Page 14 of Catch a King (Five Kings 1)

He grabs my ass, making me almost drop the tray I’m carrying and whispers, “There’s no escaping it, darlin’, no one in this place will bid against me, I’ve made sure of it, so accept the fact you’re gonna have the night of your life.”

I say nothing, which obviously annoys him because he spits, “What’s the matter, can’t think of a smart remark, that’s not like you darlin’, I kind of like the fire in you.”

Leaning forward, I whisper in a dull voice. “If I am made to fuck you, then you can have my body but never my mind or spirit. You may as well fuck a plastic doll for all the life you’ll find in me. You see, darlin’…” I sneer. “You’re not that attractive and quite possibly the most repulsive man I’ve ever met, so it figures why you’re still single. So, if you get your women this way, it must suck being you. See you later, darlin’, I hope I’m a big disappointment.”

Shoving the tray at him, I push past and hope to God I can put some distance between us, so I can at least think about this.

However, fate just isn’t giving me a break right now because the bar is suddenly crowded with just about every Dragon they have and there is no way out of here. I catch Marina’s eye as she stands beside Axel, and she throws me a sympathetic look and shakes her head. From the look on her face, she’s hating every minute of this too, and yet I’m the one up for auction as they put it, reminding me exactly why I stay away from places like this.

“Quiet.”

Axel roars and the noise stops immediately. He nods to someone who dims the lights, except for a spotlight in the center of the room and then looks across and says firmly, “Millie, take your position, it’s time to settle this.”

What the… I make to speak, to protest, to run like hell, but something’s telling me I wouldn’t get far. Marina offers me a slight shake of the head as if warning me not to do anything foolish, and as I look at the exit, I see two of the largest Dragons guarding it and my heart sinks as I realize what this is. Marina’s words come back to haunt me when she called them women hating pigs. It’s obvious I’m doing this whether I agree or not, and the sight of Slade gazing lustfully at my breasts is not helping the situation at all.

My legs won’t move and I’m not sure what happens next because I’m suddenly dragged by two bikers into the center of the room like a piece of meat and they stand to the side with a menacing look.

So, this is how it’s gonna be. Auctioned off—at least the pretense of one to a monster.

I can’t even look at him right now because that man makes my flesh creep. He may be one of the hottest guys here, but his soul is ugly. Why would I ever want a man like that, and yet I’m here to do a job? I must accept that and find what I need and get the hell out of town.

So, I toss my hair back and fix my gaze on the furthest wall, not looking at a soul because if this is how it’s gonna be, then so be it.

Chapter 11

Sawyer

She looks scared shitless and who can blame her. The thought of the night she’s about to face would make any woman afraid. She’s trying so hard to disguise it, but I see it in her eyes and if I can see it, you can be damned sure my brother has. He will be loving this, feeding off her fear and god help the poor girl because he is a fucking lunatic where women are concerned. The last girl who stood in that spot left not two hours later with her clothes torn and a sore reminder of how hard he likes to play. Thinking of this woman subjected to the same treatment makes me feel uncomfortable, although I’m not sure why it concerns me at all. I’m here to find the fucker who murdered my father and when that’s done, I’m heading home.

The mood is tense and filled with expectation. They all love an auction because they’re rare, which makes this one a must see. Normally, guys can throw in their interest and the girl gets to choose. The auction is just a word because the men are the bait and the woman gets to choose the one she least detests. However, tonight Slade has made it clear that nobody else must throw in a bid because it’s damned certain she would choose anyone but him.

I’m not sure why he wants her so much, although I can kind of guess because she stands like the finest treasure in a cave of tin. Her figure would be the ruin of any man and those legs go on for miles. Her chestnut hair is wild and long and her green eyes are unusual but compliment her natural ruby red lips. Yes, our little bartender is a rare object and the fact I haven’t had sex in close on three months isn’t helping one bit.

I don’t need a woman in my life, and maybe Slade is done with whoring around and chose the first decent girl to walk through those doors.

The men are almost panting as they stare at a woman who has more than just beauty. She is fearless, standing there like a warrior and yet vulnerable and scared. I see everything as she shivers a little and watch as she swallows hard. Her hand is twitching, and she is blinking furiously, no doubt to keep the tears away that would reveal how shit scared she is.

My brother, on the other hand, is gearing up to pounce the moment the gavel comes down. I know how these things work. It’s usual for the winner to fuck his prize in full view of the club which is why the guys are panting so hard. They love it when an unwilling woman comes to play, and it makes me sick to my stomach. I will never be one of them, if I live to be a hundred, I willneverbe one of them.

Axel says loudly, “Let the auction begin. Our newest recruit, Millie Raymond. A beautiful girl with a body for sin. Who sets their bids?”

He falls silent and looks around the room and apart from a few mutterings and the shifting of feet, only one voice rings out. “I do.”

Slade steps into the light and I watch as Millie shivers. She can’t help it. Despite the fact she is trying to disguise her feelings, I feel her pain and fear from my vantage point at the back of the room. An unwilling observer because I hate this shit. It’s why I took off and joined up, anything but this. But gasoline runs like blood in my veins and I’m not going to lie, I love the thrill of riding with my brothers. It’s what happens after we ride, I hate, which keeps me away.

Staring at Millie trembling with fear, shifts the uninterested beast inside me. If I’m honest, I’ve been interested since that night we met but pushed it aside. She is one big complication and a bad idea. More trouble than I could stand and will be the ruin of me, so God only knows why, as Axel lifts the gavel to secure her fate, I say loudly, “I do.”

The silence mixes with disbelief as every Dragon looks my way. I don’t miss the anger on Axel’s face, or the disbelief on Marina’s. Millie jumps and looks around and as her eyes find mine, I see the tears in hers as I shift off the wall I’m leaning on and advance toward my brother, who looks as if he may just kill me when I reach him.

“I do.” I repeat my words as if to convince myself more than anyone else, and I can almost taste the uncertainty in the room because nobody goes against Slade. I’m a fool because brother or not, this won’t end well.

He sneers as I join him in the light and whispers, “What the fuck are you playing at?”

“I want her.” I state a simple fact and he narrows his eyes. “You only want her because I do. Back off, you’ve no business disrupting club business. You’ll be gone soon enough, and where will that leave her—or me? No, back off brother because I’ve been waiting a long time for someone of class to walk through those doors and no one is classier than her.”

Nobody can hear a word he says because he is hissing in my ear and I’m almost convinced, but then I know my brother well and if this is a love match, I’m the Easter Bunny. He has a viler need for Millie and I’d hate to watch something I could have prevented, so I sneer. “Then let the best man win.”

Axel is angry, I can tell by the fact his face is purple and steam appears to be coming out of his ears. His two almost sons, fighting over a woman in front of the club. He won’t like this at all and yet he knows he has to see this through—the right way.

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