks me what I’m doing. “Change of plans,” I tell her. I sprint back to the guards and rummage through their pockets until I can find the keys. Grabbing them, I hurry onto the stage and unlock Mila’s collar.

“Run,” I tell her.

She doesn’t hesitate.

“Help,” the other women cry out. There are five of them.

“Aleksander, come on,” Viktoriya hisses, clutching Mila.

I have to save these women. I’m not a good man, but I have to do this one good thing.

“Get into the car,” I tell Viktoriya. “And hurry.”

She looks between me and the women and nods before taking off with Mila. They disappear from view.

I start unlocking the first woman’s collar, but it’s not as easy as it looks. The locks around their throats are old and rusted, making it harder to get the key into the lock.

Footsteps start heading my way. I unlock the first woman and tell her to run before moving onto the next woman’s collar.

“Aleksander.” It’s Viktoriya. She rushes onto the stage, a key in her hand, and helps me with the other women.

“What are you doing?” I ask. “You should be safe in the car.”

“Mila is. But I couldn’t let you stay here on your own. What if other people showed up?”

And right on cue, more footsteps start heading in our direction.

“We need to hurry,” I say, unlocking the woman’s collar. Between Viktoriya and me, we manage to help the other women get out of their collars, but then two men round the corner and stop when they see what’s happening: that all the women they just sold are escaping.

“Stop them!” one of them yells. I take a step toward the man who yelled, but right before my eyes, Viktoriya is there, raising her leg and landing a solid kick to the man’s temple. She gasps and stumbles back, clutching at her ribs.

I use her attack to my advantage. I knock both men out before they can react, then grab Viktoriya’s hand and take off running toward the back door.

The other women are outside, running for their lives. They meld with the darkness and then are gone. I hope they make it to safety.

We reach the car and get in. I take off without a second glance at the building and the multiple men running out of it, angry they didn’t get the women they just bought.

VIKTORIYA

“Are you ok?” I ask Mila, who’s cowering in the backseat.

“You saved me.”

“Of course, I did.” I glance at Aleksander. “Though I couldn’t have done it without him.”

He flashes me a small smile.

What Aleksander and I went through tonight changes things. I’ve seen a different side to him—a protective, strong side. A side that doesn’t just want to control me. A side that shows me he will protect me if push comes to shove.

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