Revenge In The Mafia's Bed

3

A Tense Escape

Audrey’s breathing came in ragged, desperate gasps, feeling like scalding steam burning her throat. Her heart hammered against her ribs, creating a constant, throbbing pain behind her temples. The knee strike she had landed had sent the hired thug sprawling, but Audrey knew her advantage wouldn't last. Gripping the edge of a wooden nightstand to steady her trembling frame, she tried to stand upright. Her muscles felt like jelly, as if her bones were melting under the influence of the potent aphrodisiac coursing through her veins.

On the floor, the man groaned, curled in a ball. His face was flushed with seething rage. "You damn b***h! How dare you!" he cursed, his voice raspy and laced with menace. His eyes glinted with vengeance as he forced his burly body to rise.

Seeing him move, a wave of sheer panic gripped Audrey’s chest. Her survival instinct screamed, piercing through the fog of artificial desire clouding her mind. Without a second thought, her trembling hand grabbed a heavy glass of water from the nightstand. With her remaining strength, she hurled it at the floor.

Crash!

Jagged shards of glass scattered everywhere, creating an instant barrier between them. The man paused, staring at the fragments glinting under the room's lights. Audrey seized that fleeting moment. She turned, ignoring the stinging pain in her bare feet, and bolted toward the door of room 808.

Her cold, sweatslicked hand fumbled with the metal handle. She yanked it open and, without looking back, burst into the long, silent VIP corridor.

"Hey! Stop right there!" the man shouted from the room. Heavy footsteps began to thunder behind her, hungry to crush anyone who dared defy him.

Audrey staggered across the plush red velvet carpet. Her onceelegant offwhite evening gown was torn at the shoulder from the man’s rough grasp. The slit of the dress swayed unevenly, revealing her long legs as she stumbled blindly. Her shoulderlength brown hair was a mess, clinging to a face and neck slicked with sweat.

"Help... someone, please..." Audrey tried to scream, but only a pathetic, raspy whimper escaped her parched throat. This eighthfloor corridor was an exclusive, private area; not a single staff member or guest was in sight at this late hour. The surrounding doors remained tightly shut, isolating her from safety.

The heat within her intensified, causing her vision to blur violently. The walls of the hallway seemed to close in, ready to crush her weakening body. Every breath felt like fire in her lungs. Her mind began to unravel, praying desperately not to lose consciousness in this cursed place.

Behind her, the pursuer’s footsteps grew closer. The distance between them was vanishing rapidly. The man stomped forward with fury, ready to reclaim his escaping prey. Audrey could hear his heavy breathing and coarse swearing only a few meters away.

God, please... save me, Audrey screamed internally. Tears of despair traced paths down her pale cheeks—a face flushed feverish by the drug.

Her gait faltered. She knew that in a few seconds, if she didn't find a place to hide or someone to help, her life would be over. With the last dregs of her strength, she forced herself to run toward the end of the corridor. There stood a large teak door with gold inlay, unlike any other—the corner VIP suite, radiating an aura of opulence and deep mystery. Disregarding whoever might be inside, Audrey threw her entire body weight toward it, hoping for a miracle on the other side.

The Corner Suite

Audrey’s steps felt leaden, paralyzed. Behind her, the hired thug's thundering footsteps were just inches away. With her final ounce of strength, she threw herself against the massive, goldembossed teak door at the end of the hall. VIP suite 888—the most secluded room, exuding a cold, exclusive presence.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Audrey pounded on the sturdy door with trembling fists. Her skin stung, but the pain was eclipsed by the maddening fire in her veins. Her torn dress slipped lower, exposing the collarbone and neck, which were flushed deep crimson from the aphrodisiac.

"Please... open the door... Anyone inside, please save me..." Audrey whimpered, her voice nearly spent. She panted, her hot breath hitting the wood. Her vision swayed, dimming into swirling black spots.

Meanwhile, behind the grand, silent door, Christian Barrett stood by the floortoceiling window overlooking the sparkling Manhattan skyline. His expensive black suit jacket lay on the sofa, leaving him in a black shirt with the top two buttons undone. His sharpjawed face was set in a hard, cold expression, radiating an aura lethal enough to kill.

Christian’s mind was a storm tonight. Hours ago, the Don—his father—had delivered a harsh ultimatum. Christian was being pressured to find a wife and provide an heir for the Barrett Empire within three months, or his throne in New York would be handed to his treacherous cousin. For a dominant alpha like Christian, coercion was the thing he hated most in the world.

Thud! Thud!

The weak but frantic pounding on his door shattered the silence. Christian’s thick brows furrowed sharply. His eyes glinted with high alert. This hall was a private area secured by his men; no stranger should be able to approach his room. Was this a hitman sent by his rivals?

Christian moved with calm, calculated caution. His right hand moved instinctively to his waistband, ready to draw his weapon if the situation turned dire. With one swift, firm motion, he turned the lock and pulled the heavy door wide open.

But the scene before him was not what he expected.

He wasn't met with the muzzle of a gun, but by a woman’s body collapsing forward. Audrey, having lost her support, fell right against Christian’s rockhard, broad chest. A heady, sweet fragrance mingled with the intense, scorching heat radiating from her body, hitting Christian’s senses.

Christian froze for a second. His dark, icecold eyes looked down, locking onto the girl in his arms. Her offwhite evening gown was disheveled, her shoulderlength hair damp with sweat, and her beautiful face was flushed deep red, her lips parted slightly to catch her breath.

"Please... hide me..." Audrey whispered weakly. Her hazel eyes fluttered open, looking at Christian with a deep, desperate plea before her consciousness reached its breaking point. Her petite fingers gripped his black shirt with her very last ounce of strength.

At that same moment, the hired thug reached the bend in the hallway. His steps stopped dead when he saw the man standing in the doorway. The thug’s face turned ghostly pale, his body trembling with sheer terror. In the New York underworld, there was no one who didn't recognize Christian Barrett. Just meeting his gaze was like digging one's own grave. Without waiting for a command, the thug turned and fled as fast as he could, terrified of losing his life.

Christian ignored the small cockroach scuttling away. His attention was tethered entirely to the woman in his arms. The dominant desire usually kept in perfect check within him suddenly surged strangely as he felt the searing heat of Audrey’s skin.

Christian narrowed his eyes, glancing sharply at the empty corridor before pulling Audrey inside and slamming the door shut, locking their fates together on this cursed night.