Page 46 of Protecting Lanie

The estate loomed ahead, massive and sprawling, its opulence masking the rot underneath. Archer slowed his vehicle to a crawl, adjusting the black suit jacket he wore. His role tonight was simple—he wasn’t coming in as Cerberus. He was coming in as a buyer.

A man with no morals. A man interested in the merchandise.

The thought turned his stomach, but the disguise would get him inside without a fight. And once he was in? All bets were off.

King’s voice sputtered through his earpiece. “You’re five minutes out from the auction room. Lanie’s already inside. Molina’s keeping her close.”

Archer’s jaw clenched. Of course he was.

“Logan and I have entry points secured,” Reyna added. “Guards are posted at all the exits. We count at least twenty hostiles.”

Twenty was a problem. Not for Cerberus, but for Lanie. A full-scale takedown would take careful precision. If she got caught in the crossfire…

No. Archer cut the thought off before it could take root. He would not let that happen.

That single thought pounded through his skull as he pulled into the estate’s driveway. Two guards approached his car, rifles slung over their shoulders. Archer rolled down his window, his expression void of emotion.

“I’m expected,” he said flatly.

One guard scanned his ID, stolen from a bidder whose description fit Archer closely enough that Seth had made it work. The buyer, whose identity he’d borrowed, would never make it to the auction.

The other guard gave him a slow once-over. “Go ahead,” he said, stepping back.

Archer drove through, parking near the other luxury vehicles lining the estate’s front entrance. He stepped out, smoothing a hand over his jacket, and adjusted the black mask covering the lower half of his face.

Then he walked inside.

The moment he stepped into the main hall, the energy shifted. The space was grand, filled with men in suits, laughter that didn’t reach their eyes, and too many women looking like they were trying to disappear.

His gaze swept the room, searching, hunting…

And then he saw her. Lanie stood at Molina’s side, her back straight, her shoulders squared. To anyone else, she would look as if she was playing her part to perfection. But he saw it—theway her fingers curled just slightly at her sides, the flicker of unease she was barely keeping in check.

His gut clenched. She was beautiful—too damn beautiful in that sleek dress, her hair framing her delicate features like something out of a dream.

But the moment he laid eyes on her, a different kind of possession took hold. She was his.

And Molina’s fingers—casually resting against her hip—needed to be broken.

Archer moved through the crowd, his pulse a steady drum, each step calculated, precise. His expression remained neutral, though inside, a storm raged.

The auctioneer’s voice rang out over the murmuring bidders. “Gentlemen, please take your seats. We have a special collection this evening, and our first presentation is...”

Archer ignored him. He kept his eyes locked on Lanie. And that was when she moved. She reached into Molina’s pocket, her fingers quick and delicate, sliding out his phone in a move so smooth no one else noticed.

She turned her body just enough to obscure her next movement, tapping the screen rapidly.

She was sending the data to Cerberus. Smart girl. Too smart. Because the moment she finished, the phone buzzed in her hand, and Molin turned.

His dark eyes narrowed, his lips curling. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

Lanie’s breath hitched, but she didn’t falter. “I—I just wanted to check...”

Molina’s grip on her wrist tightened. “Lying little bitch,” he hissed.

Archer was already moving.

Molina was about to die. But before he could reach them, the first gunshot rang out.

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