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

Chapter 4 - Alexander

I wasn’t exactly used to losing, but I had never experienced a win that felt quite as fulfilling as knowing I had Lara Levov right where I wanted her. Against all odds, I didn’t have to watch her be won and swept away by someone who didn’t deserve her.

When she didn’t say anything, I took a step closer and reached for her chin, taking it between my thumb and index finger. Immediate anger flashed in her eyes as she looked at me, but there was little she could do as I kept my grip firm and looked her over, shifting her head gently from side to side during my close-up inspection.

Her skin was warm and smooth beneath my touch, and something about it sent a thrill through me.

Anger still glared through her gaze, but it only made me chuckle.

She had been breathtaking on that stage, but up close, it was a whole new experience. Even while surely enraged by the entire experience, along with my hold on her, those light blue eyes were captivating. I didn’t want to stop looking into them, even if it wasn’t the place for it.

“I’m sure tonight didn’t go according to plan for you, Lara, but things will be very different moving forward,” I hummed, letting my thumb gently brush against her chin as I grinned, feeling more than satisfied with myself.

It wasn’t often that our plans went off completely without a hitch, given the nature of our work. Most jobs came with some sort of issue, even if we managed to sort it out in the end. But knowing I had her—that I had safeguarded her from the creeps out there—made that win all the sweeter, especially since it meant the next phase of the plan could be initiated.

As much as I wanted to tell myself it was all for duty and work, part of me knew full well that I had selfish reasons for bidding on Lara—the part of me that hated the very idea of anyone else winning her and subjecting her to an unspeakable life.

Even if that gaze of hers spoke of fear and anger, unaware of how much worse the situation could be for her, I knew I had done her a favor; I stopped her from being trapped with an old creep or some nut job.

She didn’t know it yet, but I had the feeling she’d be able to see past the small blip of how all of this went down eventually. At least, that was my hope.

Not afraid to meet my eyes, Lara gritted her teeth and shook herself out of my hold, glaring up at me like a wild animal refusing to cooperate. She looked prepared to rip my throat out.

That fire burning within her caught my interest immediately, and I cocked a brow at her, snickering to myself as I took the slightest step back. It wasn’t hard to believe she would have that nature about her, yet it intrigued me still.

“Rein that anger in, sweetheart. I’m not interested in fighting tonight.”

Her lip curled at me in disgust. “Shut up.”

I chuckled again, tilting my head slightly as I tucked my hands in my pockets. “You really are a Levov, huh? I bet you got that anger from your brothers.”

Lara continued to glare at me, bristling at the mention of her family. Surely, she had been hoping to see them instead of me. But alas, the tides shifted in my favor, and they wouldn’t have any idea of my involvement yet.

I could practically taste victory over her family already, given the perfect position I found myself in. There was no mistaking how the odds were stacked in my favor, and I wasn’t prepared to waste it.

Beyond that, I wasn’t going to give up my chance to have Lara Levov as my own, regardless of how much she seemed to hate me already.

While I would’ve preferred her cooperation, I couldn’t exactly blame her. She had been in a human auction, and I won her. According to the sale, I pretty much owned her, and while it was a tempting, scandalous thought, I still hated the idea of purchasing anyone—especially in that hellhole. I wasn’t one to frequent those kinds of events for a reason.

The sooner I got her out of there, and the sooner I didn’t have to come back again, the better.

After a moment, she forced out an irritated breath but still maintained that eye contact I was becoming quite fond of already. Her tone was bitter. “How did you bid so much on me anyway? And why?”

Looking down at her with that smug grin on my face, I shrugged. “I have my means…which you don’t need to worry about. Not to mention, you’re something of an investment for me.”

“Obviously, if you were able to outbid everyone else…but those were high numbers being thrown around for just anyone to accept.”

I chuckled before my expression revealed my slight disdain. “I’m not entirely pleased about that money going straight to the Gromovs, but they were the ones who captured you, so there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Lara’s brows knit together slightly. “Gromovs?”

Narrowing my eyes at her with an amused edge, I hummed. “A rival family of mine…but they’re not important. Right now, you only need to be relieved that I spared you from the other freaks who tried to bid on you.”

