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Chapter Two
One year later...
Liam greeted the influential and esteemed men as they stepped inside the function room holding tonight’s auction. A pair of bouncers stood just outside the double doors, where a large foyer separated the auction from the nightclub.
Security was necessary to ensure no uninvited guests tried to sneak inside and ogle the women who’d later come out on stage, with a mission to wow the affluent men who’d bid on them.
Liam smiled and nodded at the sheikh who was dressed in a cream Brioni suit and keffiyeh headwear. Korian was always the epitome of affluence. That he’d been a regular for the once-yearly auction event was quite the feather in the cap for the Black brothers. No doubt the sheikh would bid an outrageous amount on whichever woman caught his eye tonight like he had every other year.
Not that Liam had been too focused on last year’s auction. He’d been a little preoccupied, absent from much of his duties thanks to the woman in the adjoining Black Pearl Nightclub who’d made him forget pretty much everything but her name.
Harper.
A pity he’d never learned her last name. She’d been a bright star in his world for just a few hours and then she’d gone and everything had faded back to gray with her absence.
He shook free his thoughts to focus back on his job. The room was nearly filled to capacity when the last of the clientele stepped into the room and grabbed a bidding paddle. Liam nodded at the young, well-dressed man before closing the doors behind him.
When he turned back, his brother Aiden, approached with a clipboard in hand. Liam nodded at him. “Still refusing to use technology I see.”
Aiden glanced at the clipboard. “Some of the ladies prefer not to have their names recorded online, so I’m happy to oblige.” He shrugged. “And it’s not like we need to know anything more about them other than what they look like. Let’s face it, it’s all the men here care about.”
Liam winced, but his brother was right. Beauty was what drew the men to these auctions, along with the adrenaline of the bid. And though the women had to give at least the barest of information about themselves prior to the auction, it was destroyed once the auction ended, along with the names on paper that were attached to Aiden’s clipboard.
“Who have we got tonight?” Liam asked.
Aiden handed him the clipboard and attached list of names. “Take a look, though whether these women are using their real identity or not is up to them.”
Liam glanced at the names in the order of their auction appearance. His eyes paused on the third name down. His throat drying, he glanced at his brother. “Harper Franks?”
Aiden nodded and smiled. “I don’t doubt for a second Sheikh Korian will bid hard on her.”
Liam’s heart twisted. How ironic. After all, how many Harpers could there possibly be out there? Or was some higher force trying to fuck with his head?
“She’s not just a looker, she’s really sweet,” Aiden added.
So had the Harper Liam had gotten to know. Not that she’d ever consider auctioning herself off. Despite the wild side he’d brought out of her, she’d seemed far too virtuous for that.
You might have slid a finger inside her and made her orgasm, but you knew nothing about her...including her last name.
“I only hope she’s resilient enough to handle whoever bids on her,” Aiden said mildly.
Liam handed back the clipboard. “I’m sure the sheikh will make her very happy,” he said tonelessly. He’d heard the women Korian had bid on in the past had come away with either priceless jewelry or cash.
Aiden frowned, but before he could ask any questions, the auctioneer stepped onto the stage and greeted everyone with his usual spiel. “Gentlemen, I want to thank you all for attending tonight. I’m sure our ladies and their charities will appreciate your time and effort.”
A smattering of polite applause went around the room, most of the men just eager to get the formalities out the way to begin the night’s bidding.
“I hope you’re all feeling generous,” the auctioneer added. “If not, there is always your cold, hard bed to keep you company later tonight—not that I’m suggesting sex is a sure thing, that will be up to the discretion of the ladies tonight you bid on.”
A few of the men laughed, though the sheikh looked uninspired as he stood with his arms crossed and a paddle dangling from one of his hands while he stared at the empty stage.
Liam nodded at the auctioneer, silently communicating to wrap up the pre-talk and get on with it.
