Chapter 12
Chapter
Twelve
MILA
“ W here are you taking me?” I ask Gleb as he drives frantically through the street.
“You’ll see in time.”
Gleb said he wanted to marry me, not sell me like he did Vik, but I’m still worried he’ll do that. Why have a wife when you could have money?
I feel helpless as I stare out the window, unable to escape. If I were Sofiya or Vik, they’d be fighting hard to get away.
That’s the sad realization—I’m nothing like my older, braver sisters.
I’m just a scared little girl unable to protect myself.
Gleb pulls up to a building and forces me out of the car.
“What is this place?” I ask. “Is there where we’ll get married?”
He looks down at me like I’m an idiot. “I’m not going to marry you, Mila. I just told you that in the hopes you’d come with me more easily. You see, because your sister killed the man I sold her to, I never got my money. You’re going to get me my money.”
He pushes me through the door of the building. We’re in some sort of backstage area. Two men come marching toward me and pull me from Gleb.
“What are you doing?” I think I know, but I don’t want it to be the reality.
“You’re my ticket to wealth,” he growls. “Take her away.”
I’m dragged through the hallway and onto a stage, where the men wrap a collar that’s attached to the ground around my throat. I can barely process what’s happening before the curtain rises, and I see the crowd of men before me, all with paddles in their hands.
Gleb is selling me just like he did Vik.
VIKTORIYA
“Does any of this look familiar?” Aleksander asks.
I look out the car window, straining my eyes to see through the darkness. “I’m not sure. Everything was so disorienting that night. Just keep driving.”
He tightens his hands on the wheel. “I have an idea. Damien Petrov was there the night you were sold. He would know the location. We need to go see him.”
The idea of going to Damien is humiliating. I thought he was worthy of me, but he rejected me. I can’t show my face in front of him again.
But this is for Mila.
She could be getting sold at this moment.
“Ok,” I say. “Let’s find Damien.”
Aleksander turns the car around. “You know, you surprised me tonight.”
“What?”
“The way you charged into action to help save your sister. I didn’t think you had it in you.”
I stare at him for a moment. “You’d think I’d just sit back and let my sister get hurt? Either one of them?”
“I know you can be selfish.”
I huff. “Thanks a lot, Aleksander.” Alek. I can’t believe I called him that earlier tonight. I shouldn’t be giving him nicknames. It’s too personal.
“I’m not trying to insult you. I’m just stating a fact. You tend to only think about yourself. I didn’t realize you had a softer side to you.”
“Do you want me to have a softer side?” I’m not sure why I’m asking. I don’t care if Aleksander likes me or not.
He glances at me before settling his gaze back onto the road. “I like knowing you don’t always have your hard shell up. It reminds me you’re human.”
“And what did you think I was before? A monster?”
“No. A woman who’s lost. Who puts on a hard exterior to keep people at bay. I figured you did the same to your sisters, but I’m starting to see I was wrong about that. You care for them. I commend that.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “I’m not completely soulless.”
“I know.”
I can’t look at him for much longer without feeling my cheeks burn, so I focus on the outside, searching for familiar landmarks. The problem is that when Gleb brought me to the auction the first time, it was also night, and I wasn’t really paying attention to where we were going.
“I could say the same for you.”
“What do you mean?” he asks.
“You’re out here searching for my sister. You didn’t have to do this.”
“I saved you before, didn’t I?”
“Well, that was me, and you wanted me. You have no reason to save my sister. But here you are, doing just that.”
“I’m not completely soulless either. Even if I do come from the slums.” He tosses me a small smile.
A flash of guilt enters me. I judged Aleksander based on how he came from poverty. I’m woman enough to admit that that fact may not define a person.
I won’t admit it out loud, though. I can’t have Aleksander thinking he has any sway with me.
Because he doesn’t. I still hate him and think he’s not worthy of me.
“And I do have a reason, Viktoriya,” he adds.
“What reason is that?”
He only takes a moment to look at me before turning back to the road.
I don’t ask him to elaborate.
Aleksander pulls up to Damien’s club. “Stay inside.”
“You know I’m not going to. We’re doing this together.” I get out of the car before he can stop me.
Marching right up to the club, I don’t hesitate to walk through the doors. The club is empty except for a few women dancing on poles.
And Damien, sitting in a private booth, watching them.
He eyes me over lazily as I approach. It only reminds me of his rejection, and I fucking hate him for it. “Did you need something? A job, perhaps?” He nods at the pole dancers.
I gasp. “How dare you!”
Aleksander places his hand on my arm. “Damien, we’re here to talk to you about the auction. We need to know its location.”
He lights a cigarette and takes a slow drag of it. “Do you, now?”
“Yes,” I say through gritted teeth. “We need to know now.”
“If you’re going to close it, then I can't tell you. The men who frequent that place won't be happy if you try to shut it down.”
