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He would never get close to her.

I pressed a button on my Rolex three times consecutively to send an urgent code to my friends, telling them to alert the authorities. This auction had to stop, but it had to look like it came from the outside.

My friends were probably already doing this once they saw Kiera, but I didn’t want to assume. Sex trafficking was a moneymaking business for The Trogyn. I could only imagine how deep it ran, how much money they would’ve made tonight. The news stations would love to cover this, and I knew my friends were already on that.

With Red Venom here in the room, I couldn’t help wonder if the universe orchestrated an opportunity for me to eliminate my worst enemy. I’d envisioned his death at my hands so many times that my fingers itched to pour the acid onto his wounds and watch him die. The rage and hatred surged like a slow-moving storm. Though I wanted his death, my concern for Kiera trumped my personal vendetta.

That was something I had to contemplate later.

I put in a bid of ten million dollars for Kiera.

Gasps rang out in the room, and the bidding paused as men glanced around, trying to figure out who had placed such a high bid for a woman.

To me, Kiera was priceless.

I won the bid. When the spotlight came on Olivia, I bid for her too. She was Kiera’s friend, and Icouldn’t leave her to the wolves. Olivia wobbled and fell on the stage, but she got back up quickly.

What the fuck had they given the girls?

People gasped when I won the bid for Olivia too.

“Lucky man,” Red Venom said to no one in particular.“You gotta tell me how that party goes.”

A man from another table cheered. “The more, the merrier.”

Laughter erupted in the room.

My eyes locked onto Kiera, and I gave her a slight nod.

Hold on, baby. I won’t let anyone hurt you.

I scanned the room for the exit doors. There was one outside of this auditorium. Another exit door sat below the stage, but a guard stood there.

“Who’s the other woman?” Levi asked.

“Kiera’s coworker.”

“Christ.” He raked a hand through his hair.

I leaned in and whispered, “Something bad is about to happen.”

“No shit.” He glanced around. “This is my last party.”

I didn’t want to reveal too much to Levi, but I didn’t want him to get hurt in whatever was to come. “Follow me when something happens.”

He furrowed his eyebrows, but nodded.

Alarms sounded, and lights flashed.The men looked around, shock and fear splashed on their faces.

Boom.

Boom.

Boom.

Something erupted at various intervals around the building, shaking the ground. Half of the lights in the room went out while the other half flickered. People scrambled.

I rushed down the aisle to Kiera, and Levi followed suit.