“I know you were interested.” He leaned in, and it happened so fast, the hard kiss he pressed to her. She could taste the stink of beer, booze, a dirty ashtray, and she stepped back, pushed him hard with both her hands, pissed off.
“What the hell is your problem?” she snapped. “Stop…”
But he was in her face again so quick, and he grabbed her, his hand around her, pulling her against him. He was so damn strong, and she could feel the panic rising, the anger at the fact that he wouldn’t back off.
“What the hell are you doing? Stop! Get your damn hands off me!” she yelled, and she fought against him as he held her tight.
He slapped his hand over her mouth. “Shut up,” he hissed.
She fought like a wildcat, kicking, clawing, and she somehow managed to get his hand from her mouth and screamed, but he grabbed her hard and slammed her to the pavement.
It happened so fast. She could smell nicotine, his fingers pressed so hard over her mouth as she fought at the hand digging into her face, clawing with her fingers and kicking with the heels of her sneakers, using everything she had.
She bit on his hand hard, and he yelled. When he pulled his hand away, she screamed as loud as she could again, considering she was still struggling for breath. Then she felt the punch to her face and was slammed to the concrete again, hitting her jaw, scraping her cheek on the cement. The sting of the ground barely registered as she struggled with the weight of him on top of her. His hand was back around her mouth, and somehow he’d pinned one of her arms behind her back, the weight of his body pulling so hard that she thought he’d wrench her arm from its socket.
She couldn’t pull her arm out, and he was working the button of her jeans, the zipper. She could feel the tug as he pushed her into the concrete, and she could hear him fumbling with his own belt, feeling his weight grinding her into the ground. She fought and squirmed and struggled to breathe, because now he was choking her, his hand squeezing her throat.
This couldn’t be happening, but he was strong—brutally strong. He overpowered her, and his large hand squeezed so hard she couldn’t breathe, knowing that she was going to pass out. She couldn’t get air, and he was going to rape her, hurt her, maybe kill her. She was getting weaker, struggling for a breath and then another. She couldn’t pass out, not like this, but even though she fought, she couldn’t get his hand off her throat.
It couldn’t end like this. This wasn’t fair. She just needed a breath, but she couldn’t move.
She vaguely heard someone yell, and then suddenly all the weight on her was gone. His hand was gone.
She gasped, dragging in a breath, her throat aching. She was gasping on her hands and knees, coughing and fighting to fill her lungs as she crawled to the side of the truck. Her jeans were undone.
She heard a man yell again, then the impact of a fist, a scuffle, fighting. Someone was slammed against the truck. She felt the rumble. She lifted her hand to her throat, and then she struggled to get up. The two men barely registered, one hitting the other. She was on her knees again, gasping.
The truck door was still open, and a guy was punching her assailant over and over. Then somehow he was gone, running, and the other one started after him but turned back and took her in. A fear she’d never felt before had paralyzed her. Somehow, her hands shaking, she righted her jeans and buttoned them up.
Then her rescuer was there in front of her, and she felt gravel digging into the palms of her hands as she tried to push herself up. He had a strong jaw and shaved dark hair, deep brown eyes, and two diamond studs in his ears.
“You okay?” he said. His voice was deep, and he watched her, waiting for her to answer, but she couldn’t get her brain to register. She knew he was the one who had saved her, but she couldn’t get her tongue to move. She clutched at her throat, which still ached.
He didn’t come any closer, and she instinctively backed away, scooting on her butt, feeling the hard wall of a tire at her back. She couldn’t move any farther. What was wrong with her?
He didn’t touch her or move closer, as he was now squatting down, holding his large hand out, and she just stared at it. There was no way in hell she could touch him.
“You’re hurt,” he said. “Your face. I’m going to call the police right now. Did you know him?” He had a cell phone out and was now standing, and he moved back, giving her space.
She couldn’t move as she took him in. He was talking to someone now, but what he was saying didn’t register. She still couldn’t get her head around the fact that she’d just been attacked, how fast it had happened. She was feeling catatonic. It was dark except for the lights in the parking lot, and then she heard the siren.
He was there again, squatting down in front of her, but she just sat, frozen, staring at her purse, which was lying on the ground—her keys too, and her wallet. “Can I help you up?” he said. “The police and help are on the way.” He still didn’t move closer.
What could she say? She took in her purse and then crawled on her knees over to it to stuff everything back inside. He didn’t touch her, and now she took in his face, the hint of mocha to his skin. She just shook her head, as she couldn’t get her tongue to move. Why was she so stuck on his large hands?
“You’re hurt, your face, your neck.” He gestured toward her.
