Page 15 of Maxim

Shit, who else am I going to run into that I know tonight?

Shaking my head, I take a deep breath as I try to keep my emotions off my face. The last thing I need right now is to be made. I start walking to my left, toward the edge of the room. Maybe I can fall into the shadows and no one will notice me.

“Mr. Boyko!” a man says loudly behind me.

“Motherfucker,” I hiss under my breath before pasting on a smile and turning. “Mr. Nowak, how are you?”

“Please call me Jan. I’m fine, boy. How are you?”

“I’m well.”

The man claps my shoulder and laughs. “That’s what I like to hear. Are you ready for the sale?”

“I am.”

“Plan on buying any merchandise?” He winks.

I force myself to smirk to keep the disgust off my face. “Only time will tell.”

“Ah, a man who likes to see his options before settling. I admire that about you.”

Even though I shouldn’t, I find myself asking about Olena.

“I was expecting to see your daughter behind the bar tonight but saw that she’s absent. I hope the last meeting didn’t scare her off too much.” I wink.

Jan laughs, shaking his head. “She’s nothing for you to worry about.”

Before either of them can say anything more, someone calls for Jan.

“Go, I’m sure we can catch up another time,” I tell the asshole.

“Of course. Have a good night, Mr. Boyko. I do hope you see something you like enough to bid on this evening,” he says before walking away.

Blowing out a breath, I step back and into the shadows. Why did he blow off my concern for his daughter? That is strange, right?

Not the time or place, Maxim, I remind myself.

I bring my drink up to my mouth and scan the room once again. The place is full, and anticipation thrums through the air, making it feel electric. Before I can even take another drink, a bell is rung.

“It’s time to begin! Everyone head into the auction room. May your darkest desires come true tonight,” someone says through the speaker system.

I fall into step with others and head into the private room. I take a seat closest to the door and at the back of the room so I can see everyone with a simple turn of my head.

When everyone is sitting, the doors shut behind us and the lights start to dim.

This is it.

All I have to do is observe and report back to Alexei who will tell Nik. This will be a piece of cake.

Women and men of all ages are pushed onto the stage and stand in the blinding light while the auctioneer talks about them as if they are a prized cow. After a while I become numb to it, but the ones that really make me regret coming undercover are the children. The little girl that went for three million couldn’t have been older than five, and there was a boy around the age of three.

My hand twitches to bid on them, but I have nowhere to take them. I would need to keep them at my place until this is over, and I have no idea how to care for them.

No, instead I make note of who did take them. I will report to Alexei tonight and tell him who they are. By morning, they will be rescued.

The crowd becomes restless as the auctioneer tells everyone that there is one more left for the evening. When she stumbles onto the stage, wide-eyed in lingerie so light I swear I can see through it, I curse. My eyes instantly look toward her father. Anger courses through me as I watch the man laugh as his daughter is up for sale. I knew he was a sick fuck, but I wasn’t expecting this.

And to think he has two other small kids at home. Does he plan on selling them too?

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