2

This felt different. More dangerous.

"Bra too," she stated. "It won't work with the dress."

Glad that I had put on a decent pair of panties this morning, I unclasped my bra and let it fall to the floor, the cool air causing my nipples to pucker. I'd honed my body in top form, regularly running and practicing yoga to keep up with my crazy lifestyle.

Still, my hips flared more than I cared for them to. And my boobs, well, they were on the slightly bigger-than-average side.

"Here," the woman stated, thrusting the dress at me. "Put this on, and put your hair down. They like that."

They? I thought I was being taken to my husband?I hurriedly put on the dress, finding the neckline plunging past the valley between my breasts to the top of my navel. The bottom hem barely covered my ass.

"Who are they? What's going on?" I asked, tugging on the ponytail holding my hair. Chestnut layers fell around my face, and I resisted the urge to run my fingers through them.

"Better," the woman said instead as a knock sounded on the door. "Time to go."

I drew in a breath as the door opened, and the same man from before was standing there, his bored eyes barely flickering over my lack of clothing. "Everybody ready?"

"She is." The woman nudged me with her arm. "Go on now. Don't keep them waiting."

I hesitated. The man sighed and grabbed for my arm. "Let's go, princess. Don't make me throw you over my shoulder."

His fingers bit into the upper flesh of my arm. I winced as his thumb rubbed my skin obscenely before he dragged me out of the room. My sandals slid on the hardwood floor.

"Try to run," he whispered in my ear. "And I will kill you. I don't care who the fuck you are."

The dark tone of his voice sent shivers down my spine, but before I could think about it, I was at a small set of stairs, the sounds of conversation louder now.

"Go on," he stated, pushing me toward the first step.

I didn't want to, but what choice did I have? I bit my lip until it hurt and walked up the stairs, finding myself on some sort of stage. The blue curtain blocked my view of what was waiting on the other side, but the noise was louder, and I briefly debated running the other way, not caring what happened to me.

I didn't know how far south my father's plans had gone, but I knew for a fact that my new husband was not on the other side of the curtain.

Leda

A woman hurried toward me across the stage. "What are you waiting for?" she hissed. "Let's go."

There would be no escape today.

My feet moved of their own volition, and the lights blinded me as I moved from behind the curtain, the room growing quiet.

"Our next lot!" The woman announced. "Leda D'Agostino, daughter of Carmine and sister of Nico!"

There was a rumble through the crowd, and I felt goose bumps break out all over my body as I realized who I was standing before.

A crowd of Dons.

Most of them I recognized. Former friends and allies of my father. They had dined at our table, laughing and making conversation with me as I took over the hostess duties many times.

Now they leered at me like starving men staring at their first meal. Some even licked their lips in anticipation of what was about to happen next.

Dear God, what was their plan?

Frantically, I looked around the room as the woman clapped her hands. "Now, I know you all have been waiting for the moment that you can have her, but this is still an auction, after all." She looked at me, her lips pursing. "We have rules."

Despite my fear, I wanted to rip her hair out by its fake blonde roots.

She turned back to the crowd. "Remember the promises he's failed to keep and the priceyoupaid. This is your chance to get back just a fraction of what he's taken from you."

No. No. No. No. NO!

My knees weakened as she spoke. Somewhere along the way, my father's plan had completely fallen apart.

I was never being taken to my husband. I was never being taken to a marriage.

I was being auctioned off.

This was all about revenge on my father. They couldn't take it out on him, so they'll do it to me.

The woman continued and listed the rules of bidding. I stood there in numb silence. It was as if I were a fly on the wall, watching some other girl get sold before a crowd.

Tears swam in my eyes and I blinked them away, thinking about my fate. These men weren't going to take me under their wing, to make sure that I would be taken care of.

They were going to throw me down on a bed and use me until I'm bloody. Until I begged them to stop.

Well, I wasn't going to show them that weakness. I was a D'Agostino, for God's sake. I was made of sterner stuff than that.

I lifted my chin and gazed about the room again as the woman droned on around me, meeting the eyes of any that dared look at me.

Think I'm weak? That I'll just curl up and die? Think again.

As I looked out into the sea of eyes, one particular pair caught my attention. They belonged to a man who stood in the back of the room, his arms crossed over his chest.

He was younger than the rest of the room, his dark hair raked off his forehead, matching the dark suit he was wearing. While I couldn't make out his features, I knew he wasn't here to help me.