“I’m fine, it’s okay. Who was he?” she said. Her voice sounded so odd, and she was shaking—not just shaking, trembling. It had started inside her and moved outside. He didn’t try to touch her, but he didn’t pull his gaze from her. She should feel safe, but she was worried about the other guy. What if he came back?
“You’re not fine, and it wasn’t okay,” he said. “Don’t be so polite. He assaulted you. I don’t know him, sorry. I was going to go after him, but I wasn’t sure how badly you were hurt. So you didn’t know him?”
She pressed her hand to the side of the truck and went on her knees again. She could see her hand shaking. The back of it was scraped, and beads of blood welled as she stood up. He did too as if getting ready to catch her, the way he watched her. He was damn tall, wearing a red and white jacket and what looked like a gold class ring on his finger. Just then, the sheriff’s car pulled up.
“I should go home,” she said. “I’m late. I was supposed to be home already. My dad, my parents…they’re going to be so mad at me. I said I was on my way home…” She stopped talking because she couldn’t make sense of what she was saying.
He glanced only once to the cop car and back to her, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Look, I can tell how shaken up you are. Some guy messed with you. You’re not okay. The police are here. You need to talk to them so they can catch that guy. You should go to the hospital too, get checked out. And you shouldn’t be driving now.”
The lights of the cop car were still flashing, and she was stuck on how kind his eyes were. He was tall, solid. She didn’t remember ever seeing him before.
A deputy climbed out of the cruiser, wearing a tan uniform, and he walked over to her, glancing sternly at the man who’d saved her. She didn’t know what to say. Her throat ached, her face hurt, and she just wanted to get in the truck and drive away. She couldn’t make sense of what had just happened.
She just shook her head as she held her keys and clutched her purse against her chest, then touched the door of her open truck. She was in a fog and just going through the motions.
“Whoa, whoa, hang on a second, here,” said the deputy, who grabbed the open truck door. “You can’t go anywhere. I need you to tell me what happened here. A call came in about an assault…”
She took him in. He had light hair, and she wondered for a minute if he’d touch her. She had to step back, shifting her glance to the other guy. The way he took in the cop, she wasn’t sure what to make of it.
“She was attacked,” the guy said. “He was trying to rape her. I heard her scream, and I pulled the guy off. We fought, but he got away. He took off between the buildings.” This stranger who had saved he
r didn’t pull his gaze from her.
The cop was now saying something into a walkie-talkie attached to his shirt. “There’s an ambulance on the way. How about we start with your names? Did either of you know the assailant?”
“My name’s Sara, Sara Friessen. I did nothing wrong. I just want to go home. I don’t know him, even though he said I was flirting with him. I don’t remember seeing him. He said he was in the dorm, at the party. I just don’t recall. There were so many people there. I don’t know everyone. I have to go. I was supposed to be home already. My parents are waiting,” she said, feeling the emotion squeeze her chest. Although she’d lied before to her mom and dad, she realized that as angry as they had been, now they were going to be furious. She’d really screwed up this time.
“Okay, Sara, let’s call your parents,” the deputy said. “And then I need to ask you if you’ve been drinking.”
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Click here to order Stay Away From My Daughter and keep reading!
About the Author
"Lorhainne Eckhart is one of my go to authors when I want a guaranteed good book. So many twists and turns, but also so much love and such a strong sense of family."
(Lora W., Reviewer)
New York Times & USA Today bestseller Lorhainne Eckhart writes Raw Relatable Real Romance is best known for her big family romances series, where “Morals and family are running themes. Danger, romance, and a drive to do what is right will see you glued to the page.” As one fan calls her, she is the “Queen of the family saga.” (aherman) writing “the ups and downs of what goes on within a family but also with some suspense, angst and of course a bit of romance thrown in for good measure.” Follow Lorhainne on Bookbub to receive alerts on New Releases and Sales and join her mailing list at LorhainneEckhart.com for her Monday Blog, books news, giveaways and FREE reads. With over 120 books, audiobooks, and multiple series published and available at all retailers now translated into six languages. She is a multiple recipient of the Readers’ Favorite Award for Suspense and Romance, and lives in the Pacific Northwest on an island, is the mother of three, her oldest has autism and she is an advocate for never giving up on your dreams.
"Lorhainne Eckhart has this uncanny way of just hitting the spot every time with her books.”
