The Bratva’s Auctioned Bride (Levov Bratva #10)

Chapter 2 - Alexander

The club was the last place I wanted to be, but when duty called, I wasn’t one to ignore it.

Strolling in with my hands tucked into my trouser pockets, I glanced around, noting everything from the unwashed floors and grungy velvet seats to the less-than-ideal clientele.

As I found a place to sit down, somewhat perturbed by even being there, I kept my distaste in as a waitress approached me with a warm smile that vaguely gave away her own disdain for the club.

“Can I get anything for you?”

I considered it for a moment, glancing over at some of the men present. A simple glance at them was all the information I needed to be well aware of what type of individuals they were. Slimy, predatory, and unlike the company I kept.

With a decided breath, I nod. “Whiskey on the rocks, please.”

She nodded simply, then scurried off.

I was no stranger to gritty, less-than-ideal places, but something about the club made me feel like I needed to go home and scrub every inch of myself. To survive the night, I knew a drink would be necessary.

At the very least, it wasn’t the most talkative crowd, and nobody made any move to approach me. Instead, we all waited for the auction to start as a sense of anticipation lingered in the air.

I may have been in that crowd, waiting for the taboo event to get underway, but I wasn’t one of them. Far from it.

Never in my life would I associate with them. I found underground auctions gross, even if many in my line of work frequented them often.

Most of them were looking for a gem to catch their eye—a plaything to tend to their unsavory desires and fantasies. Their intentions were far from clean, and most of them deserved time in hell for it.

They bought and used those women, and while it appeared like I planned on doing the same thing, it couldn’t be farther from the truth.

I was there for only one woman—the key to my slowly unraveling plan.

She would be the center of my attention, and the only one I’d bid on. I didn’t care what I had to do to make it happen, I had to pull out all the stops to have her.

Eventually, my drink came out, and I gave the waitress a nod as I accepted it. Her smile lingered a moment longer than necessary before she finally turned and left, but I paid it no mind. I couldn’t stop thinking about my inevitable prize.

Whispers moved through the city quickly, carrying word that the Levov sister had been secured as a last-minute sale. She was up for auction, and the moment I heard that, I knew I couldn’t miss it.

I'd never even planned on going to the auction, but with that development in mind, I knew I had to go, and I didn’t waste a moment.

She would be the perfect stepping stone—my means of finding a place in New York for me and my brothers.

The Levov woman was certainly a prize in the business, and whoever had her would surely reap the benefits. With such an illustrious name behind me, I had no doubt my position would skyrocket.

That would mean more alliances, bigger and better deals, expanding the business, and being given the notoriety I deserved.

It was all too perfect, and if it meant sitting through this god-awful event, then so be it.

Given what was at stake and how imperative it was for us to gain a better standing in the city, I had to have her. I needed the peace of mind of knowing our footing in the city was secured.

In the grand scheme of things, we were still outsiders.

Back in British Columbia, we were the top dogs. We called the shots and made our mark up north, but in America, it was a different game. There was a whole new set of rules and well-established families to contend with.

Despite coming from a fortunate place, we essentially had to work from the ground up, and that fight had been tough. We were still working on our rise, and I had dedicated the last few years to propping my family up.

There was only so much we could get from basing ourselves in Canada—a place far too big with the population ineffectively spread out. The major cities got us by, but we needed more. We needed to expand, which was why we bothered moving in the first place.

Of course, relocating to New York hadn’t been easy, and we'd managed to meet some opposition already, but that didn’t matter. I was aiming high, and nobody was higher than the Levovs.

They were the kings of kings, and so long as I secured their sister, I would eventually find myself among them.

It was an ambitious game but necessary.

As the stage lights came on and the first woman was brought out, the auction was finally underway.

The bidding began, but I didn’t pay attention to the results. Instead, I sipped my drink and thought about how sweet my victory would be. I imagined the spoils that would surely come with securing the Levov Princess in my possession, and how much easier everything else would become after the fact.

