Page 13 of The Bratva's Auctioned Bride

“Eight mill…do I hear eight point five?” Bardil gestures over the crowd.

“Eight point five.”

“Nine.”

Fuck. I would outbid them in a heartbeat. But I’m not allowed to bid. And they’d kill me for being here.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Fine.

A dangerous smile spreads over my face.

I guess there really is only one option after all.

Ducking low, I push my way through the disgusting assholes trying to buy her, moving toward the back of the stage.

Chapter 4 - Angelika

Tears roll silently down my face, and my legs feel too weak to hold me up. My whole body is shaking, and my own mind is screaming at me, shouting, yelling, angry, and full of regret.

I was so, so, so stupid. Reckless, selfish, and stupid. And look where it got me.

The ropes around my wrists are horrible, itchy, and rough. They’re cutting into my skin, which is already bruised because I’ve been relentlessly struggling against the restraints.

They only took the binding off my ankles to walk me onto the stage. Like pirates making me walk the plank to my death.

I can’t believe this is happening.

Staring across the sea of faces around me, I see a room full of men watching me as though I were a piece of meat. I can see it in their expressions. Deep down in my heart, I know that I will never see my family again.

One of them is going to purchase me. Abuse me. Do disgusting things to me—and then in the end, just make me disappear.

Or not. Maybe they’ll keep me for years and torture me.

My heart drops.

Either way. Absolutely nothing good is going to happen to me and my life, the good parts of it. The person I once was—it’s over. It’s gone.

How could I be so stupid?

Fresh tears flood my cheeks as someone shouts, “Eight million.”

That’s what I am to these people… Literally just flesh to be used in whatever way they choose.

My heart begins to beat faster as a panic attack creeps closer.

I don’t want to die.

I don’t want to be tortured or used.

I want to go home to my family.

They’ll never even know what happened to me, and it will hurt them so badly. I can’t believe I’m such an asshole. The idea of their pain, what they will suffer, seems worse than what I’ll go through, and the guilt almost makes me collapse.