by Anne, Melody
They stepped into the hall and made their way down to Rachel’s fitting room. Ari knocked on the door and there wasn’t an answer, so she tried the doorknob. It was unlocked.
The two women opened the door, calling for Rachel. Still no answer.
Ari felt her stomach heave with fear. She was afraid to look around, afraid they’d find Rachel lying on the floor bleeding. What if she’d had a miscarriage and had been lying there dying all day? She’d never forgive herself for being so self-absorbed that she hadn’t noticed her dear friend missing for an entire afternoon.
“Oh, Ari,” Lia gasped, making Ari turn slowly around. She was afraid to see what had made Lia’s voice so frightened.
What she found was Lia holding a note. That wasn’t so bad. Or was it?
“You’d better come here,” Lia said, and Ari made her way over to her.
Ari didn’t recognize the handwriting. It wasn’t Rachel’s.
When she read the words, she blanched.
This wasn’t good — not good at all.
“What do we do?” Ari asked.
“We have to talk to Rafe,” Lia replied with dread.
“He’s not going to be happy,” Ari said as she paced to and fro in the small room.
“No, he’s not. Do you want to finish the wedding first?”
“Are you kidding me, Lia? Of course not. This is far more important,” Ari said, and she walked from the room. Lia was right behind her.
Ari entered Rafe’s room, stopping in her tracks when she saw just how breathtaking her future husband was. Shane and he froze in the process of putting on their black ties.
“You aren’t supposed to see each other,” Shane said, his mouth agape, the new shiner on his right eye not detracting from his looks at all. Lia was obviously taking a bit too much pleasure in the bruise left by her brother on Shane’s face.
“You need to see something, Rafe,” Ari said as she moved forward.
He read the note, and fire instantly entered his eyes.
“Is this a joke?” he asked, looking between the two women.
“No, unfortunately, it’s not,” Lia said, looking decidedly uncomfortable.
“Why wasn’t I told of her condition sooner?” Rafe thundered.
Ari knew he was upset, but that was no reason to take out his temper on her or his sister. She sent him a warning look, and he calmed down, though rage was still brewing in his eyes as he passed the note to a very confused Shane.
“She wanted to wait to let you know,” Ari told Rafe.
“You knew.” It wasn’t a question, just a statement as he looked from Lia to Ari.
“Yes, of course we knew. She didn’t want to be yelled at for making a mistake, but she needed to talk to someone about it. So she told Ari and me about everything roughly a week ago,” Lia confirmed. “She swore us to secrecy.”
“I can’t believe you kept this from me. Had I known, she wouldn’t be in the situation she’s in,” Rafe said in exasperation.
“What? She wouldn’t be pregnant?” Ari asked.
“There’s nothing I can do about that, obviously. That’s not what I mean. She wouldn’t be gone,” he said, running a hand through his hair.
“What do you want to do, Rafe?” Shane asked, his own eyes narrowed in outrage after reading the note.
“I’m going after my sister, of course,” Rafe replied.
“I’ll go with you,” Shane told him.
“I can handle this, Shane. I don’t want your ass hauled to prison for insubordination. We both know you leave tomorrow,” Rafe said as he patted his best friend on the shoulder.
At the mention of Shane’s departure, Lia cast dangerous and disgusted looks at both men.
“Lia, we need to talk,” Shane said as he watched her stiffen.
“No, Shane. You go play G.I. Joe and leave me the hell alone,” she said, turning away from him.
“Sorry, Rafe, but your sister is a pain in the ass. I need to have a chat with her while you and Ari figure this out.” Shane strode toward Lia.
Ari watched her friend take a step back, but she didn’t look frightened. Excitement gleamed in her eyes. Shane followed, picking Lia up and carrying her from the room while she yelled bloody murder.
“It seems that both of my sisters are having man problems,” Rafe said, running his fingers through his hair, mussing it up just the way Ari liked it.
“I will inform the guests that the wedding’s been postponed,” Ari said a bit sadly at the thought.
“We can still do this, Ari. I don’t think Rachel is in danger. I just refuse to allow this man, this king, who I thought was my friend, to do what he’s done,” Rafe told her as he pulled her into his arms.
“Your friend?” Ari asked with confusion.
“Yes. Do you remember a couple of years ago — the business meeting you sat in on with me? Prince Adriane was there.”
“Oh, my gosh! That’s the man!” Ari gasped.
“Yes. We’ve worked on deals together. I never thought he’d be the sort to take such liberties with my sister,” Rafe roared.
“Now I see why she couldn’t resist him at the beach,” Ari said, remembering well how handsome Prince Adriane was. Hell, handsome didn’t capture his physical appeal. The man was magnificent.
“Excuse me?” Rafe said, his eyebrows drawn in.
“Let me explain…” Ari told him all she knew about how Rachel and Ian had met, and then how Rachel had found out she was pregnant.
“He still can’t get away with this,” Rafe said.
“I know. You need to go after her, Rafe,” Ari told him.
“What about our wedding?” Rafe asked. He wrapped Ari in a hug.
