The heavily armored convoy rolled to a stop outside the sprawling Vargas estate. The mansion was a terrifying monument to corrupt wealth, illuminated by hundreds of golden spotlights. Heavily armed cartel mercenaries, dressed in tailored tuxedos and wearing black porcelain masks, lined the grand marble staircase leading up to the main entrance.
Kieran stepped out of the Maybach first. He wore a sleek black suit and a minimalist silver mask that covered the upper half of his face, making his piercing blue eyes look entirely demonic. He reached his large hand out to her.
Aria took his hand and stepped onto the red carpet. She wore a delicate black lace mask that contrasted perfectly with her blood red silk gown. The heavy diamond choker rested cold against her throat, a constant physical reminder of his absolute protection.
"Are you ready for this?" Kieran asked quietly as they stood before the massive double doors of the ballroom.
"I do not have a choice," Aria whispered back, adjusting her lace mask with slightly trembling fingers. "You chained me to your side with this heavy diamond collar."
"It is a very beautiful chain," Kieran noted smoothly, his gaze dropping to her lips before snapping back to her eyes. "And you wear it perfectly. Just remember our exact terms for tonight. Stay close to me. Do not speak unless spoken to directly by the elders. Let me do the heavy lifting."
"Keep your eyes forward," Kieran murmured softly, his warm breath grazing her ear. He wrapped his large, strong arm firmly around her bare waist, pulling her flush against his side. "You belong to me. Do not let these animals think you are afraid of them."
They walked through the massive doors and stepped onto the landing overlooking the main ballroom. The sheer scale of the masquerade gala was incredibly overwhelming. Crystal chandeliers cast a dazzling light over hundreds of Syndicate elites.
The moment Kieran and Aria appeared at the top of the grand staircase, the live orchestra completely stopped playing.
A suffocating, heavy silence fell over the massive room. Every single cartel boss, corrupt politician, and shadow assassin turned their masked faces upward to stare directly at them.
Aria felt the heavy weight of their predatory gazes immediately. Her heart hammered against her ribs. These were the exact monsters who had bid on her life just twenty four hours ago. But as Kieran tightened his possessive grip on her waist, the terrifying panic dissolved completely. A strange, intoxicating rush of power replaced her fear. Leaning into his solid muscular frame, surrounded entirely by his lethal aura, she felt entirely invincible. She realized the horrifying truth right then. She was actively craving his dark, violent protection.
As they slowly descended the marble steps, Aria carefully scanned the opulent room. Her eyes darted instinctively to the upper corners of the vaulted ceiling, mapping out the security feeds. She froze slightly, her high heel pausing on the marble step.
There were four high definition security cameras mounted in the corners. But they were not panning in a standard, continuous sweep. They moved in a very specific, erratic rhythm. Three seconds right, a micro pause, one second left.
It was a completely unique, randomized algorithm designed exclusively to prevent blind spot mapping. It was her father's exact customized coding. Nobody else in the world knew how to write that specific sequence.
"What is wrong?" Kieran whispered immediately, feeling her slight hesitation on the stairs.
"The security cameras," Aria breathed quietly, leaning her head much closer to his shoulder so no one else could possibly hear. "The panning sequence is proprietary. It is my father's stolen code. Someone inside the Vargas cartel already has access to his encrypted tech."
Kieran's blue eyes darkened with lethal calculation. "Then we are exactly where we need to be tonight. Keep walking."
They reached the bottom of the stairs. The crowd parted instantly, creating a wide circle around them like they were walking through a sea of venomous snakes.
A loud, incredibly obnoxious clapping sound echoed through the silent ballroom.
Hector Vargas stepped out of the quiet crowd. The brutal cartel boss wore a gaudy gold suit and his signature silver skull mask. He walked straight toward them, a deeply smug, sickening smile plastered across his scarred face. Several elder members of the Syndicate ruling council stood directly behind him, watching the brewing confrontation with cold, calculated interest.
"Kieran Cross," Vargas boomed loudly, opening his arms wide in a mock display of hospitality. "I am incredibly surprised you actually showed your face tonight. And you brought the little stolen prize with you."
Vargas shifted his dark, entirely predatory gaze to Aria. He stepped entirely too close, invading her personal space.
"You look absolutely ravishing in red, little bird," Vargas sneered, reaching a thick, heavily ringed finger out toward her cheek. "Although I think you would look much better crying in one of my holding cells down below. Your little blonde friend from the auction is currently screaming her lungs out down there right now. I am saving a special cage right next to her just for you."
Before Vargas could even graze her skin, Kieran moved with blinding, terrifying speed.
He stepped firmly in front of Aria, shielding her completely from the cartel boss. Kieran grabbed Vargas by his extended wrist. The sickening sound of bones grinding echoed loudly in the quiet room.
Vargas gasped loudly, his smug smile vanishing instantly as he tried desperately to pull his hand away. He could not move an inch.
"I told you yesterday, Hector," Kieran said. His voice was incredibly low, but it carried perfectly across the silent ballroom. It was completely devoid of anger, which made it infinitely more terrifying. "She is my exclusive property. If you ever attempt to touch her again, I will rip your arm off and beat you to death with it in front of the entire ruling council."
Vargas winced in agonizing pain, his face turning a dark shade of purple. The cartel mercenaries surrounding the room immediately reached into their tuxedo jackets, gripping their concealed weapons. Kieran's own elite guards mirrored the exact movement instantly. The entire ballroom teetered on the absolute edge of a massive, bloody shootout.
"You are breaking the treaty, Cross," Vargas hissed through clenched teeth, his knees buckling slightly under Kieran's crushing grip. "You stole her from my legal bid. You have absolutely no right to claim her."
"I am the treaty," Kieran countered flawlessly, his piercing blue eyes completely dead and devoid of mercy. "I own the judges. I own the ports. I own the very streets you walk on. You only breathe in this city because I allow it. And I am officially declaring her entirely untouchable. If any man in this room looks at her too long, I will burn their entire family to ashes."
Kieran shoved Vargas forcefully backward. The heavy cartel boss stumbled awkwardly and nearly fell onto the polished marble floor.
"You are incredibly bold, Cross," Vargas spat, rapidly recovering his balance and rubbing his bruised wrist. "You think claiming her makes you invincible? She is the Architect's bloodline. She is a walking vault of our darkest secrets. The elders will not let you keep her as a pet. They will demand she be interrogated properly."
"The elders are welcome to try and take her from my estate," Kieran challenged smoothly, turning his head slowly to look directly at the pale, sweating council members standing nearby. "If they wish to start a street war that will bankrupt their entire operations, I am completely ready. Are you, gentlemen?"
The elders quickly looked away, completely avoiding his terrifying gaze. Nobody in the room wanted to fight the Cross family.
"You see, Hector?" Kieran mocked softly, turning back to the humiliated cartel boss. "Nobody is going to help you. Your pathetic threats mean absolutely nothing to me."
Kieran calmly adjusted his suit jacket and turned back to Aria. He offered his large hand to her, completely ignoring the furious, humiliated cartel boss standing right behind them.
"They are playing a waltz," Kieran noted softly, a dangerously handsome smile finally breaking through his cold facade. "Care to dance, Aria?"
Aria stared at the beautiful, terrifying monster standing in front of her. He had just publicly declared war on the entire criminal underworld just to keep her safe. She placed her trembling hand firmly into his.
"I would love to," Aria replied.