“Are the rumors true?” He asked , motioning for a drink. “Did you bring the D’Agostino bitch back to the auction block?”
I clenched my hand to keep from wiping the grin from his face with my fist. “I guess you will have to wait like everyone else.”
He chuckled as the vodka was pushed in front of him. “Frankly, I was surprised to hear she was still alive given your, well, your reputation. Tired of her already? What was she like? Tell me all the details. She looked like she can suck a mean dick.”
Fuck you.
Scowling, I watched as the asshole picked up his drink. It would be so easy for me to smash the glass into his face, and draw a thin red line across his throat.
“That’s none of your fucking business.”
“Watch your mouth, Valentino.,” The smile dropped from his face and all pretense of friendly banter disappeared. His hand clenched around his glass. “I’ve heard that yourfamilyisn’t as strong as it once was. And don’t think I forgot what youreallyare. You’ll be back to turning old tricks real fucking soon.”
I didn’t react to his words. “Good to see you, too Salasito.”
He didn’t have a chance to respond.
The doors opened and captured the attention of everyone in the room. “The auction will begin momentarily.”
It was time. I followed the crowd into the room and took my customary stance in the back of, crossing my arms over my chest. I fucking hated everything and everyone in this room right now.
It wasn’t long before the auctioneer took her place, smiling at the crowd.
“First up, one that has been here before with us, and we are pleased to see her again.”
I swallowed hard as Leda was pushed out onto the stage, wearing a black silk negligee. It took all I had not to rush the stage and cover her with my coat.
Her eyes were searching the room. Was she looking for me? Would she hate me when she saw me? Fuck. She looked terrified, and this was all my fault. My stomach twisted in knots as the buzz about the room started to build again.
“Leda D’Agostino,” the auctioneer stated, a cruel smile on her lips. “The bidding will begin at five million.”
Far more than they had started out with the first time. There was a bite immediately, but I ignored the bid, watching Leda’s face as she scanned the sea of faces before her. I didn’t want her to see me. I didn’t want to see the hope fade from her eyes when she did.
It was one of the main reasons I had stuck to the shadows of the back of the room.
“Eight million.”
The voice caught my attention, and I frowned, searching the room myself now.What the fuck?
I had to be hearing things.
“Eight million going once!” the auctioneer called out. “Eight million going twice!”
I finally found the source of the voice, my blood raging. Adrian met my eyes and smirked, giving me a nod as the auctioneer indicated that Leda had been sold.
To him.
I pushed my way through the crowd and grabbed him by the hem of his shirt. “What the fuck are you doing here?” I seethed, keeping my voice low.
“I heard you put her back up on the auction block tonight,” he replied, crossing his arms over his chest. “I had to make sure you had actually done it.”
“You don’t have eight million,” I growled as the next auction started.
“Oh, I don’t?” he challenged, a glint in his eye. “You know. Oddly enough, I suddenly came into quite a bit of extra money, you see. Just enough to buy Leda D’Agostino to make sure she doesn’t end up in your bed again. You see, I had the good grace to ask her father for permission first.” He leaned in, brushing imaginary lint from my shoulder. “So all of this? Done with the old man’s blessing.”
I didn’t reply, stepping back so that I wouldn’t be tempted to do something to him like bash his face in. “You lay a finger on her, and I will fucking kill you.”
Adrian smirked. “She’s mine now, Don. Surely you will respect that.”