“We won’t shut it down,” Aleksander says, cutting me off before I can speak. “We just need to know the location.”
“I’m amazed your boss doesn’t know. Mikhail Ivanov, the big bad wolf of Moscow. He knows everything.”
“He doesn’t buy and sell women. So, no, he doesn’t know. That auction is being sanctioned by someone else. Just tell us where it is, and we’ll leave you alone.”
I hate how placating Aleksander is being. If it were up to me, I’d smack Damien across the face for not telling us anything.
“I’m not sure …” Damien blows smoke right into my face.
I cough it aside, making a point of doing it. “My sister is in danger. You will tell us.”
“And who’s your sister?”
“You saw her at the party at Mikhail’s house. She’s young. Sweet. Innocent. She doesn’t deserve this.”
Damien sits back in his seat and looks me over before he nods. “I do remember seeing her.” A pause. “Fine. I’ll tell you the location. It changes every time to different theaters around the city.” He rattles off the address.
Aleksander nods. “I know where that is.” He motions for me to follow. “Let’s go.”
I stare Damien down a beat longer, and he quirks an eyebrow, finding me amusing. Bastard.
I follow Aleksander out of the club and back into the car, “You’re going to save my sister, right?”
He revs the engine and takes off. “I’m going to save your sister.”
We reach the building within ten minutes, but I have to hope those ten minutes didn’t cost me my sister.
“You should stay in the car,” Aleksander advises.
“No.”
“If you go in there, you could end up getting hurt. If I go in alone, I can just focus on finding Mila.”
“No. There’s no use arguing. We’re going in together.” I barge out of the car, and Aleksander has no choice but to follow me. He said he wanted a challenge when it came to marrying me. Well, this is his first lesson—I’m not going down without a fight.
And I’m most definitely not waiting in the car while Mila could be getting sold right at this very moment.
“Just stay silent,” he says, grabbing my arm. “These men are in the business of buying women. If you start sassing them, they won't take too kindly to it. You need to be silent on my arm. Understood?”
“Fine,” I mutter. I can do that. For Mila.
We approach the door, which is guarded by a bouncer. “Ticket,” he says in a gruff voice.
Aleksander pats his pockets. “I seem to have lost mine at home.”
“No ticket, not getting in.”
“That’s all right. I’ll just do this.” Within a blink of an eye, Aleksander swings his arm out and lands a solid punch to the guard’s face, knocking him over. Throwing a few more punches, he knocks the guard solidly out.
“Nice work,” I say.
“Thanks.”
“But I abhor violence.” I toss my hair over my shoulder and walk inside. Aleksander only shakes his head and follows. We’re confronted by two more guards waiting just inside the little foyer area.
“I work for Mikhail Ivanov,” Aleksander says. “You would do best to get out of my way.”
The two men share a look and motion Aleksander forward.
But they stop me from progressing.
“She’s with me,” Aleksander says.
“No women allowed.”
That’s ironic, considering they’re selling women just beyond this door.
Aleksander loops his arm around my shoulders. “I like to show her off. I take her everywhere with me.”
“Unless you want to put her up for auction, she’s not going inside,” one of the guards says.
“Then put me up for auction,” I say.
“Viktoriya,” Aleksander warns under his breath.
I give him a look. He knows we need to save Mila. I will do whatever it takes to do that.
He stares at me for a moment before he nods. “All right. Put her up for auction.”
“You need to go around back for that.”
Aleksander grabs my arm and leads me out of the building. “Are you insane? I’m not selling you, Viktoriya.”
“Good. That lets me know you’re not like Gleb. This is just for Mila’s sake. Besides, if we go in the back way, maybe you can fight the guards back there and save Mila.”
“I’m flattered you think I’m Superman, but I can only take on so many men at once.”
“Then, good thing you have me at your side.” I flash him a smile and start walking around the building.
“You don’t know how to fight.”
“Then, it’s a good thing I have you at my side.”
For the first time since I’ve known Aleksander, he looks like he could truly shake me out of frustration.
He bangs on the back door, and it opens, revealing the two guards who forced me onto the stage before. I stumble back, catching my breath. The urge to vomit hits me again.
These men participated in hurting me.
Aleksander punches each of them in the face in quick succession, knocking them both back.
But they’re not unconscious yet.
Aleksander grabs his gun and aims it at their heads. “Back up,” he growls. “I don’t have time to waste.”
The two men slowly step back, letting Aleksander and me into the building. We’re backstage. It hits me all over again. I was sold in a building just like this one. I was all alone.
I wonder if Mila feels the same way.
Aleksander uses his gun to whip one of the guards in the head, and the man crumples to the floor, knocked out. The other guard runs at Aleksander, but he manages to wrap his arms around the man’s throat and pull him into a chokehold. The man struggles, so I kick him in the balls, making him slump against Aleksander.
