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

Chapter 5 - Lara

There weren’t words strong enough to describe how angry I was at that moment—which only got worse as the drive continued, as I struggled more and more to grapple with the idea that I was being transported somewhere I didn’t know with a complete stranger.

My hands were still bound as I was forced to sit in the backseat of the SUV next to Alex. I wanted more than anything to break the zip-ties in half and strangle him, to let my anger and panic out at once.

But, of course, that wasn’t happening. The jagged plastic was digging into my skin enough, and I just wanted it off at this point.

I watched as the city moved by us, and how the streetlights flashed from above while we drove beneath them. The window was cracked slightly, and while the breeze coming in was chilly, it did something to soothe the panic and fear burning my skin.

Regardless of how wild my mind was running with ideas, I had no idea where he was taking me. I didn’t know the first thing about him or his plans, and it left a sour taste in my mouth. I hated even thinking about it, but I knew being relocated was never a good thing.

The further I was taken away from my brothers, the less likely I’d get to see them again. That idea alone was enough to remind me how dire the situation was. It sent a sharp pang of worry through me, and I just wanted to get back home.

I wanted to blink and find myself back with them. Safe, at ease, and able to have complete autonomy again.

Before being captured and sold, I hadn't realized how freeing it was to make every choice on a whim—to be in control and go where I pleased, to do as I wished. But from the back of that SUV, I could feel that control slipping away more and more, and I hated it.

The tide of my anger and fear went back and forth constantly, raging and fighting for my attention.

I couldn’t help but consider what Alex said to me before, how I could’ve been sold off to someone much older or crazier.

As much as I didn’t want to admit it, there was some truth to his words. But still, I didn’t know Alex, and I didn’t want to underestimate him just because he was attractive. I couldn’t let my guard down regardless of how handsome he was, or how I didn’t entirely hate the idea of being near him.

He looked like exactly my type, and I hated that fact even more.

But as appealing as he was, I glanced at him every once in a while and noticed just how casually he was sitting on his phone, texting and scrolling as if he hadn’t just come from a human auction. As if he didn’t just support the abduction and sale of me, all for reasons I didn’t know yet.

The relaxed and casual expression only inflamed my anger more, and I could feel my restraint beginning to crumble.

My life changed in the blink of an eye, and I didn’t know when or how it might go back to normal, and yet he was able to be so callous and unaffected by it all. He bought another person—another living, breathing being, and was acting like he was doing something as simple as returning from the store.

It drove me crazy, and the longer I felt that indifferent air from him, the more that patience broke away.

“Are you kidding me?” I snapped, unable to take it anymore as I looked at him incredulously.

Alex looked up from his phone, brow raised in question, as if he had no idea what I was talking about.

I took in a breath, my heart pounding with both anger and disbelief. “How can you be so calm about all of this? How can you sit here and not give a second thought to the fact that I was taken and sold? You bought me from an auction—this is insane!”

His brows furrowed slightly then as he straightened his back a bit more and fixed his gaze on me completely. “Easy does it, Levov—”

“No!” I shouted at him, teeth gritting as my anger seethed out of me. “I don’t know who you are or what you think you’re doing, but you have no right hauling me around like some prize. Soon enough, my brothers will come for me, and they aren’t afraid to do whatever needs to be done for our family. If you and yours want to live, you’d better give this up!”

For the first time since I met him, Alex’s gaze darkened somewhat with irritation. It wasn’t what he wanted to hear.

But I didn’t care. Instead, I let my stream of consciousness continue without any care.

“It’s clear you have some kind of superiority complex, and you probably think you’re untouchable. You’re smug because you think you’ve gotten away with this. You think that just because you’re riding some kind of high, everything will go your way. But it doesn’t matter how much money or influence you have; my brothers have more. My brothers own this city,” I muttered, feeling the rage beneath my skin. “You think you’re a big man. But you’re not. You’re a disgusting freak and a coward for even going to that auction in the first place. You claim to be different from the others there, but you’re not. You’re—”

“That’s enough,” Alex barked back at me, tone suddenly strong enough to catch me by surprise—to remind me that regardless of my brave streak, I was still the one captured. “You’re a Levov, and I get that comes with perks you’ve surely taken advantage of all your life, but you’re in no position to speak to me like that. You don’t know anything about me or my circumstances, so don’t act all high and mighty on me as if we aren’t cut from the same cloth. I’m the one with the reins here. Got it?”

While startled by his rebuttal and surprised to see a slip of his otherwise nonchalant attitude, I scoffed and looked away from him despite the subtle ache of embarrassment in my gut. That irritation swathed me completely, and I wanted nothing more than to have my brothers prove me right.

Alex seemed passive and smug before, likely due to his satisfaction, but it was clear to me he wasn’t a pushover.

He had his limits, and I seemed to have crossed them.

As much as I didn’t want to respect his boundaries, the rational part of my brain knew I had to tread carefully. I didn’t know what he had planned for me, and if I were to prove myself to be more trouble than I was worth, I had no way of knowing what he’d do with me then.

