Ravish: The Awakening of Sleeping Beauty - By Cathy Yardley Page 0,40

that I couldn’t be happier!”

There were loud cheers. The pride and love in her father’s voice was so clear, Rory felt tears misting her eyes. She missed them, she realized. They were overprotective, yes. She had her differences with them, about everything, it seemed. But they loved her so much. It had been so long since she’d seen them. Too long.

If I don’t wake up, then I’ll never see them again.

It was a truth she hadn’t wanted to contemplate. Now, seeing this snapshot of their happy history, she felt an overwhelming sadness.

“Please, enjoy yourselves…”

“Wait!”

The loud shout sounded like thunder, and everyone in the ballroom fell silent. Rory felt a chill of dread seep into her chest.

Serafina strode across the ballroom, the crowd parting like the Red Sea before her. She walked up the steps slowly.

“I think you forgot to invite someone,” she said, and though she didn’t raise her voice, it still echoed and boomed through the ballroom. There was a ripple of whispering through the assembled crowd.

Her mother took the baby—the younger Rory—and hid behind her father. Rory watched in horror as Serafina approached them.

“Did you forget my price so quickly?” She looked calm, even though her tone was caustic. “It’s only been ten months, after all.”

More whispers.

“You don’t belong here,” Rory’s father said, his face turning pale with anger. “Get out.” He gestured to some burly security guards. They started to move in on Serafina, but one glance from her had them freezing in their tracks.

“You were supposed to introduce me to these fine people,” Serafina purred. “You were supposed to help me spread my reputation beyond this tiny island.”

“You’re a local nutcase,” Rory’s father said, and even Rory winced. “You didn’t do anything, we don’t owe you anything. We have no agreement.”

With that, Rory felt a strangling sensation, and she was immediately light-headed.

This. This is why I’m here.

She fought her way to the exit, ignoring the curious murmurs and comments of the crowd, who were aghast.

“You will pay for my services,” was the last thing she heard Serafina say. “One way or another.”

Rory forced her way out of the hotel, onto the grass lawn. She hugged her stomach, struggling not to retch.

What she had just seen had happened years ago. She was obviously far too young to remember, and her parents had never shared this story with her, but she knew that it was true.

Locals from the village were coming up the path. They ignored her, as well, heading with grim determination toward the resort.

“No,” Rory said, as she saw their lit torches, the wine bottles with rags stuffed in the necks. “No! Please, stop!”

But it was too late.

The hotel caught slowly, but once the fire took, it spread with increasing speed. Screaming tourists fled the building. Rory watched as her parents, cradling her, ran with the rest of the crowd toward the beaches, the docks. By nightfall, the hotel was a smoldering pile of ash and coals.

Serafina was the last to leave. She walked up to Rory.

“You see what I’m capable of,” she whispered, her eyes unnaturally bright, glowing. “You don’t want to cross me. You tell that to that man of yours, as well.”

“That man…” Rory started to echo, then abruptly shut her mouth.

Jacob.

“He came to see me,” Serafina said with a wink. “He thinks he’s stronger. Men always do. But I’ll hurt him if he comes back. You’re mine, and you’re here, Rory. Best get used to it.” She pointed to the hotel. “Next time, I won’t just take your pretty little bedroom.”

With that, Serafina headed back to the grove, leaving Rory to stare…and think.

Chapter Seven

“No, Jacob. I’ve let this go too far as it is,” Aaron said over the phone. “If you’re not going to do something about this delusion of yours, then I’m going to.”

Jacob rubbed at his temple with one hand while holding the cell phone to his ear with the other. “Listen, I shouldn’t have gotten you involved. If you just give me her phone number, I’ll take it from there.” He didn’t know what the history was between Aaron and the woman, but he knew that it ended poorly—and that Aaron, despite dating plenty of eligible women, really mourned the loss of that particular relationship, despite his being the one who pulled the trigger on it.

“I don’t want you talking to her, or anyone else,” Aaron snapped. “This is crazy. Do you understand that?”

“Spoken like a shrink.”

“You’re not going to distract me with that petty sibling rivalry bullshit.” Aaron