Fixing Broken Hearts Read online

  If the women became difficult, they were highly likely to be dropped in an apartment with a monthly allowance for the year and forgotten. Russian mob bosses were simply too busy to trouble themselves with less than cooperative females. They had enough money not to resent the amount of money they spent on one.

  This group never involved girls who were underage, as that would draw the notice of law enforcement. Cassandra was aware that the fastest growing category of contracts were for males, primarily ones suitable for the boxing ring and body guards. It was considered an easy way for males to break into certain jobs in the organization. For some reason, the males were all on three-month contracts.

  Cassandra was intent on attending for a specific reason. One, she did not see fit to share with anyone. It was the first time she’d been less than honest with Viktor but she felt he would forgive the infraction.

  She had seen the pretty little redhead get pressed into resolving her family’s debt by offering herself to be auctioned. Demetrius was very circumspect. Honestly, if Cassandra had not seen the way they had interacted with each other when the redhead bumped into them on a recent trip to the zoo, she might have misread the situation herself. When they were out, Demetrius usually maintained a safe distance that gave him an opportunity to monitor them more effectively. The day they went to the zoo was no different. He was standing near an exhibit when they were eating.

  A pretty redhead brought him a coffee. Although his facial expression gave no indication, the brief moment their hands touched, their eyes met for the briefest of instants. In that moment, Cassandra knew the depth of their commitment for one another. At the time, she had thought it was sweet and gave it no more thought. Then she realized the woman had volunteered to be auctioned to pay her father’s medical bills. Knowing what was going on, she couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.

  So she bullied Viktor into letting her go and put on one of the nice ball gowns he had bought for her. She wrapped herself in a fur stole and walked out to meet him.

  He was in a foul mood, so she tried to break the ice. “Hey there, gorgeous, you seem a little preoccupied.”

  He responded sourly, “You already know why, princess. Please don’t push me.”

  “Take heart, by the end of the night you are going to be thoroughly angry. At least you have that to look forward to.”

  His brow creased and she could see his little wheels turning as he contemplated what she could possibly be referring to.

  The chauffer dropped them off at front of the building. The grounds were immaculately manicured and the shrubs formal. They entered the large building with arched stained glass windows. It had the feel of a renovated gothic church. The walls were painted a dark blue, the floors were granite, and the fittings were burnished brass. It gave the building an antique feel. She immediately saw Viktor’s father when they entered the building.

  When they caught his eye, the old man looked ever so slightly angry. She glanced at Viktor. He looked ever so slightly embarrassed.

  “I am supposing your father does not bring his wife to such events.”

  Viktor looked at her for a brief moment. “She attends all except this. He thinks it is beneath the dignity of a lady.”

  She murmured, “We’ll soon see if he thinks it is beneath the dignity of a whore.”

  Viktor became visibly angry for a brief second before he pulled himself together. He grabbed her by the arm and jerked her back just as his father reached them. Viktor slid his arms around her waist from behind and greeted his father.

  Karl regarded his son with no small amount of disgust before glancing at his soon to be daughter-in-law. “What possessed you to bring the good doctor to an event like this, Viktor?”

  Cassandra replied in his stead. “I’m afraid I insisted. Sorry if you find that embarrassing.”

  He replied curtly, “Rather the opposite, I’m afraid. We have been frowned on for years because we don’t typically bring our women to this particular event. It’s no place for a lady.”

  Viktor whispered, “I told her that. She told me that perhaps whores were more welcome.”

  Karl’s jaw clenched, and he made no response. Cassandra got the feeling he was so angry with her that he was counting to ten or something. She knew it was because she was feeding him back his words from the hospital charity dinner, and he honestly regretted saying that to her.

  “Enough already, you two. I have business here, if you will excuse me.”

  She stepped away and Viktor followed her. Waiters in neatly starched uniforms were passing out champagne and hors d’ourves. There was also an open bar. Comfortable seats had been set up. There were even some tables for groups of people to sit and talk. She noticed business of all sorts was being discussed around the room. Nothing private, more like bragging between important businessmen, showing off their wives, and talking about their cars. The environment was very posh. Viktor slowly made a turn around the entire room with her on his arm, introducing her to his peers.

  She noticed about thirty females standing on a platform, wearing expensive bikinis. She looked from woman to woman. Most were apprehensive, some were visibly excited, and a few were relaxed and didn’t seem to care. There was a strange juxtaposition between the extravagance of the environment and the frail beauty of the women to be indentured.

  Cassandra’s eyes immediately sought out the redhead. She noticed Demetrius did as well. The second he saw her, his face turned to stone and he jerked his head away. Demetrius was not the kind of man to wear his feelings on his sleeve, but his pretty little girlfriend sure did. Her eyes had glanced nervously around and landed on Demetrius a couple of times. Cassandra did not think Viktor even realized what was going on.

  The only evidence that Demetrius was having a hard time controlling his emotions was a slight tightening of his jaw. He never once looked at the woman. Cassandra thought this was probably because he didn’t trust himself to remain calm. Saying the wrong thing at this point in time would result in a brawl. Even Cassandra knew that, and she was unfamiliar with issues related to such auctions.