Tightening his hold, Aleksander slowly makes the guard go unconscious. He drops the guard’s body down by the other one. “Thanks for your help.”
“I said I would help, didn’t I?”
The look Aleksander gives me is undecipherable.
We walk slowly and carefully toward the stage to avoid anyone sneaking up on us or hearing us.
When the stage comes into my view, I see Mila up there, a collar around her neck, in the same position I was in. The men are auctioning her. We arrived just in time.
I start to rush forward, but Aleksander grabs my arm. “What are you doing?” I hiss. “She’s right there.”
“I know. And if we run onto that stage, then all those men will see us. I don’t have the key to unlock her collar. We’ll wait until she’s sold and then follow her and the man who bought her outside. We’ll grab Mila then.”
“We have to get her know.”
“No.” He tightens his hold on my arm. “I’m not letting you do that, Viktoriya. I’m in charge right now. We need to be smart about this. I will save your sister. Do not worry.”
“How can I trust you?”
He looks like I just slapped him across the face. “I’m here right now, aren’t I?”
I have no response to that.
With a deep sigh, my shoulders slump, and I nod. “Fine. We’ll wait. But we’re not going to let her go without a fight.”
“I promise you that.”
ALEKSANDER
Viktoriya and I hide while we watch Mila on the stage. My wife has surprised me tonight. Her ferocity and bravery are impressive. I wanted her for the challenge she posed. The spoiled rich girl I could tame.
But Viktoriya is showing me that maybe there’s more to her than just the spoiled rich girl persona. Maybe she does have a heart.
And if that’s the case, then breaking her won’t be as fun. It makes me reconsider breaking her at all.
Mila is eventually sold to a middle-aged man for over a million dollars. The look of pure anguish on her face is upsetting. It makes me wonder if Viktorya looked like that when she was on that stage.
The curtain closes.
Then nothing happens. Mila isn’t getting released from her collar. None of the women on the stage are.
“Where the fuck are the guards?” the announcer of the auction says.
It’s then that I realize—I knocked the guards out.
I react on instinct. It’s what saved me all those years living in a bad neighborhood. It’s the reason I’m alive today.
I rush forward and jump onto the stage, knocking the announcer out. It only takes one punch for him. Fucking weakling.
Mila turns to me and gasps. “Aleksander?”
“Shh. Stay there.” I run back to Viktoriya, and she asks me what I’m doing. “Change of plans,” I tell her. I sprint back to the guards and rummage through their pockets until I can find the keys. Grabbing them, I hurry onto the stage and unlock Mila’s collar.
“Run,” I tell her.
She doesn’t hesitate.
“Help,” the other women cry out. There are five of them.
“Aleksander, come on,” Viktoriya hisses, clutching Mila.
I have to save these women. I’m not a good man, but I have to do this one good thing.
“Get into the car,” I tell Viktoriya. “And hurry.”
She looks between me and the women and nods before taking off with Mila. They disappear from view.
I start unlocking the first woman’s collar, but it’s not as easy as it looks. The locks around their throats are old and rusted, making it harder to get the key into the lock.
Footsteps start heading my way. I unlock the first woman and tell her to run before moving onto the next woman’s collar.
“Aleksander.” It’s Viktoriya. She rushes onto the stage, a key in her hand, and helps me with the other women.
“What are you doing?” I ask. “You should be safe in the car.”
“Mila is. But I couldn’t let you stay here on your own. What if other people showed up?”
And right on cue, more footsteps start heading in our direction.
“We need to hurry,” I say, unlocking the woman’s collar. Between Viktoriya and me, we manage to help the other women get out of their collars, but then two men round the corner and stop when they see what’s happening: that all the women they just sold are escaping.
“Stop them!” one of them yells. I take a step toward the man who yelled, but right before my eyes, Viktoriya is there, raising her leg and landing a solid kick to the man’s temple. She gasps and stumbles back, clutching at her ribs.
I use her attack to my advantage. I knock both men out before they can react, then grab Viktoriya’s hand and take off running toward the back door.
The other women are outside, running for their lives. They meld with the darkness and then are gone. I hope they make it to safety.
We reach the car and get in. I take off without a second glance at the building and the multiple men running out of it, angry they didn’t get the women they just bought.
VIKTORIYA
“Are you ok?” I ask Mila, who’s cowering in the backseat.
“You saved me.”
“Of course, I did.” I glance at Aleksander. “Though I couldn’t have done it without him.”
He flashes me a small smile.
What Aleksander and I went through tonight changes things. I’ve seen a different side to him—a protective, strong side. A side that doesn’t just want to control me. A side that shows me he will protect me if push comes to shove.
Being back in that building brought up a lot of terrible memories, and Mila could have easily become me in that situation.
But thanks to Aleksander, she’s safe.