She seemed to consider my words, even if only for a quick moment before she remembered herself and wore that scowl again. It was amusing to watch how every thought moved through her eyes, whether she knew it or not.

“You were one of those freaks, too. Given the outcome, I’d say you might be the worst of them,” she muttered, giving me no respite from her evident distrust and hate for me.

If only she knew the truth of it…but I didn’t feel like wasting my breath.

I snickered instead and gestured for my men to roll in. “Oh, you have no idea.”

Lara was visibly angry still, surely at a loss for what was going on and how she would try to free herself from the situation. But given the high cost of her and how sought after she had been, I wasn’t going to let her slip from me, and I certainly wasn’t about to give anyone the chance to take her.

I stepped out of the small holding room and allowed two of them to swoop in and grab her. It wasn’t the most difficult thing for them, given how her wrists were still zip-tied, to hoist her up to her feet. Glancing over my shoulder, I watched, making sure they didn’t hurt her or use excessive force.

However, as they guided her out of the cell-like room with the others flanking us as we began down the hall, she wasted no time before she began struggling.

Lara wriggled and tried to pull away, but with firm hands, they kept her steady and ushered her forward. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the vague trouble she was giving them, even if I would’ve liked to see her cooperate more. She was feistier than I expected, and while that would likely come back to bite me in the ass eventually, it was entertaining for the time being. I was glad to know she wasn’t dull.

The further we moved through the building, taking the back halls and corridors, a more serious air descended upon me as we left. Two guards walked ahead of me, two were on Lara behind me, and another trailed behind our small group just to be absolutely safe.

I didn’t want anyone thinking they could pull a fast one on me, or assume I’d leave us open to be attacked. I did my best to remain vigilant and keep my eyes peeled.

She was precious cargo, after all.

Even if her fighting was fruitless, Lara continued struggling anyway, especially as the exit neared. I could hear her grumbling to herself as she tried to pull her arms free, only for the guards to straighten her out again.

“Let go of me,” she muttered, voice tense with both fear and anger. “This is insane, and you know it.”

I glanced over my shoulder at her, chuckling. “I’m only trying to help you, Lara. Whether you want to believe it or not, it’s true.”

“Bidding on me and forcing me to do anything is not helping—surely even you can see that,” she spat, eyes simmering with rage.

An amused grin formed on my lips as I faced ahead again. “You will see.”

She mumbled something under her breath that I didn’t care to hear; instead, I watched as the heavy metal door opened and we emerged outside into the darkness.

The car was already running and waiting for us, and despite her fighting, Lara was put into the backseat. I moved in after as one of the guards sat in the passenger seat and the others split into another car before driving off alongside us.

As the driver pulled onto the highway, Lara didn’t even spare a glance at me. Instead, she looked out the window as her body remained completely tense, almost like there was pressure building inside her. I couldn’t help but wonder when she would inevitably burst.

There were many things I could’ve tried to say to Lara, most of which would’ve only angered her more, but I resolved to stay quiet in the meantime as the city moved around us. Despite my attempts, nothing I said had resonated with her enough, and it was clear I had a lot of legwork to do before I could gain any trust.

I glanced over at her as we passed beneath the streetlights and the bright city signs, noticing how the colors streaked across her smooth skin and made her look even more appealing than before. Her profile was hard to look away from, regardless of how I tried to.

There was no mistaking how effortlessly beautiful she was, and how I’d have no problem keeping her around. Although, I had to remind myself that regardless of how gorgeous she was, or how I found myself gravitating towards her already, she was an investment first.

I needed her to get a leg up on her brothers and to ensure that my family could scale up—to gain the respect we deserved.

Our empire in Canada got us far, but there was no mistaking the influence of the American circuit. If we could only make our way and benefit from having that payoff, my family would never struggle again. For generations to come, the Novikovs would know only prosperity and wealth.

To get that, I needed the Levovs to respect us, and I needed Lara to get me there.

Thanks to her, I had the upper hand, and it was only a matter of time.

Even so, there was something about her—beyond her name and beauty—that pulled me in. No matter her purpose in my plan, I couldn’t shake how much I wanted her.

Having her in my possession wasn’t enough.