Page 32 of The Bratva's Auctioned Bride

"I can assure you, I have no intention of screwing you over. I'm more concerned about the Gromovs and what their next move might be," Alex said evenly.

While holding on to his irritation, Ari nodded after a moment of consideration. "Keep those pests at bay, and we'll revisit all of this later. For now, consider your next steps carefully."

Without any resistance or argument, the meeting continued until my brother seemed to satiate his anger, and we eventually wrapped it up.

"Even if I haven't wrung you out for all of this, I have a condition," Ari said as he walked us to the front of the mostly empty club. He looked at Alex directly after glancing at me. "If I'm to let this arrangement fly, then you need to keep the line of communication open. Do not shut Lara out from us, and do not treat her like a hostage. If she is your wife, and this is a genuine marriage, then give her the freedom she needs. I'm telling you this from experience."

At Alex's nod of confirmation, along with his added determination, my brother looked at me next, then pulled me in for another hug. He murmured close to my ear, "If you need anything, call us. We're here for you."

At the concern in his voice, the emotions pulsed faintly within me, and I nodded, giving him a light squeeze. "I will."

Once it was all said and done, I said goodbye to my brothers, and while it felt bittersweet in a sense, I had the feeling that Alex would keep his promise, that he wouldn't keep me isolated like before. I was sure I'd be seeing them again soon enough.

With that, Alex reached for my hand and guided me out of the club.

The skepticism from my brothers was tangible even as we left, but at the end of it all, I was still by Alex's side, and I had every hope that I wasn't making a mistake by trusting him.

***

With everything going on, I would’ve expected Alex to lay low and favor staying at home, but as he brought up before,the night of the social event arrived shortly after we met with my family. In all honesty, I completely forgot about it until Alex entered the bedroom carrying a dress bag.

He was adjusting the cuffs on his black button-down that hugged his biceps perfectly when I re-entered the room wearing a red gown he picked out himself, which happened to match the fine detailing in his shirt. Alex perked up as he took me in, allowing a faint smirk to pull on his lips.

“Look at you,” he hummed, giving me a complete once-over as I stepped closer with a grin, ready to go. “I knew that dress would be perfect on you. You look beautiful.”

My smile grew then, turning to check myself out in the floor-length mirror not far from where I was. “Thank you. You picked well.”

“That I did,” Alex agreed as he mirrored my expression and nodded as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a small box before he cracked it open. He stepped closer until he was behind me, carefully moving my hair over one shoulder. “Speaking of which, I got you something to go with it. The dress wouldn’t be complete without it.”

I softened the moment he went to put a necklace around my neck, carefully clasping it before laying it gently against my skin. The moment I felt the cool sensation of it just above my cleavage, I reached for it, feeling the delicate gems. It was simple yet elegant, and it paired well with the dress. I met his gaze through the mirror. “This is beautiful. Thank you.”

Alex’s genuine smile made my heart squeeze, along with the kind gesture of his gift-giving. He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss against my temple with his palm against the small of my back. “It’s my pleasure. But we should get going before I never hear the end of being late for this thing.”

Eventually, we got into the vehicle waiting out front, and we were escorted through the city until we reached a club downtown. Based on the unassuming, discreet look of the building from the outside, it was some sort of exclusive place, and that assumption seemed even more substantiated as we walked inside.

Alex guided me in, keeping an arm around my waist as we entered the relaxed and almost sensual atmosphere.

The club was dim with colored mood lights on the walls, near the tables, and around the bar, and the dark-colored furnishings tied it all together. Overall, it looked like a high-end, luxury place, and that was especially evident in those in attendance. It was like night and day compared to the seedy underground club where the auction took place, and I was incredibly relieved by that.

As we moved through the space, it didn’t take long for some of the patrons to recognize Alex, and before long, I was introduced to several people. They all wore similar smiles, as if they were pleased by the fact that they were invited, yet something in them still wanted to be anywhere else.

It didn’t take long for me to get a sense that many of them were there out of obligation more than anything, and as I was acquainted with quite a few, many of whose names I hardly even remembered directly after speaking with them, I couldn’t help but wonder just how much influence was gathered in that space at once.

Alex seemed to be neutral toward most of them, and while he was outwardly friendly, he was somewhat reserved in between interactions. He knew how to schmooze when it was called for, but otherwise, he was quiet and contemplative.

While we chatted and followed through with speaking to the people he deemed ‘the most important,’ I caught on to the way he seemed to show me off, guiding me around the room, never once letting go of me. He did so calmly and smoothly, either by keeping a hand against my back or resting on my hip.

To my surprise, I didn’t mind it at all. It brought warmth over me, and I could see how it brought Alex a sense of pride, too. I even enjoyed that possessive hold he had on me as it lingered throughout the evening.

Gliding through the club in that red dress, aware of the eyes on us, I allowed myself to fall into old habits. That natural, yet practiced confidence I had from attending all those old events for my brothers fell back into place again, and I had no problem putting on a smile and interacting socially as needed.

“You have a lot of friends here tonight,” I eventually said to Alex, watching as he pointed out an empty booth.

“These people aren’t my friends,” Alex returned quietly with a chuckle and led me over before we both sat down, giving me a break from meandering around in heels. “They’re more like associates and colleagues in a way, and these events are a quick and easy way to build new alliances and partnerships. It’s all an act to benefit everyone in various ways. In fact, I despise quite a few of them.”

My brows went up in question at that, surprised to hear it, given how friendly he had been with everyone. “Really?”

He nodded before signaling for one of the hostesses to come by. “Really. I’d rather not be here, but maintaining my image and being an active presence in this landscape works in my favor.”

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