Page 38 of Rusty's Command

Sienna

Sienna’s heartthundered in her ears as she peered over the balcony, scanning from Wang to Pickle, who was wagging his tail and gazing up at a woman with dark, curly hair and warm, golden skin. The woman’s piercing brown eyes locked onto Viktor with fierce determination that made Sienna’s breath catch.

Rusty’s gun was aimed at Viktor, and his finger was on the trigger, ready to shoot.

Viktor took a step forward, and the other women backed away with fear widening their eyes. But the woman Pickle was fixated on stood her ground and set her jaw in a firm line.

Viktor’s grin grew wider, and his eyes glinted with sadistic pleasure as he took another step closer to Pickle and the woman. The air seemed to vibrate with tension as he reached into his pocket.

Rusty sucked air through his teeth.

Shit!

The woman snatched Pickle up from the ground and cradled him tightly against her bare chest.

Oh fuck!

The other women were paralyzed with fear, their eyes wide and unblinking, but the woman holding Pickle glared at Viktor with a fierce defiance that made Sienna’s heart pound.

Viktor’s smile grew wider as he pulled a gun from his pocket and held it casually at his side. He took another step closer to the woman and Pickle, his movements deliberate and menacing.

As Sienna tightened her grip on the railing, her mind raced with worst-case scenarios.

Rusty’s hand clamped on her shoulder, and his fingers dug into her skin. “Don’t,” he hissed through clenched teeth, his voice low and urgent. His gun remained steady, but his eyes were a maelstrom of emotions—fear, anger, desperation—that Sienna couldn’t begin to untangle.

Pickle growled low in his throat, and the sound sent a shiver down her spine. She snapped her gaze to him, willing him to calm down, but Pickle’s eyes were fixed on Viktor, his teeth bared in a snarl.

Shit. Shit. Stop it, Pickle.

Viktor’s eyes glinted with sadistic pleasure as he took another step closer. “Ah, a feisty little thing, isn’t he?”

The woman’s arms constricted around Pickle, her spine stiffening with a defiance that radiated from every limb. Her eyes, cold and hard as stone, locked onto Viktor’s, daring him to take another step.

Then she shifted sideways, and Rusty hissed in frustration. “Fuck! She’s in the way.”

Viktor leaned in so his face was inches from the woman’s, and Pickle released a low, menacing growl. Whatever Viktor whispered to the woman made her knuckles turn white with tension as she tightened her grip on Pickle.

Time seemed to freeze. The air grew thick with anticipation and fear. The woman’s chin rose higher, her eyes blazing with fierce determination as she glared at Viktor.

Viktor’s head tilted to one side, his expression an unreadable mask.

Sienna’s breath burned in her throat.

The women, the guards, even the air itself seemed to still as the barrel of Viktor’s gun hovered inches from the woman’s bare belly, yet he’d positioned himself so none of the cameras could see the gun

And then, in a move that was both controlled and sinister, Viktor lowered the gun and swept his gaze to the bank of monitors. “Well, gentlemen, as you can see, we have a little show on our hands. Who will be the first to bid on this lovely creature?”

His voice was like a snake slithering through the grass, smooth and deadly. He reached out to touch the woman’s cheek, but before he made contact, Pickle lunged at Viktor, gnashing his teeth in a fierce snarl.

Viktor snapped his hand back, and the veil of civility slipped from him to reveal the monster beneath.

In a flash, he composed himself, his face smoothing out into a bland, calculating mask. He turned to one of the guards and gave a nod that was barely noticeable. The armed guard marched forward, his footsteps echoing across the stage like horse hooves.

Sienna’s grip on the railing tightened.

“Oh God, no, no, no,” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the pounding of her heart in her ears.

When the guard was three feet away, the woman spun and ran, holding Pickle against her like a shield. Her high heels echoed across the stage as she fled down the steps and ran into the shadows.

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