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.
Chapter 3
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.