Chapter 185: Scared now?

Kat. The word seemed to echo through her mind. Kat. The woman smiled again. Her fingers moved gently through Sienna’s hair.

"You’ll be safe, my baby." Sienna wanted to speak. She couldn’t. Her body felt heavy beneath the blankets. Her heart began to beat faster.

There was something wrong. She didn’t know what. The woman’s face blurred for a second. Then sharpened again. Those green eyes. That smile. The blonde curls. Sienna’s stomach tightened.

She had seen that face before. Hadn’t she? Somewhere. Long ago. A memory. No. Something deeper than a memory. Something buried. The woman continued humming.

"Sleep now, my baby Kat..." Sienna’s breathing became uneven. Her fingers curled into the blanket. "Who are you?" The question barely made it past her lips.

The woman only smiled. And suddenly, Sienna knew. She didn’t know how. She didn’t know why. The knowledge simply rose from somewhere deep inside her.

"Mother." The word slipped from her mouth before she could stop it. Her voice trembled. The woman’s smile faltered. Only for a second. Then the entire dream changed.

The warmth disappeared. The room seemed to grow colder. Sienna’s body went rigid. Sweat gathered along her hairline. Her heart slammed against her ribs.

"Mother?" She whispered it again. The woman was gone. Sienna turned her head sharply. Nothing. Only darkness. Her eyes flew open. She gasped. For several seconds, she couldn’t move.

She lay frozen on the bed, staring into the darkness of her bedroom. Her chest rose and fell quickly. She didn’t know where she was. The dream still clung to her. The blonde hair. Those green eyes. The voice. Sleep now, my baby Kat. Sienna slowly pushed herself upright.

Her hand went to her chest.

"Kat..." She whispered the name. Why had she said it? Why had that woman called her that? And why had she called her Mother? Sienna squeezed her eyes shut, trying to reach back into the dream. Nothing.

The harder she tried, the faster it disappeared. The face became hazy. The voice faded. But the feeling remained. That strange, aching familiarity. She opened her eyes. The room was still dark. Still quiet. She looked toward the bedside table.

Her phone was exactly where she’d left it. The laptop was still closed. Everything was normal. Everything was.... CRASH! The bedroom door exploded inward.

The sound ripped through the room. Wood splintered. The hinges tore free. Sienna screamed and threw herself backward as the door slammed against the wall.

Her heart stopped. For one terrible second, she could only stare. Someone was standing in the doorway.

Aliya stepped through the broken doorway.

Three men dressed in white followed behind her, filling the narrow entrance. Elena came next, with Don Capri and Simon close behind.

For a moment, nobody spoke.

Sienna was still trying to understand what was happening.

Her heart was pounding so hard that she could hear it in her ears. The remnants of the dream were still clinging to her mind the blonde woman, the green eyes, that strange name.

Kat.

Then she looked at the ruined door. The broken wood. The splintered frame. That was real. This was real. Aliya took another step into the room.

A slow smile spread across her face when she saw Sienna’s expression. "Scared now?" Sienna stared at her.

She pushed herself farther back on the bed, instinctively putting some distance between them.

"Aliya..."

"Yes." Aliya tilted her head. "It’s me." Her eyes moved over Sienna, taking in the red silk pajamas and her bare feet, then she smiled again.

"You look so much less confident when you’re caught off guard." Sienna’s eyes flicked toward the three men.

They were watching her. Waiting. She didn’t like the odds. Aliya glanced over her shoulder. "Bring her downstairs." The men moved immediately. Sienna barely had time to react before two of them reached for her.

"Wait..." One grabbed her arm. She pulled back. "Get your hands off me!" The other caught her before she could twist away.

Sienna fought them, but she had just woken from sleep, and there were three men against one. Within seconds, they had forced her off the bed.

Her bare feet hit the cold floor. "Let me go!" Nobody listened. They dragged her toward the doorway. Sienna’s shoulder struck the broken frame as they pulled her through. She winced, but kept fighting.

"Aliya, what the hell do you want?" Aliya followed at an unhurried pace. "You’ll find out." They moved down the hallway and toward the stairs.

Sienna looked desperately toward the living room. No one came running. Had Aliya planned this? The thought made her stomach tighten. They reached the front entrance.

Cold air rushed over Sienna’s skin the moment they stepped outside. She shivered. She was still barefoot. The men pulled her down the front steps.

Her foot slipped. She stumbled forward, and one of them yanked her arm to keep her from falling completely. Then they reached the pavement. Sienna’s knees struck the cold stone.

Pain shot through them. She hissed and caught herself with her hands. The thin red silk of her pajamas did nothing to protect her from the freezing ground. For a second, she stayed there, breathing hard.

Then she slowly looked up. Aliya stood in front of her. Elena was a few steps behind. Don Capri and Simon stood farther back, watching silently.

Sienna’s eyes moved from one face to another. "What is this?" Aliya crouched slightly so they were closer to eye level. "I saw Viktor leave."

Sienna’s stomach dropped. Aliya’s smile widened. "I watched him leave the house. I knew he was going somewhere important."

She leaned closer. "And I thought..." Her eyes swept over Sienna. "...why should he be the only one having an interesting night?"

Sienna stared at her. "So you broke into my bedroom because you were bored?" Aliya gave a small laugh.

"Don’t make it sound so simple."

"It’s past midnight." Sienna glanced briefly at the sky before looking back at her. "I’m tired." Aliya’s expression changed slightly. Sienna shrugged, despite the hands still gripping her arms.

"Whatever game you’re planning, can we play tomorrow?" For one second, there was silence. Simon looked away. Even Elena’s mouth tightened.

Aliya stared at Sienna as if she couldn’t decide whether to laugh or be offended. Then...

Slap!