Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
MAKSIM
I button my suit jacket and look down at Viktor, my voice dropping to a deadly, quiet whisper. "The Sokolovs never start fights. But we sure as hell never shy away from them either. I urge you to make the best decision for yourself."
Without waiting for his answer, I turn around and walk away. I am heading straight back to that auction room to buy a bride.
I enter the auction room and stay completely in the shadows, not interacting with a single soul. My back is pressed against the dark wall near the exit, my arms crossed as I blend into the background.
A few minutes later, I see Viktor reenter the room. He struts around like he owns the fucking place, slapping hands, laughing loudly, and talking to other syndicate heads like he’s already the king of the underworld. I stay hidden, watching his every move through the thick crowd.
Soon, the auction itself starts.
The heavy bass of the microphone echoes through the subterranean ballroom.
One by one, the other women are brought out again, and the powerful men in the room throw around millions like it’s pocket change.
People bid fiercely for the other women while I bide my time, keeping my eyes fixed on the stage.
Then, the lights shift.
The auctioneer’s voice booms over the microphone, shattering the brief silence in the room. "Next up, we have Lot Number Four. Camilla Caruso. Bidding starts at five million dollars."
Viktor doesn't even wait for the man to finish. He raises his paddle with a smug, arrogant grin stretching across his face. "Six million!" he shouts, sitting back like a king.
An older Italian boss in the front row raises his hand. "Six and a half."
"Seven!" Viktor barks back instantly, his voice cutting through the crowd. He looks around the room, glaring at anyone else who might dare to challenge him.
Another arms broker from the back raises his paddle for seven and a half, but Viktor stamps him out without a second thought. "Eight and a half million!"
The room starts to go quiet. Eight and a half million dollars for a single woman is an insane amount of money, even for this crowd. The auctioneer looks around, his eyes scanning the tables. "Eight and a half million, going once... eight and a half million, going twice..."
Viktor turns in his seat, a disgusting, victorious smile spreading across his lips. He looks over at his men, nodding as if the prize is already in his hands. He thinks he has won her. He thinks he just secured his alliance with the Carusos.
Just when the auctioneer raises his wooden gavel to seal the deal, I step out of the shadows.
"Ten million," I say.
My voice isn't loud, but it cuts straight through the room like a bullet.
Viktor whips his head around with absolute shock. His jaw drops, his bloodshot eyes widening when they land on me standing by the exit. The smug smile vanishes from his face, replaced by instant, raw fury.
"Ten and a half!" Viktor roars, slamming his glass down on the table. He stands up, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. "Ten and a half million!"
I don't even blink. I keep my hands in my pockets and look him dead in the eye. "Twelve."
"Fourteen million!" Viktor screams, his face turning a dark, ugly shade of red. Veins bulge out of his neck as he glares across the room at me. "Fourteen million dollars!"
The crowd whispers, the tension in the room growing so thick it is hard to breathe. Everyone is watching the two Bratva leaders pull knives on each other with their bank accounts.
"Sixteen," I reply, my voice perfectly smooth, steady, and deadpan.
"Seventeen!" Viktor barks, his voice cracking under the strain. He is breathing heavily now, his sweat glistening under the harsh lights.
"Twenty," I say instantly.
I don't pause. I don't hesitate. I don't give him room to breathe. I am bleeding him dry in front of the entire underworld, and he knows it.
Viktor stares at me, his fists shaking at his sides.
He opens his mouth to shout another number, but one of his men grabs his elbow, whispering frantically into his ear.
Viktor looks down at the man, then looks back at me, his eyes filled with pure, murderous hatred.
But he doesn't raise his voice again. His reckless pockets simply cannot handle the strain.
The auctioneer’s gavel slams down against the wooden podium with a loud crack.
"Sold! For twenty million dollars, to Maksim Sokolov."
I outbid the bastard. I win Camilla Caruso.
I turn my eyes back to the stage. Camilla is staring straight at me, her face pinched in a tight, furious frown. Her eyes are like hot coals, burning holes right through me. She doesn't look happy at all—and honestly, I don't blame her. But I can't look away from her defiance.
Viktor’s fury is palpable. I can practically hear his teeth grinding from across the room, but I don't look at him. My eyes stay locked on Camilla as the final bid is accepted and the reality of what just happened sinks into the room.
Suddenly, heavy footsteps stomp toward me. Viktor marches over, his chest puffed out, his face completely twisted with rage.
"What the fuck do you think you are doing, Maksim?" he spits, his voice shaking with pure malice. "We had a deal to talk business! You think you can just step on my toes and take what is mine?"
I finally turn my head to look at him, my expression dead cold. "Threatening my family is something I do not tolerate, Viktor. You brought this on yourself."
I don't wait for his response. I cross the floor toward the stage to take Camilla from it myself. She may have been sold by her pathetic father to be used as leverage, but right now, she is under my protection. She belongs to me.
I reach the edge of the stage and hold out a hand to her. Camilla glares down at my open palm like it’s a coiled snake, her chest heaving with anger.
Before she can say a word, the heavy double doors of the ballroom are kicked open.
RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
The deafening roar of automatic gunfire shatters the room. High-end glass shatters everywhere, raining down on the tables. Screams echo through the subterranean ballroom as powerful men scramble for cover. Bullets start flying around from every direction, buzzing through the air like angry hornets.
I don't hesitate for a single fucking second.
With my right hand, I whip out the gun tucked beneath my suit jacket, tracking the entry points of the room. At the exact same time, I reach up with my left hand, grab Camilla by the waist, and yank her straight off the stage.
I don't know who the fuck is shooting or what exactly is happening yet, but I'll be damned if I let someone kill her. I didn't just drop twenty million dollars on this woman to let her lose her life in a ditch minutes later.
As I pull her against me to shield her from the flying debris, she goes surprisingly soft and pliant in my arms, the sheer shock of the gunfire stealing her defiance for a split second.
She feels small against my chest, her warmth pressing through the thin fabric of her expensive gown, but I aggressively shove that thought out of my head.
I ignore how good she feels against me and lock my eyes onto the side exit.
Alarms are blaring, smoke is filling the air, and the chaos is absolute. I raise my weapon, firing back into the crowd to clear a path. I need to get out of here right now if I am getting both of us out alive.
Dmitri suddenly appears beside me, and I breathe a brief sigh of relief.
He is my right-hand man and my most trusted soldier.
Like me, fucked-up scenes like this auction are completely against his style, so he had chosen to stay outside in the vehicles.
But the second he heard the gunfire, he must have come charging in to find me.
He already has his guns out, that look of absolute, lethal focus plastered across his face.
Through the rising haze and gunsmoke, I spot Viktor approaching us through the crowd, his face twisted in a murderous snarl.
Reacting instantly, I raise my weapon and aim it straight at Viktor's chest to keep him back, while barking a sharp order over my shoulder to my man. "Dmitri! Handle the auction payment and secure the transaction right fucking now. Make it quick!"
Dmitri nods once, turning on his heel to move through the chaos toward the back offices.
Viktor arrives, stopping a few feet away, staring down the barrel of my gun. "You will regret this, Maksim," he spits, his voice trembling with psychotic rage. "You think you can take her from me? You are dead men. Both of you."
I don't even blink. I keep Camilla pinned securely against my side, my grip tight, and look him dead in the eye. "The auction is over, Viktor. Camilla is mine, and we are leaving.”