He drives us to our house and sets Mila up in the guest bedroom.
“Do you need me to stay with you?” I ask. Normally, I wouldn’t offer, but I know how scared I was after everything I went through, and Mila isn’t as tough as me.
“I just want to sleep,” she responds, going into the room and shutting the door behind her.
I turn to Aleksander. “You impressed me today, too. Not too shabby for a kid from the slums.”
“I guess we both surprised each other tonight,” he says, heading into our bedroom. I follow.
I sit on the bed, my body aching from how much I pushed it tonight. My rib is sore and screaming at me.
Aleksander sits beside me, so close I can see the flecks of different shades of blue in his eyes.
I don’t like him. He knows how to get under my skin.
But I’m starting to trust him. He saved Mila when he didn’t have to. He saved me when he didn’t have to either.
I decide to be honest. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” he responds in his warm tone.
I don’t know what overcomes me as I lean closer to him. He matches the distance between us and plants his lips on mine.
The kiss starts soft but quickly becomes passionate. I’ve never kissed a man like this before. It’s like I’m falling and floating at the same time.
Aleksander growls low in his throat and gently grabs my waist, pulling me onto his lap. I should pull away. I should slap him for thinking he has the right to kiss me.
But I don’t want this to stop.
I gasp when he lowers me onto the bed and hovers over me. We pull apart from the kiss, and our eyes meet. I can’t care about him. I can’t let myself. My entire life has been ballet and nothing else. That’s what I need to focus on.
Not … whatever I’m feeling right now.
He smirks, like he can read my mind, and kisses me again, consuming my mouth and mind with one single action. I wince when he touches my rib.
He doesn’t apologize for it as he kisses down my throat. I think a part of him is punishing me for my actions tonight. I could have been hurt.
But the only thing I could think about was saving Mila. Nothing else mattered.
I’ve never been selfless before. Why is this change happening now?
When Aleksander rips my pants down my legs, his eyes land right on my underwear. Good thing I’m wearing a cute pair. I have my cute underwear and my period underwear. The period underwear is meant to be ugly in case it gets stained.
I’m just grateful I’m not on my period right now.
He catches my gaze. “I’ve been thinking about what you look like down here for a long time. Are you bare, or do you have a bush?”
I swat his arm. “You’re disgusting. Get off me. I don’t want this.”
“Maybe not, but I think you need it right now.” He rips my panties down. “Ah. Bare.”
“I wax,” I say, trying to keep the blush off my face. No man has ever seen this part of me before. Normally, I’m so confident, but I can’t be confident when dealing with something new to me.
“I’m glad. This way, I can do this.” He grabs my thighs and pushes my legs to my waist. His face hovers right over my vulva. He doesn’t look away from me.
This is another challenge. He wants me to say yes. He wants me to give in to him.
“You don’t need my permission,” I tell him. “If you want me, take me.” It’s a challenge of my own.
He grips my thighs tighter as he smirks and lowers his head. When his lips touch my folds, my hips almost jerk off the bed. Jesus. I need to get control of myself.
Aleksander holds me steady as he runs his lips and tongue over my nub, sending a jolt of pleasure through my body. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. Sure, I’ve touched myself, but I could never get into the mood. Not when I had to dance and dance and dance.
This new sensation Aleksander wrings from me is electric. My mind can’t think about anything else.
I grit my teeth to stop from moaning. I can’t enjoy this. A man like Aleksander can’t make me feel this way. Only one worthy of me.
I gasp when he licks over my clit, running his tongue around it in circles.
“God, you’re so wet,” he growls before licking me again. I shut my eyes and pray I can hold it together. This isn’t what I want. A woman like me shouldn’t be getting pleasure from such a vulgar act.
I should be better. That’s what my father would expect from me. Always be better.
But, oh, it feels amazing …
My lips part, and a soft moan escapes me. No. I can't. I clamp my hands over my mouth.
Aleksander reaches up and takes my hands, placing them at my sides. “You like the way I fuck you with my mouth.”
“No,” I growl.
“Your body can’t deny it, Viktoriya. Let yourself go. Enjoy this.” He presses his lips and tongue against my folds harder, pleasuring me more and more and more.
My hips have a mind of their own as they start to rise to meet his face.
I can't like this. I can’t like this. I can’t like this.
But I do.
And then, I can’t hold back any longer.
My gasp is high-pitched as I come, my body shuddering its release. Aleksander doesn’t stop pleasuring me, even as my body calms down. He sits up, smirking.
Quickly, I shut my legs, grab my pants from floor, and pull them on.
“You can admit it, Viktoriya. You enjoyed that.”
“No.” I can’t meet him in the eye as I get under the covers. The blankets will protect me. They have to.
“Well, I enjoyed it. You taste exquisite.”
His words ring in my head for the rest of the night.