  Cassandra placed a hand on Viktor’s chest and he raised his face to hers. Viktor’s interest was piqued. He began looking around, trying to figure out what was going on. Her man liked intriguing puzzles. His father was intrigued as well. Naturally he would be, she though wryly, since they were cut from the same cloth.

  Men came around wearing dark suits and handed out paper fans which were to be lifted for bids. They were handed a program listing all the individuals participating, and giving details about each.

  Cassandra asked several questions that indicated she was intent on bidding. Her questions were politely answered. She looked at the program, and then intently at Demetrius, who slowly raised his hand and pointed to a name.

  Cassandra read that the woman was twenty-five years old, working on a degree in nursing, and was a virgin. She liked shopping, dancing, animals, and watching romantic comedies. She was a good cook and liked to grow flowers. She had no medical conditions, and was currently on a contraceptive injection.

  Cassandra’s heart sank a little. The fact that she was innocent, particularly at her age, would drive the price up. She had been told that most of the women sold for around a hundred thousand more or less for a year’s contract, so that was what she brought. As she skimmed the brochure, she noted the terms of sale, ten percent at the time of purchase and the remainder due within two business days. She felt relief coursing through her veins. She had enough to go up to a million if she needed. That should more than cover it, if the woman hadn’t already caught another bidder’s eye.

  The auction began with mostly the women who were expected to command a lower price, and worked up to the women who were expected to command a higher price. The little redhead was brought forward when there were about five or six women left. Cassandra turned to Demetrius, whispered something in his ear, and he immediately left the room. She felt some empathy for Demetrius and didn’t want him to
witness other people bidding on the woman he loved. She was worried he would not be able to maintain his self-control, which she suspected was hanging by a thread.

  Viktor seemed totally enthralled and excited to see what was happening. He stepped close to his father, and they whispered back and forth with their heads together. She could see them reviewing the women to determine if they knew any of them, or if any of them could possibly know her. They were kind of cute when they were in detective mode.

  When the bidding on the redhead began, Cassandra moved her fan. Karl grabbed her arm. Viktor tried to explain that she was bidding on the indenture of a human being.

  That was something she unfortunately already knew. She held up one hand for him to stop talking, slowly disengaged Karl’s hand from her arm, and continued to bid on the woman. She could tell that others in the room noticed her bidding, and they were kind of perplexed. Most knew that neither Viktor nor his father participated in such things.

  Viktor whispered, “You are was pulling me into uncharted territory tonight. It might be injecting an interesting, illicit thrill to the evening, but it’s also confusing the hell out of me.”

  She tried to ignore him in order to stay focused on the event. Of course the man was freaking out that she was purchasing a contract. He probably couldn’t imagine what she might be planning to do with someone for an entire year.

  Karl whispered, “What is your woman doing, Viktor? Unless she has at least a hundred thousand shoved into that bodice of hers, we are going to have some embarrassment tonight.”

  Viktor replied in a whisper, “Trust me, she is far smarter than that.”

  The bid began slowing down at around a hundred and fifty thousand and it was just Cassandra and a handsome Russian oligarch with dark hair and sparking green eyes. Viktor leaned over. “Beware, my sweet. That is Ivan Korsakov. He’s from New York and very well connected to the South American cartels. Play nice and don’t antagonize him.”

  Cassandra glanced up to see Mr. Korsakov was staring at her and Viktor strangely. Cassandra kept bidding until they were at two hundred thousand and the man paused and scratched the side of his face as he thought about the situation.

  He stated emphatically, “Two hundred fifty thousand.”

  Cassandra responded with a friendly smile, “Three hundred thousand.”

  There was a commotion on the stage as two of the females near the end got into a shoving match, as neither apparently wanted to be in last place. Taking the opportunity, Cassandra made her way over to Mr. Korsakov. Since there were so many people milling about and everyone was distracted by the cat fight on the stage, it drew little notice. Viktor was at her back on one side and his father the other.

  The man smiled pleasantly and murmured, “You have taken a liking to this one. Her innocence draws me as well.”

  “What do you plan to do with her, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  When the man smiled, his eyes lit up in a cold and calculating way that Cassandra didn’t quite care for in the least.

  “I train submissives and auction them. Normally, sex is part of the training. I am intrigued by the challenges involved in training a submissive without dispensing with her innocence. I believe the auction would draw doms from around the world. How about yourself, what used did you have in mind for the woman?”

  “I need a nurse for my child.”

  “Ah. I can see how having a modest woman to care for your child could be desirable. The little one is always in our prayers. I will seek out another.”

  “You have our thanks.”

  When the bidding resumed, Ivan kept silent and no one raised a brow. It was common knowledge that Viktor’s daughter was not well. Purchasing a woman to care for the child with a medical background made sense. It also made it clear that she was highly valued for her vocational skillset rather than her body. Cassandra watched Ivan studying the brochure for a second choice.

