Chapter 15

Rest in Peace

One year after the auction…

It had been four months since I’d lost Celine. Four months of going through the stages of grief.

Denial came first as I didn’t believe she was gone. Until Christophe and I had her cremated, it was hard to comprehend I’d lost her forever.

Anger hit as we’d worked with the detective assigned to her case to understand what exactly had happened. She’d been drugged. Assaulted physically and sexually by multiple men while her husband cheered them on as if they were having their own personal depraved sex show. Apparently, it had been a regular occurrence at the Holt household. Something Celine never told me. Darren even admitted to the detectives that he owned Celine because he’d bought and paid for her fair and square. Like she was a toy he could rough up and toss aside like garbage.

He’d planned the whole thing from start to finish. If the drugs he’d purchased hadn’t been laced with something that messed them all up, they might have gotten away with it.

According to one of the other men, Darren had planned to kill his wife that night. Trade up for a newer, less broken model. After they had their fun, he was going to have Celine’s body dumped somewhere in the desert and pretend she ran away. He’d been certain people would have believed it because my friend was an orphaned ex-prostitute who was used to living on the streets.

Darren had attempted to enter a plea of not guilty so he could go to trial and force the prosecution to prove their case beyond a shadow of doubt. Unfortunately for him, the men he’d allowed to participate in murdering Celine had all folded and confessed to their contributions. Each had worked out deals with the district attorney for the promise of lighter sentences. Every one of them had agreed to testify against Darren.

Depression happened with every day that I woke up knowing that Celine was not in the world any longer. Christophe did his best to support and dote on me every way he knew how, but it wasn’t enough.

I needed to do something .

Celine’s death had to mean something.

The longer I thought about all that had happened from the day we’d entered the auction until the night we were purchased… I was confident this all could have been prevented. Darren should have never been eligible to bid on anyone in the first place. Christophe had hired a private investigator to get more information into Darren Holt’s background and we were furious to find out that he’d had a long rap sheet. One which included domestic battery and assault going back decades. He’d even been accused of attempted rape, but those allegations had mysteriously never been prosecuted.

Why had he been allowed to enter the auction? Why didn’t Angus vet his bidders? Did he not care?

No, he didn’t care. He had some rules, but they were laughable at best, and all of them were based on the candidate’s background, not the bidder’s. He’d set up the process to protect the ones paying for a bride, not the other way around. It should have worked both ways. Equal consideration and safety precautions on both sides.

I got up from my desk in a huff and started to pace.

Christophe put down the piece of black chalk he was using to outline a large piece he’d just begun and crossed the room to where I was. “What is it, cheri ? I can see you’re frustrated. Want to talk it out with me?”

“When you showed up at the auction last year, what certification or information did you have to provide to enter? Did you fill out an application, questionnaire…anything like that?”

He rubbed at his scruffy jaw, the sound like sandpaper scratching over a smooth surface. “Not anything official. Darren brought me to a small office area in the hotel where Angus sat entering things into a paper booklet, not a computer. He took down my contact information. Then he handed me a very short agreement that detailed my responsibility as a bidder. It was minimal, I’m afraid.”

I made a circular movement with my hand. “Go on?”

He leaned against a table and crossed his arms. “It had the term limits for payments regarding a winning bid. It confirmed that a wedding ceremony would be immediately following the auction. We could upgrade the ceremony experience for an additional fee if we desired. Things like music, flowers, and rings could be purchased. We were to pay the deposit to our candidate and the forty percent to Angus for the full bid that night. The remaining amount we’d need to split up into payments that we’d pay our wives every wedding anniversary until the five-year contract concluded.”

“For me, it was worse. We had to sign our lives away for five years. Agree to marry a man sight unseen for the highest amount possible. That part I understand, though I think five years is too long. Three would be more equitable to both parties.”

I mulled over what he’d shared and then spoke my rambling thoughts out loud. “When Celine and I arrived, we were shoved into a room with a bunch of other girls and told to shower and put on the nightgown they provided. We had no say in what we would be wearing. At the time I was thankful I wasn’t naked. Now I feel like so much more could have been done to make the experience less frightening.”

“Okay, what else?” he asked.

I continued to pace as the memories and ideas kept coming.

“Anyone can join. There’s no vetting process for the buyers, and nothing for the candidate to ensure they are a good fit for the bidder. And why do we get married the same day? I’ll tell you why,” I added before Christophe could engage. “Because they don’t want anyone to back out. There should be a grace period. A couple weeks—a month, even—to get to know one another. Each person deserves the opportunity to back out if the situation isn’t right.”

“These are all excellent ideas, Alana.”

I nodded. “And why isn’t the sexual stuff discussed beforehand? If someone has a specific sexual need, such as a BDSM lifestyle, is gay, or maybe has a hard limit on something they do not want in the bedroom, especially in light of any past experiences, those things should be respected and referenced in advance.”

“Agreed.” Christophe nodded repeatedly.

“And don’t you find it odd that if the bidder wants out, they only have to pay for time served to date? What if the candidate wants out? There’s no real clause for that. I don’t even know what happens in that case. It’s all so unprofessional and geared toward making only the bidder happy. It gives the bidder power over the candidate in a way that’s abhorrent and torturous. And in Celine’s case, deadly. I don’t want that to happen to anyone else.”

