Page 6 of The Bratva King's Auctioned Bride

The more she explained, the more I should have worried, but it didn’t seem like there was anything to worry about except for Aleks’s possible reaction, if he ever found out. And why should he? Hearing the passion in her voice reminded me of how I’d felt at the runway show. It only solidified that no matter how grateful I was for this chance, I wasn’t living my dream. As much as I wanted to prove I could run a business and was keeping busy, Aleks was still overseeing everything from afar, still not trusting me to fully take the reins. I had to finally admit I was bored senseless.

“Please don’t tell,” Nat said, looking at me like I could tear her whole world apart with one word. “It’s all worked out. Nothing’s going to go wrong.”

“I won’t tell on one condition,” I said, a thrill rising in me. I wasn’t giving up on the marble business, but… “I want in.”

Chapter 4 - Arkadi

It took less than an hour to discover why the youngest Fokin sibling was currently in Milan, and it made my blood boil. She had taken over my quarry there, an incredibly lucrative business with showrooms all over the world, including in LA. It was a big enough blow to learn my enemies had already snatched that from my control and replaced all my employees with their own people, but I thought the fact I owned the quarry itself was well enough hidden that it might remain mine while I was laying low.

Even though my father had ruled over parts of Moscow, and I had inherited everything from him when he died much too young, I always wanted more. Papa hadn’t been keen on me seeking opportunities in America, wanting to be able to keep everyone where he could see them. Those old-fashioned notions of his were the one thing we clashed over.

When he died, I shocked his old advisors and his younger brother Eldar by immediately planning an expansion. My target was Los Angeles, and no amount of their naysaying and dire predictions that I’d ruin what we had in Moscow with my greed could stop me.

Maybe I was greedy, maybe my ambition did bubble over sometimes, but I had a hunger that couldn’t be sated, a never-ending desire for more. More properties, more power, more people, just… more.

And I’d gotten it, and was riding high. Eldar had to admit he was wrong and wanted a piece of my American kingdom, but he had to be content with running things back here in Moscow. There was room for only one king in LA. Well, my part of the city, anyway. There were always those damn Fokins. Every bit asambitious and ruthless as I was, there were times I had to give them my grudging respect. There was a brief moment when we were in talks to join forces, but it all fell apart over a broken deal.

It had come to war, and now I was in retreat, watching them tear it all down.

As long as I decided to stay under the radar, there wasn’t a damn thing I could do to retaliate as the Fokins whittled my American empire down to the girders. Now, one more piece of it, and a favorite piece, too, was not just taken but being run by that flighty little girl.

Well… not so little. There was no denying Mila was a gorgeous woman with sweetness in her pretty face and blue eyes, but nothing but the devil in that perfect body of hers. Her full, rich curves had distracted me every damn time I’d seen her in the past, not at all like so many of the models and starlets who were little more than skin and bones.

Ah, Mila’s skin, another distraction, so pale and smooth and always much too covered up. Like me, the woman appreciated fine things and was always dressed to impress. But I had imagined her without her designer layers more than once. That creamy skin of hers would feel like velvet under my fingertips as I removed her immaculate clothes bit by bit. Would she blush? Would those plump lips of hers curl into a smile as I teased her flesh? Would her delicate hands reach for me? I could already hear the soft noises she’d make as I kissed my way over every inch of her.

And oh God, what would she taste like?

My cock strained at the front of my pants at that thought, and I cursed out loud. What in the fuck was I doing, fantasizing over the woman who was right now driving one of my best businesses into the ground. Certainly, her brother had assignedit to her to taunt me, knowing how much money it made. What did he care if it went under when destroying me was his ultimate goal?

I had no doubt that I’d get everything back, but what good would it all be if it were dismantled by incompetence? Every recent report I’d received from LA was more bad news. It was well past time to act, and Mila had been given to me, all but wrapped up in a bow. When she was under my control, I’d have the means to put an end to this nightmare, but for now, I was stuck, waiting for that damn shipment. Just three more days.

It felt like an eternity, knowing how close I was to crushing the Fokins.

True to his word, Eldar arrived in Milan later that night, calling me within a few hours of touching down. The jet was on its way back to be ready for when I could finally take off, and he assured me he already had surveillance on Mila.

Now, all I had to do was wait, not get distracted by thoughts of the beautiful prize that awaited me, and concentrate on how I’d use her to regain what was mine.

“I’ve got it covered here. You just take care of that shipment,” Eldar needlessly told me, muttering about how I was foolishly risking so much money for nothing.

“For nothing?” I snapped.

He recognized the dangerous tone in my voice and remained silent. I was well aware of how much the arms deal would bring us. It was why I had agreed to stay. I knew my responsibilities to the people who gave me their loyalty. But it hardly mattered that I was a king here in Moscow when revenge was all I craved.

That and Mila. Knowing she was so close to being mine made revenge almost seem unimportant. But, of course, it was.

“I’m only telling you not to worry,” Eldar said, finally hanging up on me.

There was no use calling the old curmudgeon back to berate him. If he said he had things under control, there was nothing I could do but continue to wait. And I wasn’t worried, I was pissed.

The Fokins were definitely taunting me with this decision to give my quarry to their inexperienced sister, hoping to drive me out of hiding. But they underestimated me once again. I wasn’t going to show my face until all the cards were in my hands.

Really, I only needed one card to bring them to their knees, and I’d have it soon enough. A pretty little ace up my sleeve.

Chapter 5 - Mila

A notification pulled me away from the contract I was perusing, and I listlessly reached to check my calendar. I had dragged myself into the office instead of working from the apartment, meaning to use the little bit of free time I had that morning to spice up the drab, gray space, but had this paperwork thrust under my nose instead. Something about a new supplier of cutting saws, and the opposite of riveting, so I was actually somewhat glad for the distraction.

My late afternoon meeting had been canceled, and it was difficult not to breathe a sigh of relief. It would only end up being rescheduled; I wasn’t getting out of anything, and I still had one to get to in a little bit. Only a few days had passed since the fashion show, and my enthusiasm for my new job was definitely taking a nosedive.

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