  They sat through the last couple of auctions. The women were whisked away, and appeared on the arms of employees. Ivan acquired a feisty redhead and seemed intent on teaching her to subdue her temper right from the start. Catching a glimpse of them a short while later, Cassandra saw the woman on her knees beside him as he enjoyed a conversation with a small ground of other men.

  After the auction was complete, Cassandra was ushered to a table and Demetrius followed her. Viktor and Karl watched the transaction from about five feet away. Viktor watched with a level of shock on his face that Cassandra had not thought possible. She opened the case Demetrius brought her from the car, and turned it around to be counted. She signed some paperwork, and the woman was brought to her.

  The man who handled her transaction was a younger male in a dark suit with immaculate grooming. He was polite and professional during his interaction.

  “I am sure Mr. Balakovich has already explained to you that most auctions are not like this. We usually require full payment before you can take the goods. Only bosses are here tonight. We are certain they will honor their commitments.”

  “I understand. I will complete the transaction within the specified timeframe. Please know the Balakovich family is pleased to offer our support to your new business model.”

  The man smiled politely and gave her a burner cell phone. “Call anytime. I will come and complete the purchase. Remember, the contract is only for one year, after which you must return her to the yearly holiday auction unharmed. If you would like to repurchase the same individual, there is a holding period of six months.”

  “Why is that?”

  “It is helpful to give each individual an opportunity to integrate back into their local communities and be certain they are up for another venture. It clarifies that their ongoing participation is voluntary and serves as a recruitment tool when people see them returned safely.”

  “Sounds like a well-planned business model. Thank you for your time.”

  The man responded by giving her his business card and a short explanation. “We have a variety of similar services we provide. We maintain a selection of individuals who can provide onsite support for temporary entertainment.”

  Cassandra looked up at him with interest and replied, “I am having a Middle Eastern themed party in the near future. Do you have women who can dance and act as escorts for the evening?”

  He nodded. “Naturally. Many of the women we have sign up voluntarily and accept such engagements with the hope of meeting wealthy eligible men. We also have males to be had for short-term evening or weekend assignments for wealthy ladies like you who like to play.”

  Cassandra laughed easily. “Please don’t tempt me, sir. I’m afraid that sampling your goods myself would get me spanked six ways to Sunday, and not in that sexy way I normally like.”

  The man laughed.

  “I assume that in the event one of my guests got stingy about giving his entertainer back, arrangements could be made at a reasonable price.”

  “I guarantee you that it happens all the time. As long as the female is agreeable, it is not a problem. Call me, we can meet for lunch and I will bring files on our girls. I’m certain we can make your event special.”

  Cassandra thanked the man for his assistance, and motioned for Demetrius to bring her purchase.

  She walked up to Viktor and his father, who said absolutely nothing. She smiled, grabbed a couple of glasses of champagne, and gave one to the woman saying, “Have a drink, dear, you look like you could use one.”

  She glanced at Viktor. “I don’t think I have ever seen you quite speechless before, gorgeous. It looks good on you. My business here is concluded. Are we required to stay?”

  He shook his head no and they headed for his limo.

  The driver opened the door and Demetrius and Viktor got in, sitting across from each other. To Cassandra’s surprise, Karl even climbed in. She took this to mean he was itching to give her piece of his mind for engaging in human trafficking. She was beginning to think the term didn’t really apply to this situation very w
ell. She was not looking forwarding to getting verbally reprimanded in front of Viktor, and hoped she didn’t cry.

  Cassandra entered next, pulling the woman behind her. She gently shoved her down into Demetrius’s arms. “Consider this your Christmas bonus and your birthday gift for the next few years, my friend.”

  She immediately turned, curled up to Viktor’s side, and began kissing him like nothing had happened.

  Demetrius took off his coat, put it around Charlene, and held her close to his body. She was trembling, but wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him. He whispered to her that everything was going to be fine, that she was going home with him, and that she should never scare him like that again. The woman glanced nervously at Cassandra.

  Cassandra smiled at the frightened woman. “Come on, out with it, sweetie. What has you so curious?”

  “How did you know about the auction?” Her nervous glances at Viktor clued her in.

  “You’re wondering if my good-looking mobster purchased me at one time, and maybe I just grew a liking for him?”

  The woman nodded.

  “Not on your life. He kidnapped me from my bed back in the States. Dropped down like Batman and snatched me right up through the skylight.”

  The woman’s eyes got big.

  “Wish I could say I was joking about that, but I’m not. I thought he was the scariest thing ever, until I met his dad. Karl was even more intimidating.” Pointing her thumb in the old man’s direction, she said, “That silver fox is his son, to the tenth power.”

  Her shenanigans finally got a chuckle out of the older man and Viktor stole another kiss.

  Cassandra turned in the mobster’s arms and said to Charlene, “Sorry about tonight. I thought I would get you out of there as soon as possible and give you a few minutes to calm down before we talk. I can’t imagine what that must have felt like.”

  The woman replied, “I wondered if you were bought at a former auction, but I must say getting stolen away would frighten me.”

  Cassandra laughed and said, “In retrospect, it seems like something out a spy novel.”