“I can’t have a wedding without Rachel here. It wouldn’t be right,” Ari sighed as she rubbed along his back.
“I love you, Arianna Harlow. I will make you my bride,” Rafe vowed.
“And I love you, Rafe. But for now, you do whatever it takes to save Rachel. I’ll face the crowd. You realize they’re all going to think I’m a jilted bride?” she said with a smile.
“Ah, baby, they all know that I’m so in love with you, that could never happen,” he assured her.
Ari knew it, too. She wasn’t worried. She reluctantly withdrew from his arms and left the room. Informing all their friends and family in attendance at their wedding that the ceremony was postponed wasn’t exactly her idea of fun.
As the huge double doors were opened for her, she found it quite amusing to be walking down the aisle on her own with no music. She should have them play a break-up song and really worry the crowd.
She stopped and gave Rafe’s parents a brief rundown of what was going on, then stepped up to the stage to face the crowd while the two of them rushed from the room to find Rafe.
As she turned to look out among the audience, she saw a few sympathetic looks from people thinking that Rafe had gotten cold feet. She also saw a few hopeful looks from some of the women. Too bad, ladies! He was still taken.
“I’m sorry, but the wedding has been postponed. There’s been an emergency in the family,” she said simply before stepping down and exiting.
When she entered the room, Rafe was pacing, already on the phone. His mother was holding the note, her face grew pale as she read the words.
To Rachel’s family,
I have taken Rachel to see my personal physician. After he clears her for travel, we will leave for Corythia, where I will be able to care for her and my child. Though Rachel is hesitant about the upcoming nuptials, I will notify you of my plans for the wedding when they are final. You are welcome to join us, but I must inform you that I will not change my mind on this matter. She carries the heir to the throne of Corythia, and she will be my wife. Rachel will be well taken care of as the royal consort.
King Adriano of Corythia
Epilogue
Rafe should be married right now, slipping a piece of cake in Ari’s mouth before he took her lips with his own. He should be holding h
er in his arms on the dance floor, then taking her off on a honeymoon, where they’d make love all night.
He shouldn’t be waiting to talk to the king of Corythia.
Finally, Adriane came on the line, and Rafe didn’t waste any words.
“Do you honestly think I’m going to just stand by while you kidnap my sister and take her off to a foreign country!” Rafe shouted.
The king didn’t hesitate in giving his response. “She’s carrying the royal heir. We will be married at once,” he replied before adding. “It wasn’t exactly kidnapping, Rafe. She was just…reluctant to come.”
“You’ve crossed a line, Adriane. I won’t stand for this.”
“You don’t have a choice, Rafe. Your sister is no longer a child, but carries my child within her womb. She is now mine to take care of. I left you the note out of courtesy, but there won’t be any changing of my mind. We will wed,” Adriane said firmly.
“Over my dead body. I’ll be there before night falls tomorrow.”
“Good luck getting past my guards, Rafe. We’ve been friends up to this point and I don’t want that to end, but you won’t stand in the way of my being with my child.”
“And you won’t kidnap my sister and get away with it. Hand her over and we can walk away from this,” Rafe warned.
“That I cannot do. I hope that you will come to your senses.”
“No, Adriane, you are the one who had better reconsider.”
Rafe hung up the phone before dialing his pilot. “Fuel up the jet; we’re heading to Corythia immediately.”
The End
See the conclusion in the Surrender Series, Scorched — Book Four — November 2013
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Books by Melody Anne
BILLIONAIRE BACHELORS
*The Billionaire Wins the Game
*The Billionaire’s Dance
*The Billionaire Falls
*The Billionaire’s Marriage Proposal
*Blackmailing the Billionaire
*Runaway Heiress
*The Billionaire’s Final Stand
*Unexpected Treasure
*Hidden Treasure — Coming Soon
*Priceless Treasure — Coming Soon
*Unrealized Treasure — Coming Soon
*Wanted Treasure— Coming Soon
BABY FOR THE BILLIONAIRE
+The Tycoon’s Revenge
+The Tycoon’s Vacation
+The Tycoon’s Proposal
+The Tycoon’s Secret
+The Lost Tycoon — Coming Soon
RISE OF THE DARK ANGEL
-Midnight Fire — Rise of the Dark Angel — Book One
-Midnight Moon — Rise of the Dark Angel — Book Two
-Midnight Storm — Rise of the Dark Angel — Book Three
-Midnight Eclipse — Rise of the Dark Angel — Book Four — Coming Soon
Surrender
=Surrender — Book One
=Submit — Book Two
=Seduced — Book Three
=Scorched — Book Four — Nov 2013
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Thank you for reading the Surrender series. Please see her other great series, “Billionaire Bachelors” and “Baby for the Billionaire” Available at all retailers.
Looking for a sexy cowboy romance?
From New Times and USA Today bestselling author, Ruth Cardello,
comes Book One of the Texan Nights Series:
Gentling the Cowboy
Tony Carlton knows trouble when he sees it—especially when it comes in the form of a gorgeous, innocent and very naked blonde stranger dancing in his shower. When circumstances force his uninvited guest to spend the night, Tony decides there are some home invasions he could get used to.
