Roman’s words yet again came back to her about death not being the worst that could happen to someone.
She clutched Sevastyan’s hand. Why the hell wasn’t he doing anything? How could he sit idly by and let this continue? He released her hand, wound his arm around her, and pretended to be kissing her. In a whisper, she had to strain to hear him. “Patience.”
Up came four more cylinders from the floor. From a basement. Had to be. Beside her Sevastyan tensed, his eyes on one girl in particular. The one she’d seen in the photos. The police chief’s daughter. Holy fucking shit.
The slight girl with straight black hair that hung loose past her shoulders, bore bruises as if she fought against her captors.
“What is your pleasure this evening, Volkov?” Dimitris stood, commanding the room’s attention. “You shall have the honor of picking from the finest we have to offer. Sample the merchandise to show everyone what fine quality we have.”
A low rumble of appreciation at what they were about to witness carried over the hushed buyers.
“There will be no need of that.” Sevastyan waved him off, but Dimitris already had the young girl out of the case and walking toward them, leash in hand. One hard tug and the girl fell to her knees in front of Rhia. Knees wide, hands resting on her knees. She’d seen that pose before. One of submission at Haven. But that was between trusting partners and that was not this, not by a longshot.
“Maybe the woman then?”
The girl, face pale and void of emotion rose to her knees and started for Rhia.
Sevastyan growled.
“My fellow Russian. So possessive.”
Dimitris was pushing Sevastyan and soon enough he’d get an answer. One she doubted Dimitris would like. The muscles along her spine tingled. Energies in the air crackled and seeped into her bones. The stench of death hit her. So distracted by the oppression weighing on the room, she missed the real danger clamping down on her shoulders until it was too late.
Locked against the chair, she couldn’t move. Hands that belonged to two very pissed-off thugs with a bone to pick held her in place. She twisted against their hold only making them tighten their grip into the soft flesh of her arms.
Sevastyan came to his feet, teeth bared and fingers locked around Dimitris’ throat before he could lift a finger to keep Sevastyan from squeezing the life out of him.
“Let her go, or I snap your neck,” he roared thunderously.
Dimitris laughed, a cruel glint in his eyes. “I wouldn’t worry about the bitch,” he croaked, Sevastyan’s grip, making the other man’s face screw up with pain and lack of air.
The thugs tightened their hold, and she felt a distinctive sharp edge of a knife pierce the soft tissue of her neck, the warmth of her blood oozing down her neck.
“Sevastyan!”
“Now, Dimitris, or I’ll take my time filleting the skin from your body like you did my brother. It would be rude of me not to return the favor.”
Dimitris’ laugh turned unholy. A deep shadow of pure evil coming over him.
“Ah, finally all cards are on table.” He sputtered and gulped for air but never stopped laughing. Despite Sevastyan’s tight hold, the man still spewed his vileness.
Hellish eyes turned to her. “But your father was the most fun.”
She pinned Dimitris with a murderous glare.
Sevastyan’s hand moved fast, and he wailed a fist into Dimitris’ face with the force of a sledgehammer. He grabbed at Sevastyan’s hand.
“It’s you I want dead. She’s nothing but a nuisance who will make a good submissive whore for me to sell once I’ve broken her and turned your body to ash.”
Encased in the soundproof room, the sound of the explosion didn’t hit until former parts of the ceiling made contact with the floor and the head of one now very dead thug.
Time slowed. The other leather-clad muscled thugs turned from eye candy to lethal warriors and wanted a piece of Sevastyan and didn’t mind going through her to get him.
Good thing her new friend had impeccable timing.