Chasing Charis

by Lynn Best

  She pushed thoughts of work away. Tomorrow, she had a day off, and she was planning to stay in her PJs, eat junk food, and catch up on all her DVRed shows. The new Stranger Things was high on her list. Thinking about that made her feel good. But she worried how Josephina would do without her for a day. She’d asked her friend Becca to check on the girl for her during her shift tomorrow. And she could count on Becca. She was one of the good ones.

  Led Zeppelin came on the radio and she cranked it up, using the energy of the song to keep her awake. The guitars and vocals swept her away. Banging her hands on the steering wheel, she bobbed her head. She left the highway and turned down her street, still jamming. She lived down a long dirt road. It got much darker here, but Harper didn’t mind. She liked waking up to the sounds of birds in the morning.

  The song hit the refrain. It was her favorite part. She reached down to turn the volume up.

  She didn’t see the car in the middle of the road until it was too late.

  She slammed on the brakes. Her car lurched to a stop, causing everything that wasn’t bolted down to fly forward, clattering into the dash and the back of her seat.

  The man standing beside the broken-down car stared into her headlights, eyes wide.

  Crap, she’d nearly killed him.

  Still shaking, she turned off the stereo. Then she grabbed her cell phone and stepped out of her car.

  “Sir, I’m so sorry.” She shut her door and walked toward him. “It’s my fault. I was listening to the radio and… I should’ve been paying better attention.”

  “It’s okay. No one got hurt.” He stepped away from his vehicle and stood to his full height.

  Lordy, he was tall. Like, basketball player tall. And he was built. She wondered if he was a pro-wrestler or something. He was also strikingly handsome—tight, ripped pants, long hair, dark eyebrows, and a strong shaven chin. He reminded her of Jon Bon Jovi—if he had put in the time at the gym. She was instantly attracted and intrigued by him. A scan of his car let her know he had money as she’d suspected from his clothes. Handsome with money wasn’t bad. But then, being alone with a strange man on a deserted country road in the dark was. All of a sudden, she was glad for the cell phone in her hand. She couldn’t fend this guy off no matter how many Jujitsu classes she’d taken in college.

  She took a step back.

  He seemed to notice. “Hey, no worries on almost hitting me, but I see you have a phone. Could I use it? I’m such an idiot. I left mine at the bar.” When he smiled, her insides practically fluttered.

  But then, she was not the kind of girl who got messed up with guys like this. He was clearly out of her league and full of mischief. Should she give him her phone?

  “Just a quick call and I can have a tow truck out here in no time. But if you’re worried, I understand.” He held out his hand, his posture exuding a good-guy vibe. A guy down on his luck. Someone who needed help.

  She took a deep breath, and then placed the phone in his palm. “Sure.”

  He took it, a smile spreading on his face. “Thanks, Harper.”

  She froze as he started to dial. He’d called her Harper.

  Her eyes went up to his face, the realization of what had just happened freezing her insides.

  His smile faded as he realized what he’d done. “Oh, Harper,” he said. “Let’s not be hasty.”

  She ran.

  Tearing back to the car, she tried to yank the door open, but he was on her in a matter of seconds. Strong hands latched onto her wrists. She fought, but he dragged her off the road toward the dark trees.

  “Stop,” she screamed. “Help!”

  He wrestled her deeper into the woods. “You can save your voice. Don’t you think I checked to see where the most desolate part of this street was?”

  Panic lit up all her senses, making her realize how stupid she’d been. But instead of beating herself up, she tried to remember her escape-hold moves from Jujitsu. Working against his thumb, she slipped one hand free and used it to strike at his face and head. He countered by pinning her arms, using his size to lower her to the ground.

  He was huge. Terrified, she tried to scream again, but she couldn’t get enough air to fill her lungs. His face hovered over hers as he worked to keep her thrashing limbs contained. One large hand pinned her wrists as the other reached down for something. Her brain conjured pictures of guns and knives, making her panic shoot up even higher.

  Instead, he produced a cylindrical wand about the length and diameter of a magic marker.

  What the hell?

  “What are you going to do to me?” Too afraid to cry, she stared at her attacker’s face, willing him to stop.

  He didn’t answer at first, taking out the wand and pressing it to her temple. She shook her head back and forth, but already she could feel some sort of warm pulsing in her head.

  “What are you doing?” she shouted. Dizziness enveloped her. The trees began to dance above her, blurring into shape and shadow.

  “Don’t worry, little doe,” he purred, gazing down on her. “You’ll thank me later.”

  She tried to protest, to fight, but the nothingness swallowed her whole.

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  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Lynn is a seasoned writer with over a dozen books under her belt. She’s been writing for years under another name and is excited to try something new. With multiple awards and Amazon best sellers to her credit, she’s pleased a lot of fans in many genres. She loved paranormal romance before Twilight. She’s also a wife, mother, and avid Pinterest obsessionist. Find her at LynnBest.com.