Christophe didn’t say anything, just calmy listened.

“Celine’s death could have been avoided. Not only was Darren a despicable human being, he had a police record proving his violent past behavior toward women. He shouldn’t have been allowed to bid in the first place!” My voice rose as my anger flared.

“What do you want to do about it?” Christophe asked.

“I want to buy Angus out. Take over The Marriage Auction and revamp it. Make it something incredible, like how we’ve managed our relationship. We became a love match, Christo. If the bidders and candidates were both vetted, interviewed for the position in the auction, and were given the right tools including detailed stipulations on what they were committing to, situations like Celine’s wouldn’t happen. I would do everything possible to ensure all parties were safe, healthy, and happy with their choices.”

“All of this sounds incredibly courageous but also completely doable. How do you think you’re going to get Angus to sell you the business? And what do you think it would be worth?”

“I need to make him an offer he can’t refuse.” I sighed deeply.

“If this is what you want to do, the mark you want to make in the world, Alana, I’ll be there every step of the way.”

“You’ll invest in the company if he wants more than the money you’ve already given me?” I asked, my chest constricting, not enjoying asking my husband for more when all I truly wanted was what I already had…his love.

Christophe walked over to me with his arms open. I went straight into them, pressing my cheek to his chest. He held me close, rubbing his hands up and down my back in a soothing manner as he dipped his face to my ear. “I would burn down the world to make you happy. Money is no object. What’s mine is yours. Together, we will make him an offer he can’t refuse.”

I closed my eyes and desperately clung to my husband’s large frame, needing to feel him surrounding me.

“You know, Christo, we’re proof that it can be done right, that happiness in an arranged marriage can be found.”

“That we are,” he agreed.

“I need to do this. For me. For Celine. For all the candidates hoping to find a better life through the auction the same way I did.”

* * * *

As it turned out, when Christophe and I approached Angus later that week, he was terrified of being pulled into Darren’s murder investigation and apologized up and down for any part he’d played in bringing them together. The entire thing was suspect to be sure, but my husband’s lawyers had reviewed our marriage contract and determined ours was in fact a legally binding marriage within the state of Nevada.

Christophe and I offered Angus twenty million dollars to give up everything he’d built that involved The Marriage Auction, including the names, current candidates, and his entire list of potential bidders. I would revamp it, vetting the people involved, firing all of his staff, and starting my own process for bringing in clientele, security, and a tech team. Angus would also be required to sign a non-compete agreement which would prevent him from working in the arranged marriage industry providing any type of related services for at least twenty years.

When it was all said and done and Christophe and I were back home sitting together on our couch, a fire burning in the fireplace, my husband held me close and kissed the crown of my head. “She’d be proud of you. So damn brave,” he praised.

“ Merci, husband.” I snuggled deeply against his side, resting my head to his chest and listening to his heartbeat. “I think Celine is here, watching us now, clapping and cheering. Her loss wasn’t for nothing. We made sure of that.”

“No, it wasn’t. And she will always be with us.” He let me go and eased up to standing. “Wait here. I have something for you,” he said, then reached for the throw blanket and tossed it over my lap to keep me warm in his absence. He was constantly thoughtful in the sweetest ways.

I waited a few minutes as I heard Christophe go up the stairs, open the door to the studio, and then eventually return holding a large canvas covered in brown paper and twine. This was how he often prepared his art pieces before his team would package them with protective wrap and bubble inserts in order to transport them.

He set the present on the table before me.

“For you, in congratulations for your achievement in acquiring a new business. Your first,” he preened and smiled.

I chuckled and unwrapped the twine gently, then removed the paper.

The sight that greeted me had tears pouring down my cheeks and a sob shredding through my throat to get out. I covered my mouth as I trembled and shook, my gaze glued to the canvas.

It was me and Celine on our last night together. In Las Vegas with the sun setting over the desert behind us. He’d perfectly brought her image to life, standing right by my side, our cheeks pressing close to one another. We were smiling after having one of the best evenings ever with Christophe. At that moment, neither of us could have been happier.

I wanted to hug the painting, feel Celine’s cheeks with my hand, wrap my arms around her slight form, and never let go. That was not to be.

What I could do was look at my beautiful friend hanging in my home every day of my life, and remember what I’d had, what I’d loved, and what I’d lost. She would never be forgotten. Celine would live on through me and the good deeds I would do in her honor.

I turned to Christophe and shook my head. “There aren’t words…” I choked out.

“There doesn’t need to be any. Celine’s smile says it all. You were loved. And you loved her in return. She will always be a part of our lives. May she rest in peace.”

“I think she will now that I’ve taken over the business. Her soul can rest knowing what happened to her will never happen again.”

He nodded somberly as we both stared at her beloved face on the canvas.

“There’s only one last question I have,” he said cryptically. “Are you ready to be the Madam of The Marriage Auction?”

“Madam Alana?” I smiled and looked up at him. “I like the sound of that.”

He grinned, dipped his head, and kissed me.

The End…for now.

This book is considered a prequel standalone novella that takes place 30 years before the start of the official saga, The Marriage Auction. The #1 Kindle Vella bestselling phenomenon with over 1.8 million reads starts with Season 1 and is available now.

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Also from 1001 Dark Nights/Blue Box Press, discover The Marriage Auction , The Marriage Auction 2 , and A Christmas Auction .