Ruthless Reign: A Dark Mafia Forbidden Romance (Tarnished Reign Book 1)

Chapter 22

“Come on,little Russian doll, show us the pink between your thi?—”

He doesn’t get the rest of the sentence out. Instead, the sound that comes from him can only be described as agony. It’s part gurgle, part cry, but all pain, and then the thud of something—or someone—hitting the ground.

Just like that, everything seems to stop. The auctioneer goes silent, as does the crowd, with only panicked murmurs rippling through the room.

I squint into the audience to see what’s going on, but I can only make out vague shapes. No one moves despite the sense of terror eclipsing the room.

One voice can be heard above all others—it’s deep, gruff, and achingly familiar.

“She’s mine for half a million dollars,” he declares over the hushed crowd. “Anyone want to challenge me?”

There’s not a peep from the audience.

“Going once, going twice… This auction is fucking over.”

My blood goes ice cold.

No, just no. Even for that wild amount of money, I can’t.

The room falls into a stunned silence, the echo of his declaration hanging heavy in the air. The auctioneer stands frozen, his eyes darting to Paulina for guidance.

The expression on her face is pure triumph. “We have a winner,” she declares. “For half a million dollars.”

She thinks we’ve won, that we’ve hit the jackpot.

How very wrong she is.

Paulina is overflowingwith excitement as she escorts me off stage.

“Liza, this is unreal,” she squeals. “That’s the highest winning bid we’ve ever had.”

“You don’t understand.” My heart thuds like a hammer against my chest. “This isn’t good. I know the man who won me.”

Paulina gives me a confused look, but she has no idea who Roman is and what he’s capable of.

Kira has always said that Roman is an angel unless provoked—then, he”s a complete psycho. Tonight was proof. I smelled the heavy scent of blood in the air and heard the chilling gurgle that followed. That was Roman’s handiwork.

Paulina huffs out a breath. “Well… is that a bad thing?”

It is if it”s your fiancé’s business partner and a dangerous gangster.

“Yes.” A fresh wave of anxiety rolls through me. “You need to void the contract. He’s— He’s dangerous.”

“Sweetie.” She grabs my shoulders like I’m a child having a tantrum. “That man, whoever he is, is paying half a million dollars for one night with you. That’s life-changing money. Think of what you could do with it.”

Right now, I’m not thinking of the money. I’m thinking about facing Roman’s wrath.

I lied to him, snuck out of the suite, and worst of all, he knows my secret. That I’m hopeless enough to sell my virginity.

Embarrassment coats my skin at imagining what he’ll do with this information. Will he hold it over me? Threaten to tell Anatoly?

Roman has no reason to protect me. Not after I lied to him this morning, claiming there’s nothing between us … that I’m looking forward to marrying Anatoly.

Another thought causes my breath to catch in my throat. Will he take my virginity for himself?

Blood thrums in my ears. Oh God, I’m in way too deep.

Gripping Paulina’s arm, I force her to stop and listen to me. “I can’t go through with it.”

Her mouth flattens into a hard line. “You don’t have a choice.”

My knees threaten to buckle, and I have to hold the wall to steady myself. “You said I always have a choice.”

She sighs and rubs at her temple. “Okay, calm down. I’ll talk to him and figure out what’s going on.” She leads me to a room, with a red door with the number five on it. “Wait in here. I’ll be back.”

I blow out a heavy breath. “Thank you.” She gives me a final look that I can’t interpret before she shuts the door behind her.

Fuck, that was a close call.

With a tentative step forward, I take in my surroundings. The room is spacious and comfortable, reminiscent of what I imagine high-end suites in Vegas to look like, with its red and black color scheme. A large, plush bed dominates the space, its black silk sheets reflecting the soft lighting. Opposite the bed, a framed gold mirror spans the length of the room, allowing for views from every angle. When I look up, I realize that includes the ceiling as well.

Oh shit. This is clearly a room designed for more than just a good night”s sleep.

As my gaze wanders, it catches the silver gleam of handcuffs and restraints, discreetly attached to each corner of the bed.

Realization lands hot and heavy on my skin. This is a sex room. The room where it all happens. There’s a reason I’m in here.

Paulina has no intention of forfeiting the money. Why would she? The house takes thirty percent, and thirty percent of half a million dollars is a substantial amount.

I don’t have a plan or a clear escape route, but I know without question that I need to get the hell out of here. Now.

Swinging the door open, I take two steps forward before I collide with a giant boulder. A living, breathing boulder that’s well over six feet, covered in tattoos, and goes by the name of Roman Vasiliev.

Shock steals my breath. I cry out and stupidly try to dart around him, but a band of muscle wraps around my waist and pulls my back against his hard chest.

“Where do you think you’re going, milaya?” His breath is hot on my skin, his voice a dark rumble.

“I’m leaving. I don’t care how much money you bid. I won’t take it, and I definitely won’t be doing anything with you,” I hiss, fighting against his hold.

“That’s really too bad because Paulina just processed my banking information. Which means…” He pushes me back inside the room and closes the door behind him. “You’re mine for the night.”