(Caroline L., Reviewer)
The O’Connells: The O’Connells of Livingston, Montana are not your typical family. A riveting collection of stories surrounding the ups and downs of what goes on within a family but also with some suspense, angst and of course a bit of romance thrown in for good measure “I thought I loved the Friessens, but I absolutely adore the O’Connell’s. Each and every book has totally different genres of stories but the one thing in common is how she is able to wrap it around the family which is the heart of each story.” (C. Logue)
The Friessens: An emotional big family romance series, the Friessen family siblings find their relationships tested, lay their hearts on the line, and discover lasting love! “Lorhainne Eckhart is one of my go to authors when I want a guaranteed good book. So many twists and turns, but also so much love and such a strong sense of family.” (Lora W., Reviewer)
The Parker Sisters: The Parker Sisters are a close-knit family, and like any other family they have their ups and downs. “Eckhart has crafted another intense family drama…The character development is outstanding, and the emotional investment is high…" (Aherman, Reviewer)
The McCabe Brothers: Join the five McCabe siblings on their journeys to the dark and dangerous side of love! An intense, exhilarating collection of romantic thrillers you won’t want to miss. — “Eckhart has a new series that is definitely worth the read. The queen of the family saga started this series with a spin-off of her wildly successful Friessen series.” From a Readers’ Favorite award—winning author and “queen of the family saga” (Aherman)
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Lorhainne loves to hear from her readers! You can connect with me at:
www.LorhainneEckhart.com
[email protected]
Links to Lorhainne Eckhart’s Booklist
The following Lorhainne Eckhart titles are available in ebook, audiobook and paperback. Please scroll down for the links or visit her website at www.LorhainneEckhart.com for all available retailers.
The Outsider Series
The Forgotten Child (Brad and Emily)
A Baby and a Wedding (An Outsider Series Short)
Fallen Hero (Andy, Jed, and Diana)
The Search (An Outsider Series Short)
The Awakening (Andy and Laura)
Secrets (Jed and Diana)
Runaway (Andy and Laura)
Overdue (An Outsider Series Short)
The Unexpected Storm (Neil and Candy)
The Wedding (Neil and Candy)
The Friessens: A New Beginning
The Deadline (Andy and Laura)
The Price to Love (Neil and Candy)
A Different Kind of Love (Brad and Emily)
A Vow of Love, A Friessen Family Christmas
The Friessens
The Reunion
The Bloodline (Andy & Laura)
The Promise (Diana & Jed)
The Business Plan (Neil & Candy)
The Decision (Brad & Emily)
First Love (Katy)
Family First
Leave the Light On
In the Moment
In the Family: A Friessen Family Christmas
In the Silence
In the Stars
In the Charm
Unexpected Consequences
It Was Always You
The First Time I Saw You
Welcome to My Arms
Welcome to Boston
I’ll Always Love You
Ground Rules
A Reason to Breathe
You Are My Everything
Anything For You
The Homecoming includes FREE short story When They Were Young
Stay Away From My Daughter
The Bad Boy
A Place to Call Our Own
The Visitor
All About Devon
Long Past Dawn
How to Heal a Heart
The Friessen Legacy Collections
1) The Outsider Series: The Complete Omnibus Collection
2) The Friessens A New Beginning: The Collection
3) The Friessens Books 1 - 5 Box Set
4) The Friessens Books 6 -8
5) The Friessen Books 9 - 11
6) The Friessen Books 12 - 14
7) The Friessen Books 15 - 18
8) The Friessen Books 19 -21
9. The Friessen Books 22 - 24
10) The Friessens Books 25 - 27
11) The Friessens Books 28 - 31
The O’Connells
The Neighbor
The Third Call
The Secret Husband
The Quiet Day
The Commitment
The Missing Father
The Hometown Hero
Justice
The Family Secret
The Fallen O’Connell
The Return of the O’Connells
And The She Was Gone
The Stalker
The O’Connells Box Set Collections
The O’Connells Books 1 - 3
The O’Connells Books 4 - 6
The McCabe Brothers
Don’t Stop Me (Vic)
Don’t Catch Me (Chase)
Don’t Run From Me (Aaron)
Don’t Hide From Me (Luc)
Don’t Leave Me - Claudia
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or grab THE MCCABE BROTHERS THE COMPLETE COLLECTION at a special reduced price.
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Out of Time, A McCabe Christmas Novella
The Wilde Brothers
The One (Joe and Margaret)
The Honeymoon, A Wilde Brothers Short
Friendly Fire (Logan and Julia)
Not Quite Married, A Wilde Brothers Short
A Matter of Trust (Be
n and Carrie)
The Reckoning, A Wilde Brothers Christmas
Traded (Jake)
Unforgiven (Samuel)
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Click here to grab The Wilde Brother The Complete Collection at a specially reduced price!
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The Holiday Bride
Married in Montana
His Promise
Love’s Promise
A Promise of Forever
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Or click here and grab Married in Montana the three book collection at a specially reduced price
The Parker Sisters
Thrill of the Chase
The Dating Game
Play Hard to Get
What We Can’t Have
Go Your Own Way
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Or click here to grab The Parker Sisters 5 Book collection at a specially reduced price
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