My sights had been set on the Levovs since day one, and while I was aiming for one of theirs, it didn’t come from a place of malice. It was a convenient and opportunistic move, but in all truth, I’d much rather ally with the most notorious family in New York. That was my hope, even if I knew the likelihood of them establishing advantageous ties with anyone was slim to none.

It was ballsy, but I needed to do something drastic if it meant standing out from the other families. I couldn’t let us drown like so many others did.

The auction went on as expected. More women were brought out, the men hemmed and hawed about their choices before they placed their bids. Some claimed more interest than others, and while it unraveled around me, I didn’t care.

By the time my whiskey was gone, another woman was escorted onto the stage, and the expensive-looking dress that clung to her figure immediately caught my attention. None of the other women had been dressed like that, and it sparked my interest, churning the anticipation within me.

It had to be her.

As she stood there, seeming somewhat disoriented, I took the chance to look at her—to really look at her.

At first glance, she was beautiful. The navy-blue gown framed her tall, slender figure nicely and hugged her curves in all the right places. Her dark, loose curls—somewhat mused from being transported, I imagined—went passed her shoulders, and despite her evident fear, she looked almost regal.

She was announced as the Levov Princess, confirming my suspicions as I took her in completely.

It didn’t take long for me to feel reassured about my plan, and a thrill moved through me. The faintest grin played at the corner of my lips, and I knew then and there that nothing could stop me from having her.

I wasn’t one to be swayed by any woman so easily, but right away, there was something about her that made me feel completely smitten. While the plan initially started as a means of demanding respect from the Levovs, I could feel it changing in real-time as my priorities shifted. At that moment, I wanted her for myself, regardless of what I’d have to spend to get her.

As the bidding opened up, I wasted no time signaling my intentions. However, I wasn’t the only one.

An immediate electrical current seemed to fill the seedy club as more hands and nods were given in the auctioneer’s direction, with some calling out the amounts they were willing to pay, hoping to one-up the others. At the rush of interest in her, I gritted my teeth and tried to temper both my impatience and rippling need to secure her.

I hated how it felt to bid on her—to participate in such a grotesque event, but I knew it had to be done. My mind had already been made, and my intentions were set.

With the increasing tension in the space, I kept myself in the race, unwilling to be outdone regardless of how high that top bid continued to climb.

The longer it went on, the fiercer it became, the more that almost molten feeling of possession crept up within me. Between the mutual interest and having the chance to check out the others who were bidding on her, I couldn’t keep that genuine reaction at bay.

Many of them likely didn’t even know her first name or anything about her. But I did my research ahead of time—at least, what I could manage to find.

Given the strong grip the Levovs had on the city’s surveillance, along with whatever possible databases they possessed, they knew how to keep their information under wraps. Yet I was still able to find her name, along with all that was publicly known about her.

Lara was the kind heart among her siblings—the only sister, and known for leading whatever charity work they participated in. Of course, most of that was likely just to save face and preserve a positive public image for their family, but either way, it still gave me an idealized mental picture of her.

The others only wanted her as their prize, a pretty young thing to bolster their already shaky reputations among the other families, but deep down, I knew it was different for me. I didn’t just want to have her as a betting chip for future endeavors. I wanted to know her in a way I’d otherwise never have the opportunity. I wanted to take her in and appreciate that beauty of hers up close.

Whether it was for her sake or just for my selfish reasons, I needed to get her out of there. Seeing how uncomfortable she looked on that stage, dazed and afraid, only made me bid harder.

As the amount climbed even higher, some of the lowballers backed away with irritated expressions, aware that the cost was far from their reach then. That they had lost out on the chance to have the Levov Princess for themselves.

By the time it was just me and two others bidding on Lara, my whole body was tense with determination and the instinct to protect her. To ensure she wasn’t sold off to the old guys around me, surely doomed to a life she would never want.

I didn’t care how expensive the bidding was becoming. I was only focused on her and that ever-growing need to sweep her away and give her whatever she needed and wanted.

I wasn’t going home without her.