It was obvious that he bought me for a reason, and he had some sort of purpose for me, but I didn’t get to know what it was yet. That fact only infuriated me more, but I told myself to stay quiet. I didn’t want to run the risk of worsening my situation more than it already was.

Forcing myself to stare out the window, I watched as the SUV continued, moving further into the city. I half expected the drive to continue and stretch far beyond New York, but as I continued to see those familiar signs, hope bloomed in my chest.

If we were still in the city, then that meant I wasn’t far from my family, and there was a higher chance they’d find me. Regardless of the dread swirling in my stomach, that thought was enough to keep me going.

I didn’t know how or when, but I was determined to see my brothers again. I had to.

Eventually, the driver pulled up to a nice house—something that resembled the houses my family lived in, but not quite as extravagant. Still, it wasn’t anything to scoff at.

When the SUV pulled through the front gate and parked outside of the house, Alex got himself out, then walked around to my side, popped the door open, and gestured for me to get out.

As much as I didn’t want to be hauled around anywhere else, I didn’t want to get out, either. Still, I knew things would be worse for me if I didn’t comply, so I swallowed back my pride and got out with his help as he steadied me.

I bristled initially at the feeling of his hand against the small of my back as he guided me inside, but I couldn’t deny the slight shiver the warmth from his palm sent through me.

I hate him, I hate him, I hate him…

While those words repeated in my mind as a reminder to not take any satisfaction in his touch or proximity, I was also beginning to hate how weak they felt.

“I understand your resistance,” Alex said as he led me to the front steps before taking me inside the house, stepping into the front entryway, hand still guiding me. “But it won’t help either of us.”

I was sure he was right—especially in my case—but I didn’t want to care.

I wanted to be angry and express that as efficiently as I could, and to have no consideration of how it might affect me, but at the same time, I was tired. Regardless of how angry and panicked I had been for the last few hours, those feelings were too draining to keep up with, and I was running out of steam.

Still in that stupid dress and somewhat groggy from everything that happened, I just wanted it to be done with. I wanted to lie down and sleep for as long as I possibly could.

I didn’t say anything as he led me up a set of stairs and brought me down a modern hallway. As far as I could tell, there was nobody else in the house, regardless of there being numerous rooms.

Eventually, Alex settled on one and pushed the door open before he gestured expectantly for me to go in.

Letting go of a breath, I did exactly that. I didn’t want to fight him at that point. I was too tired, and I didn’t see any sense in delaying the inevitable.

“This is where you’ll be staying for now,” Alex began, taking a step toward me as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver knife.

My eyes widened somewhat at that, mind immediately going to the worst place possible.

Noticing that, he chuckled and shook his head lightly before making a ‘come here’ gesture with his fingers. “Relax, Lara.”

Realizing what he meant to do, I sighed and lifted my hands. As much as I didn’t want to give in to whatever he wanted, I also didn’t want my wrists bruising beyond recognition.

With the faintest grin on his face, Alex took my bound wrists in his much bigger hand and gently parted them as much as possible to make the zip tie lax, then popped his pocketknife open.

He kept his eyes on my hands as he spoke softer than before. “This isn’t as bad as that holding room, right? I hope you can acknowledge that much, even if you don’t really want to be here.”

While there was no denying his words, I still didn’t want to concede anything. I kept my mouth shut and watched as he slipped the blade against the underside of the zip tie, pausing before he cut it.

Instead, his eyes flicked to mine, and at that moment, I had no choice but to meet his darker gaze.

“I’m sure my place is nothing like what you’re used to, but it’s comfortable enough. If you cooperate with me, then there’s no reason things can’t go smoothly for both of us.”

When I still didn’t say anything, he blew out his breath through his nose as his lips pulled back slightly, and the blade slipped through the zip tie as if it was nothing at all.

The moment the plastic eased away from my wrists, I let go of a faint sigh of relief, although, Alex didn’t let go of my hands yet. Instead, he folded the knife, tucked it into his pocket, and brought both hands up to hold my wrists, eyes trained on them. His thumbs gently brushed against the tender skin there and sent another shiver through me.

My skin warmed and my breath just barely hitched, surprised by the gesture.

“And if you’re good,” he began, eyes moving back up to meet mine again with a mischievous gleam that made my stomach twist slightly, “then maybe I’ll consider letting you out of this room to somewhere even more comfortable.”

As I took in his features up close, noticing the freckles that dotted the landscape of his face, I found myself at a loss of thoughts and words.

For half a beat, I thought I could feel a flicker of tension between us. An almost indiscernible pull between our bodies.

But then his words sank in, and my brows pinched together. “What are you talking about?”

With a smug look, Alex released my hands and backed away towards the door with his own in his pockets. Again, he seemed far too comfortable with the idea of holding someone hostage. Far too at ease.

“Get comfortable, Levov.”

Catching his all-too-satisfied expression as he stepped across the room’s threshold and pulled the door closed, my anger flared all over again.

Once it was shut between us, the door locked, and he was gone.

I was trapped in that room all by myself, left to question what was ahead of me. Left to deal with the fury and fear that stirred within me.

From one holding room to another, I was just as trapped, and even more in the dark about what might happen to me.