Page 14 of The Bratva's Auctioned Bride
They love me. They love me so much it will be grief so deep—grief that I am responsible for because I was too reckless to just listen to my brother’s warnings.
A sob slips from my lips, and one of the men in the front near the stage grins at me. His eyes shine with malice as he takes pleasure in my fear and pain.
Searching the room, I look for some way to escape. Even if it means killing myself. Desperation grows as the auction continues.
“Eleven million,” a fat, red-faced guy with greasy hair slurs as he lifts his hand in the air. There are thick gold rings around his fingers, so tight they look like they’re cutting off blood flow.
The auctioneer is about to comment, but from behind me, the explosive sound of automatic gunfire shatters the focused undertones of the auction. Chaos erupts. Men scream. Blood spews from chests as they clutch their hearts, collapsing backward.
People are running in every direction, unable to see where the bullets are raining from.
I don’t know whether to run, stay, or duck.
But before I can make any choices, hands grab my wrists, tugging at the ropes to cut them free.
“Angel, stay close. Keep up,” he growls, his voice familiar. My eyes go wide when I see his face. My tall, dark, gorgeous stranger.
He shoves me behind his solid, massive body and fires into the crowd again.
“Behind the stage. There’s a door. Go. Now!” he shouts. “I’m right behind you. Don’t look back.”
I don’t have time to question what the hell he’s doing here, but itlookslike he’s rescuing me.
I can’t believe it. Did he see me getting kidnapped when I left the hotel? Did he follow them and come to save me?
That’s so fucking romantic, I want to cry!
Relief, confusion, happiness…it all swarms me, but I’m still very much in danger.
My sexy knight in dark armor overtakes me, pulling me against his side as he skillfully takes out three guards without a second of hesitation.
“Left,” he shouts, pushing me.
He takes out another man, this time with a knife instead of his gun.
The level of danger this man exudes over the others is a little terrifying. Even by Bratva standards, he’s the most efficient, effective killer I’ve ever seen, and these people don’tseem to stand a chance against him. And he seems to know it too.
At least his confidence is matched with his skill, and it hardly takes him five minutes to get us out of the building and running toward his car.
My bare feet are in agony as we streak across the gravel. I don’t care.
I’m getting away from this. I’m escaping certain death.
I can’t believe this is happening.
I can’t believe I was this lucky.
He shoves me into the passenger seat, then bolts around the car, leaping in and starting the engine. His tires scream when he accelerates away, and suddenly his name pops back into my head.Diomid.
I giggle, thinking I must be in shock if I find that funny. But I’m so relieved I don’t have to ask him his name before I thank him for saving my life. That would have been way too embarrassing.
Diomid throws me a sideways glance, and I feel the manic glaze of my eyes. Yes. I’m in shock.
He reaches out and touches my leg.
“It’s ok, I’ve got you, we’re going somewhere safe.”
His hand resting on my thigh soaks heat into my skin and eases away more of the panic that has been building since they threw me into that SUV this morning.
