Page 2 of The Bratva's Auctioned Bride

While the new guard wasn’t impressed, he didn’t say anything else, grabbing my opposite arm as the other man disappeared behind me, likely on his way back to fetch someone else. The new guy’s grip wasn’t as hard, yet it was firm enough to keep me in place.

The guard wordlessly took me through a door, made another turn, and then guided me into a narrower passage flanked by high velvet curtains. My brows came together as I took it all in, able to hear a low murmur in the distance. Light spilled into the space overtop and beneath the curtains, making me further question where I was.

Getting a sense that this guard wasn’t quite as rough as the previous one, I murmured as we walked, “Where am I?”

The man took a moment to answer, not bothering to look at me. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

His answer stirred a deep irritation within me, and I wanted to snap something back at him, but he just barely tightened his grip on my arm as we stood where the curtains ended, allowing me to see what looked like a stage ahead of me. He leaned in closer to my ear, voice low.

“Don’t speak a word when you get out there. Stand, hold your sign up, and don’t make a fool of yourself or us. Just pray you get a good one.”

Us.

I didn’t know what that meant, or whose honor I was supposed to guard, but it only made my stomach twist more.

As we stood off to the side, the woman who left the room before me was whisked backstage, hauled by the arm as she and another guard passed by us. Her eyes were still widened, but beyond that, her steps were rigid with disbelief and dread.

Before I could examine her further, I was nudged forward, and the guard gestured for me to continue.

Despite not wanting to find out what was on the other side of that curtain, I was pushed out, and I maintained my wobbly balance as I stepped onto the stage, immediately blinded by the spotlight on me.

I awkwardly gripped the heavy card harder than necessary as I focused on my surroundings, taking several steps closer.

Despite the bright light that seemed to burn into my eyes, the rest of the place was dimly lit with dark walls and floors. There were deep red chairs around the room, along with tables and booths in the background. Various men in different states of black-tie attire occupied those places, and at once, their eyes were on me.

The longer I looked, the more those telltale details became apparent, and I had no doubt it was a seedy club somewhere. From the looks of it, it was somewhere underground and hidden away from the general public.

My hands trembled faintly as I stood there, feeling like a hare cornered by hungry wolves.

“Next up, we have number two-eight-nine—a real showstopper,” a man said from the right side of the stage as he approached me, putting his hand on the small of my back to guide me further out and give them all a better view of me.

His touch was gentle in comparison to the guards’, but with his almost greasy smile, apparently knowing something I didn’t, being close to him made my stomach turn anyway.

“The Levov Princess, worth a pretty penny and no doubt a rare find,” the man announced with a smug smile. “For you cheapskates out there, don’t even bother opening your wallets for this one.”

The men in the crowd chuckled lowly to themselves as their eyes roamed over me like I was just a piece of meat, glimmering with interest. Some leaned against their chairs and seemed to consider the idea.

Levov. So they knew who I was, and that was a selling feature, apparently.

I had very little experience in the world of organized crime—that was my brothers’ domain, not mine. But even so, I was well aware of the value I would have to other men in the business, whether that be for marriage, blackmail, or anything else in between.

And given the chance to take it all in, able to see the bigger picture, there was no room left to doubt exactly what was going on.

Even as the announcer continued to speak, letting his voice project throughout the room while those men stared at me like I was a meal to be devoured, I couldn’t focus on his words.

I could only hear my pulse pounding in my ears, standing there like a frozen idiot.

As much as I believed I could hang with my brothers and act tough with them, it became immediately clear that I wasn’t like them at all. Beyond my limited knowledge, I was at a disadvantage at that moment, and it seemed I couldn’t do anything about it.

I wasn’t armed. I didn’t know how to fight, and I certainly didn’t know how to get myself out of this mess.

Unmoving with the sign clutched in my hands, bright lights in my eyes as the crowd drank me in with their predatory gazes, panic rose quietly within me. My skin went cold, and I couldn’t think about anything but the damning realization that made my head pound.

I was at an auction, and I was for sale.

Chapter 2 - Alexander

The club was the last place I wanted to be, but when duty called, I wasn’t one to ignore it.

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