Page 6 of The Bratva's Auctioned Bride

Sitting on that hard bench, I made myself think about my brothers. I imagined them breaking into the club and coming to rescue me as they had their own wives.

While I had never experienced those moments myself, I heard about their successful hit jobs and how they’d stop at nothing to protect the people they loved. I could only hope the same would apply to me, and that they’d be up to their necks in worry about where I was.

I tried to have faith in them. I knew they cared about me, and I knew they’d do whatever possible to keep me safe, but as time stretched on and the minutes passed until I couldn’t keep track anymore, that hope was beginning to dwindle.

Not only did I put distance between myself and my brothers’ business to stay as blissfully unaware of the unsavory aspects of it all, but I also did it to safeguard myself from this exact situation. I didn’t want anything to do with it, but I was forced into a human auction regardless.

After some time, the lock on the other side shifted and released, then the heavy door opened up again. Instinctively, I sat up straight as my whole body tensed with near-painful anticipation.

Just pray you get a good one.

Those words rammed against my skull as I waited for the apparent winner to make themselves known.

As the door opened, I saw a heavily built guard first, dressed in more formal work attire. He was soon eclipsed by a thinner, yet strong, frame carried on long legs clad in expensive-looking clothes.

My eyes drifted up, and that previous fear I had seemed to pause within me, frozen as I took him in. I half expected an older man with an almost greasy appearance to match the cruelty of his participation in the auction, but to my surprise, the opposite was true.

The man seemed younger—late thirties, I presumed—with a head of loose, medium-brown curls that were neatly trimmed and pushed out of his face, aside from a stray that dangled above his equally dark eyes.

The shock of seeing a handsome man instead of a disgusting one left me speechless, and while I should’ve had much more to say, I didn’t. I couldn’t think of anything suitable at that moment. I was too stunned by how attractive he was.

He stepped into the small space with his arms folded behind his back, looking a lot more relaxed and contemplative than I would’ve expected. His guards stood behind him, waiting at the door as they surveyed their surroundings.

It seemed like he was an important man, even if I had never seen him before.

While I was mostly not involved in the crime world, I had spent enough time going to events and charity galas to become familiar with some prominent figures from the community, all busy doing the same work I was, which meant I knew some crime families and their members, yet I'd never seen him before.

Still, if he managed to outbid everyone else in the club, then that meant he was someone—and he had enough power and influence to put us both in this position.

He looked me over with a satisfied grin and a hint of something I couldn’t quite place as he stepped closer to the point where I could make out the slight dusting of freckles across his cheeks.

“I’m Alexander Novikov, but call me Alex. It seems you’re my spoil of the night, Lara Levov.”

His tone was softer than I imagined, but it had a cunning smoothness to it that made my skin crawl.

Even if he seemed charming with the faint curl of his lip, everything in me was screaming to be on guard. He had bought me at an auction, after all, and I had no way of knowing what his intentions were.

Regardless of how attractive I found him, he was no better than any of those men in the club, and I couldn’t trust him.

Chapter 4 - Alexander

I wasn’t exactly used to losing, but I had never experienced a win that felt quite as fulfilling as knowing I had Lara Levov right where I wanted her. Against all odds, I didn’t have to watch her be won and swept away by someone who didn’t deserve her.

When she didn’t say anything, I took a step closer and reached for her chin, taking it between my thumb and index finger. Immediate anger flashed in her eyes as she looked at me, but there was little she could do as I kept my grip firm and looked her over, shifting her head gently from side to side during my close-up inspection.

Her skin was warm and smooth beneath my touch, and something about it sent a thrill through me.

Anger still glared through her gaze, but it only made me chuckle.

She had been breathtaking on that stage, but up close, it was a whole new experience. Even while surely enraged by the entire experience, along with my hold on her, those light blue eyes were captivating. I didn’t want to stop looking into them, even if it wasn’t the place for it.

“I’m sure tonight didn’t go according to plan for you, Lara, but things will be very different moving forward,” I hummed, letting my thumb gently brush against her chin as I grinned, feeling more than satisfied with myself.

It wasn’t often that our plans went off completely without a hitch, given the nature of our work. Most jobs came with some sort of issue, even if we managed to sort it out in the end. But knowing I had her—that I had safeguarded her from the creeps out there—made that win all the sweeter, especially since it meant the next phase of the plan could be initiated.

As much as I wanted to tell myself it was all for duty and work, part of me knew full well that I had selfish reasons for bidding on Lara—the part of me that hated the very idea of anyone else winning her and subjecting her to an unspeakable life.

Even if that gaze of hers spoke of fear and anger, unaware of how much worse the situation could be for her, I knew I had done her a favor; I stopped her from being trapped with an old creep or some nut job.

---