84. Madden

84

Madden

15 minutes earlier…

S eeing Tessa up on stage with bruises and a tear-stained face makes me homicidal. Violence against women is inexcusable. Yes, I knocked out the bitch upstairs, but she's incapacitated, not hurt. There won't be any lasting damage.

Someone has touched my woman and hurt her. When I find out who that person is, they are dead, although I have a strong suspicion about who it might be.

The auctioneer coughs into his microphone and the tension in the room ramps up.

"Tonight, ladies and gentlemen, we have a rare prize up for sale," he says with a smile. "She's strong, fertile, and, as you can see, most appealing."

The spotlight on Tessa shows the moment when the man's words sink in. The horror on her face is unmistakable, but she doesn't cave. Instead, she straightens her shoulders and stares out across the room, refusing to be beaten down by what's happening to her.

I love how strong she is. How much fight she has, despite everything. She's a goddess among women, and I'm proud to call her mine.

Then she scowls when an asshole sitting right at the front of the dais touches her foot. From the way he's staring at her, she isn't happy about it. I resolve to end that perverted fucker as soon as possible. He can die along with all the other deviants in this room.

"Bidding starts at $500,000. Any takers?"

Several paddles shoot up in the air, and I frown. The last time we came, there were no paddles. I guess this auction requires an additional buy-in. Who knows? Kade didn't bother asking Chan about the finer details; there wasn't time.

I spot a short man with a bald head walking over to a desk in the opposite corner. He talks to the man seated behind a computer screen. A few moments later, he sits back down with a paddle in his hand.

The bidding creeps up and soon passes one million dollars. By the time it reaches two million dollars, there are only two people left. Kade doesn't look happy about either of them and from the way he scowls at whatever Quinn is telling him, these two must be the worst of the worst.

"Congratulations, Mr. Kanevsky," the auctioneer says.

The minute I hear the man's name, my fists clench. Kanevsky is infamous. He was the subject of a major FBI investigation last year, involving the trafficking of underage women who were found to be working in his hotels. The case ended up being dropped after several key witnesses, including the original whistle-blower, disappeared.

How the FBI managed to fuck up the investigation so badly is a mystery, and I make a mental note to ask Quinn about it. Not that it matters. After tonight, Kanevsky won't be bothering young women ever again.

I spot Mashkov at the rear of the dais, looking thrilled as a guard takes Tessa out of sight. Kade nods at me and pulls out a blade. There are only two guards left in the room, one of them holding a drugged girl on the dais.

Kade takes out the guard by the main door quickly and efficiently. Nobody notices. They're all too busy watching the action at the front of the room.

I move sideways until I have the guard on stage in my sights. He steps away from the girl and I shoot. She doesn't react at all when blood splatters all over her, leaving her standing there like a grotesque version of Stephen King's Carrie.

Everyone else in the room notices, though. The men rush to try to escape, the women scream, and the few staff still present pull guns. But we've taken them by surprise.

The battle is over before it's even begun. Kanevsky looks stunned when I shoot him in the head. I guess he wasn't expecting to die this evening. Oh well. The fucker who had the audacity to touch my woman dies next.

People scramble to get out of the room, punching each other in the face to avoid being shot, but I don't bother with them. More guards are no doubt on their way, and we don't have enough ammo to kill every sick bastard in this room, even if most of them deserve it.

It doesn't take long for all the patrons to flee. When the room is empty, I close the door and wedge a chair under the handle to slow down anyone trying to force their way in.

Kade steps over the body of the auctioneer and heads through the door at the rear of the room. I check my gun and then follow him.