Page 34 of The Bratva King's Auctioned Bride

“Fifty thousand?” he asked, pretending to be offended. “Now I’m really determined to stay.”

My last hope was to barricade the door and try to get the guards, who were on his payroll, to side with me against him. Or else get in a knock-down, drag-out fight that Mila was sure to see. Most of the ten minutes I’d given her were already gone.

As soon as I was inside and slamming the heavy doors behind me, she came down the stairs, at first curious, then alarmed.

“Who is that?” she asked, looking around for a weapon. I had to smile at her bravery, despite being annoyed enough to be grinding my teeth to the gums. “Is that why you wanted me ready to go in ten minutes?” She peered past me, out the windows on either side of the doors. “Oh my God, I know who that guy is.” Glaring at me, she shoved me aside and swung open the doors. “Where is Nat? If you hurt her, I’ll make sure you die good and slow,” she shouted at Kolya.

Kolya gave me a shocked look as he blew into the entryway like a hurricane. “She’s perfectly fine,” he told Mila. “Just not too happy with me at the moment.”

Ah, so he’d gotten himself mixed up with Mila’s friend; that was how he’d known she was in Milan. Nat must have recently learned the true nature of my brother and lost herself a bunch of money with the lesson. This was typical of Kolya and normally nothing more than an annoyance, but now it was affecting me.

And Mila, who was spitting mad at him. “Was it you who tipped him off that I was in Milan?” she demanded. “It had to be, don’t bother lying.” She turned to me, then back to Kolya, her eyes narrowing. “Are you two related?”

“This is my younger brother,” I said. “Unfortunately.”

“Well, I can’t say I’m pleased to meet you again,” she said.

“I, for one, am enchanted to see you again,” he said, and I didn’t like his flirtatious tone one bit. “You know you’ve got a huge fan club back in Milan.”

Mila looked confused, and my fist clenched, itching to punch him in the mouth. Let him open it one more time.

Being Kolya, he did. “All the men who lost the auction,” he explained to her. “They’re hoping you’ll put on another show.”

All the color drained from her face, and my fist flew, landing with a satisfying crunch on the side of Kolya’s jaw for upsetting her.

“What the actual fuck?” I demanded, holding onto his collar to keep him upright. One more word from him that wasn’t an apology: He’d be using his recent windfall for dental work.

Kolya was no stranger to getting socked in the mouth and recovered quickly, having the sense to say he was sorry to my wife. Then, he got somewhat serious and informed me that our uncle was on a rampage in Milan.

“What?” I asked, about to blow a gasket. “I told him to get his ass back to Moscow right after the—” I shut up, not wanting to bring up the auction and upset Mila all over again.

“He didn’t listen,” Kolya said with a shrug. “He’s running his mouth and making underhanded deals.” He pulled me a few steps away and lowered his voice. “With the men who still think they have a shot at Mila.”

That was it. She was no longer safe in Italy. And as far as I was concerned, Eldar was no longer a member of the family. I turned and gave her a long look. She ignored me, recovering from having to recall the ordeal Eldar had put her through.

“What did you do to Nat?” she fearlessly demanded, giving Kolya a look that should have dropped him on the spot. “If you cheated her, I swear—”

“Never mind that now,” I interrupted, dragging her toward the stairs. “You still need to pack.”

“Oh, come on, we’re barely getting to know each other,” Kolya called with a laugh as he headed toward the kitchen. As usual, not giving a single damn about anyone but himself.

“Are we still leaving?” Mila asked, looking around like she might run.

Before she could dig in her heels and start fighting me in front of my brother, which would have only amused him to no end, I picked her up and slung her over my shoulder.

“Yes,” I said, hauling her to our room and pointing at the closet. “Take as much as you want, but be quick about it.”

“I—I want to stay in Italy,” she said, fear creeping into her voice.

So she hadn’t overheard Kolya tell me that the men who’d failed to win her in the auction were looking for another chance.I would have rather taken a knife to the gut than scare her with that information. I only shook my head. I recognized that she felt safe in Italy, but it was no longer an option.

“Or take me back to LA,” she said, grabbing my arm.

Really not an option. “No. You can open a boutique if you want, but even if you don’t, we’re going to Moscow as soon as I can arrange my plane.”

I could protect her there. Anyone who crossed me on my own turf would have to be insane. And have a death wish.

If she’d been pale at the mention of the auction, she was ashen at learning we were heading to Russia. The look on my face warned her not to argue, and after a brief hesitation, she turned and went into the closet. A moment later, I heard the sound of hangers being pulled off the racks.

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