Sarah Dery is a frustrated writer who takes her twenty-fifth birthday as a wake-up call. She sets off for Texas thinking that a summer on a working ranch will finally inspire her. When one wrong turn leads her into the arms of a hot, broody cowboy, she discovers her spicy inner voice.
But is it enough? He says he’s not capable of love. Can she gentle this cowboy?
Chapter One
No real adventure ever started by waiting patiently on a doorstep.
Still, Sarah Dery hesitated before reaching for the handle of the screen door of her friend’s immense, white farmhouse. The shelter of the wrap-around porch did little to alleviate the heat of the Texas midday sun, but was that a good enough excuse to enter? What if no one is home? With no cell phone coverage, there wasn’t much else she could do unless she was willing to wait in her SUV.
Wiping one suddenly cold hand across a jean-clad leg, Sarah straightened her shoulders and opened the door decisively. She hadn’t survived the three-day drive from Rhode Island only to pass out from heat exhaustion on the porch because Lucy was late.
“Hello,” she called out. “Anyone home?” No answer.
The interior of the house was similar to the mammoth horse barn she’d searched a few minutes ago: well maintained, but lacking any personal touches. She was surprised that her friend lived like this, but perhaps when you worked all day on a ranch, decorating wasn’t a priority.
Sarah assessed the living room. It looked and smelled clean—the best compliment she could give it. The few pieces of wooden furniture with outdated, plain blue cushions had probably never given a person a moment of comfort. She returned to the main foyer and appreciated the beauty of the woodwork even as she noted the lack of photos and artwork on the walls.
The house reminded her of the mansions in her hometown built by wealthy factory owners who had long since left the area along with their businesses. Although this house had no obvious signs of disrepair, it felt cold. Empty. Can a house be sad?
She wandered through the downstairs rooms and marveled at the lack of electronics—no television, not even a radio. Lucy had hinted that her life in Texas wasn’t happy, but this was the first time Sarah had been given a glimpse of how truly barren her life down here was.
No wonder she invited me.
Although she hadn’t seen her old roommate since college, they’d kept in touch via email and the occasional, uneventful video chat. Until Lucy had asked, “How’s your writing going?”
What writing?
“I’ve been busy,” Sarah had said lamely.
“Didn’t you say that you’d taken the job at your parents’ company so you’d have time to write?”
Yes.
Apparently, time was not the issue.
Can you be a writer if you don’t write? Like a musician who never picks up an instrument? Who are you when the person you are in your heart doesn’t match the life you’re living?
I always wanted to be a writer—tell stories that would sweep readers away on a journey of laughter, tears and growth. I dreamed of discovering myself through the characters I’d craft.
So why can’t I write?
What’s stopping me?
God, I need this trip.
Lucy said she was desperate for companionship, and the offer of spending a summer on a working Texas cattle ranch had been too tempting to pass up. Taking a deep breath, Sarah announced to the empty house, “I’ll admit so far this isn’t living up to how exciting I thought Texas would be, but it’ll work out.” Maybe I watched too much “Dallas” but I’m not ready to give up on my fantasy just yet.
She could almost hear her brother’s telltale sigh that was often followed by a lengthy lecture. Charles Dery was a successful Wall Street investor by profession and a self-appointed dictator when it came to his little sister. Moving to New York rather than staying and working for their family’s cons
truction company hadn’t stopped him from getting involved as soon as she’d announced that she was taking a leave of absence from her office job at Dery and Son—a company that should have been named Dery and Reluctantly-Employed-Daughter.
“Mom and Dad called me. They’re upset. There is no way you are quitting your job to travel cross country alone.”
“Yes, I am, Charlie.”
“Why the hell are you doing this?” he’d stormed.
“I need this,” Sarah had fired back, knowing that a conversation of more depth wasn’t possible between them. I need this.
Before it’s too late.
Maybe it already is.
Twenty-five.
What is it about a milestone age that makes a person reassess their life? She’d graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a bachelor degree in English, but she could easily have gotten a degree in basket-weaving for all she’d done with it since.
Lucy’s question had haunted her, especially during her last birthday party when the forest of candles on her cake had hit Sarah like a bucket of ice-cold reality. How did I lose myself?
She wished there had been one grand event she could blame, but the truth was it had happened much less dramatically than that . . . more like a flower wilting in the sun until the life she thought she was meant for was nothing more than a pile of dried-out, brittle regret.
Charlie said I should think of how this is affecting others and not be so selfish. Easy for him to say from New York.
I tried to be the one who stayed behind to make everything okay, but the price was too high. Be good. Follow the rules. Avoid all unpleasant topics. I can’t do it anymore. I can’t be the perfect daughter in the perfect family. I’m an adventurer. A pioneer. Texans hadn’t stayed where the boat dropped their parents. They’d boldly left for parts unknown.
Like I did.
Life in Rhode Island wasn’t awful. Her office position at her parents’ company paid enough for her to have her own apartment and be able to afford a horse that she rode four nights a week at an exclusive equestrian facility.
