Page 78 of Carnal Games

A flash of movement in the back steals my attention. Warmth bursts inside my chest, my relief overpowering as I lock eyes with Kian.

He looks livid.

Horror must be etched on my face because he storms past the rows until he’s right in front of me. His right hand reaches for me, seconds away from touching me, when a smug voice booms, dropping the temperature in the room to chilling degrees.

“One crore.”

The sound comes from the table I was dreading the most. When I glance over at their group, a grinning Ronav Scindia has his hand raised. Panic sets in as I realize the bid came from him. The unpredictable and the most unhinged out of the lot.

He isn’t even looking at me, which sends all kinds of bad signals to my brain. Because his wild gaze is in some sort of a battle with the rigid man in front of me.

Before I can panic and run off the stage, a second bid comes.

Straight from Kian.

“Two crores.”

Chapter Twenty

Kian

Of course, the psycho, who thrives on chaos, will make my night more complicated than it became the minute I heard her name being announced.

The way I want to strangle the little siren, who is now begging me with her doe eyes to steal her away from the stage.

You should’ve thought before you walked your perfect ass up there.

Now, she’s got the attention of the worst man on the planet. One I can’t kick out of the club unless I want to invite destruction in its wake.

Ronav watches me with a manic and amused glint in his eye. Every time I run into the guy, he makes it his mission to ruffle my feathers. Today, he’s found the perfect ammunition, which, for God’s sake, shouldn’t even be one in the first place.

Iris Mannan is not mine to protect.

She has no business disrupting my perfectly solitary life.

Seriously, how the fuck hasn’t Nathan ended up in jail trying to keep her out of trouble?

“Twenty,” Ronav counters, grinning like a cat that ate the canary. Not even his best friends can tame him. Keith and Darian, who’d normally observe their friend’s antics with boredom, are staring with mild interest. While Vivaan, who finally deems the room unworthy of his attention, shakes his head at Ronav.

My jaw flexes, the only visible sign of my suppressed rage. “Fifty.”

Ronav’s grin widens, making me want to bash his teeth in. Leaning back in his chair, he skirts his gaze from me to Iris, roaming it up and down the length of her body. “Seventy.”

From my peripheral vision, I notice Iris tense up. Her body language conveys that she knows just who these men are.

“Wow, that’s the highest bid of—”

I glare at the dense hostess, shutting her up mid-sentence. The farce has gone on long enough. Time to end it. “A million.”

A soft gasp erupts from Iris.

Glancing toward Ronav, I dare him to keep going with a vicious expression, promising retribution if he opens his mouth again. He might be a so-called King back home. But tonight, he’s on my turf. My club. He’ll abide by my rules.

Smirking like he’s the one who won, he lowers his hand and backs off.

Only then do I allow myself to face Iris.

I’m perplexed at noticing that she’s no longer scared. A gorgeous smile lights up her heart-shaped face. So low, meant only for my ears, she rasps, “I have your undivided attention now, don’t I, Mr. Singhania?”