No one was.

Leda

"We will begin the bidding at five hundred thousand," the woman started. "The same rules apply as always. The club will not tolerate any fights or killings due to a bidding war."

I swallowed. How many times had they done something similar? What sort of club was this?

A half a million dollars. Opening bid.

A hand went up, and the woman acknowledged it. "Opening bid accepted. Do I hear one million?"

Another hand.

"Two million?"

Another hand. My own palms started to sweat at my sides, and I wanted to wrap my arms around my waist to provide some comfort. I wouldn't find any here, not among these assholes who thought it was okay to play with one's life.

"What about five?" the woman continued, clearly pleased at the bidding. "Is ruining Carmine D'Agostino worth five million?"

They wanted to ruin my father. I wasn't going to survive whoever won me. This kind of money wasn't going to give me the life I had been hoping for.

This was going to be my death.

My stomach roiled. I wouldn't see Nico or Rory again. They would wonder what happened to me, and after some time, I would be forgotten.

The bidding moved higher, almost to ten million, and my knees nearly gave out. Ten million dollars to ruin me and therefore have payback for whatever grievance they had with my father.

I hated this. I hated my last name. I hated my father.

"Twenty million."

Pulling myself back to reality, I saw the surprised looks on some of the dons' faces as they tried to figure out who had bid so high on me.

"Don Valentino," the woman said, clearing her throat. "Are you certain?"

I watched with bated breath as the man from the back of the room moved forward, his arms now loosely at his sides.

"Twenty million for Carmine's daughter." His voice was rich, like a fine wine that had been aged to perfection, and now I could see the sharp features of his face, the ice-blue shards of his eyes as he coolly assessed me. They had a practiced blankness to them. There was no warmth but I shivered regardless. This man was here with apurpose. I knew I wasn't just dealing with a horny middle-aged Don here.

The entire room went silent, and I noted that some of them were glaring at this Don Valentino with looks of disgust on their faces. It wasn't a name I recognized, and it was clear that he wasn't popular with the others.

"Well then," the woman replied after a moment. "Are there any takers for twenty-one million?"

Suddenly I wanted someone to outbid him. I could tell that he was dangerous. There was no expression on his face, not even the tic of his jaw as he waited for someone else to speak up.

When it was clear that no one was going to attempt to outbid him, the woman clapped her hands. "She's yours, Don Valentino."

I fully expected him to come on stage and throw me over his shoulder, but his lips curved into a cruel smile, and I felt fear trickling down my ribcage as he turned and walked away.

That was it. He bought me.

"Come," the woman stated as conversation started to buzz around us, grabbing my arm. "It's time to get you ready."

A laugh nearly escaped through my lips. Ready for what? Ready for my death? What were they going to do with me? Put me in another dress and lead me to whatever Valentino had planned for me?

She took me to the room where I had first gotten dressed, where the older woman was waiting. "Valentino bought her," the woman said. "Make sure she's ready for him. He paid a hell of a lot of money for her."

"How much?" the older woman asked the moment the door was shut.

I couldn't speak, the events of the last hour barely sinking in. I had been bought. I had been purchased. For twenty million, but it was still apurchase.

I would rather have been married off as had been my father's original plan.

"Take that off," the woman sighed at my silence and pointed at my dress. "It's not his favorite color."

"What?" I asked. "What are you talking about?"

The woman shuffled through the rack of clothing. "Don Valentino, of course. He has a particular taste." She looked back at me, her eyes narrowing. "Are you a virgin?"

I blushed. I wasn't about to share my personal information with a complete stranger. "I—"

She turned back. "Never mind. It's written all over your face. That should make him happy. Makes all of them bastards happy."

My mouth opened, but no words came out. Make him happy?

"Here," she finally said, thrusting a black sheer negligee at me. It was sheer. Really? I might as well just go naked at this point.

"Put this on."

"I don't understand what's happening," I said instead, already slipping out of my sandals. "Please tell me what's going on."

"Are you dumb, girl? You were there. You saw it with your own two eyes and heard it with your own two ears," she said. "You've beenbought, and they don't like to wait for what bought. Keep your head down and do what they say, and you might make it out of here with all your parts intact."

Her words didn't help me feel any better about this situation.

"Who is he? Don Valentino?" I asked as I stripped off the dress I was sold in.

There was no use in fighting, but wherever I was going after I got dressed, maybe I could escape from.