wetness where the rock had drawn blood.
Robert spun, fury blazing in his eyes. “What the Hell? Who threw that?” He strode toward the darkness.
There was a noise behind me.
The sound of something swinging – hard – toward the back of my head.
Slam.
* * *
I groggily got to my feet. The row of open doors was before me, and I moved toward them, toward the whirling dancers within. The candelabras twinkled high overhead, the elegant gold-framed paintings decorated the walls, and the musicians played with heart-breaking beauty. Masked faces laughed and smiled.
Where was Mary? Where was Robert?
The throbbing in my head intensified, and nausea twisted at my stomach. If I only had –
The thought of my first-aid kit, in the trunk of my car, sprang to mind. I knew there was aspirin in there. If I could just take two of those, maybe I could start to think straight. Find Mary. Track down Robert. Find out what was going on.
I pushed my way through the throng, out to the foyer with its pair of black-masked servants. I stepped through the magnificent mahogany doors –
And stopped.
Gone was the crushed gravel circular driveway and the long slope dusted with snow. Gone were the rows of Porsches, Lamborghinis, and Cadillacs.
Instead, before me was a serene canal with tall stone buildings lining both sides. An elegant stone dock sat before me, lit by flickering torches. Gondolas drifted silently beneath the full moon, each carrying a lantern for light.
My eyes raised to the row of buildings facing me. Candles flickered in several of the windows. There was not one sign of electric light.
I turned in place, staring back in at the whirling party within. I looked more closely at the costumes, at the décor, and at the musicians.
Sixteen-hundreds.
I shook my head, unable to take it in.
My eyes drew up – across – and there he was, standing by the window at the far side of the room. The same dark hair, the same well-built frame, the same deep, tawny eyes.
It was Robert.
And we were in Renaissance Venice.
Thank you for reading Destiny Interrupted! The next book in this series will be out shortly.
This series is being written one each day from April 1 through April 30, 2015. Follow along with the romantic adventure!
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Destiny Interrupted Page 3