Rising from the Ashes (Andrew and Lauren)

Aspen's face burned crimson as she instinctively crossed her arms over her chest. Damn it—her habit of going braless after showers had become second nature, and Andrew had seen her in this state.

Humiliated, she spat, "Fine! Since my kindness is wasted on you, I'm going to bed!"

She turned to stomp upstairs in a huff. However, Andrew suddenly sprang from his chair and tackled her to the ground. His arm locked around her slender waist as they rolled across the floor.

Aspen's shock quickly turned to fury, wondering what the hell this bastard was doing.

Was he actually trying to take advantage of her in the dark?

She silently cursed herself for being dumb and wandered around practically naked in front of this pervert. She was basically giving him a chance to pounce at her.

Just as she began struggling in earnest, Andrew's growl cut through the night. "Stop moving unless you want to die!"

The next moment, a hail of gunfire erupted, muzzle flashes lighting up the darkness as bullets shredded through Serenity Villa's entrance. Andrew shielded Aspen behind the couch as the once-elegant furnishings exploded into splinters under the barrage.

The ambush sent Natasha and others scrambling for cover from their hidden positions. Some of their men were not fast enough, and their agonized screams pierced through the gunfire.

Aspen's face paled as the relentless gunfire echoed through the villa. She gasped in disbelief, "That's a heavy machine gun! How could banned military-grade weapons appear so easily in our country?"

Andrew's expression turned icy as he replied, "It's possible that these aren't Holtrien's assassins. This kind of indiscriminate firepower reeks of foreign mercenary tactics."

He smirked and said, "Seems like the Haywoods and Goldings have decided to play for keeps."

Aspen shivered as Andrew's warm breath tickled her ear, sending unwelcome tingles down her spine. She snapped irritably, "Could you let go of me now?"

Andrew replied flatly, "So you can stand up and get holes all over your body?"

Aspen fell silent, acutely aware of the large, warm hand splayed across her bare waist. The intimate contact felt disturbingly wrong. Yet, here she was, pressed flush against his body in what could only be described as a compromising position.

Against her will, inappropriate thoughts began swirling through her mind, painting her cheeks a telltale pink.

Outside, the deafening barrage lasted nearly 30 seconds before ceasing abruptly. A dozen masked mercenaries in full combat gear moved cautiously through the mansion.

At the center of the mercenary formation stood a man built like a grizzly bear: His attire was starkly

ét

different from that offe

comrades. He wore only

camouflage pants, combat boots, and a sleeveless vest that stretched taut over obscenely swollen arm

muscles.

He barked in guttural Srovikian, "Leave no survivors and find Andrew's corpse!"

his squad moved upstairs,

With that, his

weapons ready, only to be met with gunfire from Reuben and Natasha's ambush. A few sharp exchanges of bullets curses, and dying screams later, silence reclaimed the upper floor. noveldrama

IMS

Downstairs, the mercenary leader's face darkened. He could not believe there were actually survivors. He crouched slightly, Desert Eagles in hand, preparing to launch himself upstairs and support his men.

Just as he was about to move, something felt off. He sensed a threat from behind the couch where Andrew and Aspen were hiding. Without hesitation, he raised both pistols.

A rapid barrage tore through the couch, sending foam and shredded fabric flying everywhere.