Free Fall into Forever (Fall into Him Book Three) by Evelyn Harper

Brad was taking them and
knew that she had to act before he got her in there. It was a dead-end barely
three feet wide, and the only way out would be past Brad. She wouldn't stand a
chance against him in such close quarters. Her only hope was something out in
the open. Eighteen months ago, at Rachel's insistence, Jennifer had joined her
friend in a self-defense class. She hadn't been as good as Rachel, but there
was one particular move that she'd learned well and she thought it might just
work.
     
    With just a few feet left before she would find herself caught,
Jennifer took a deep breath and prayed that she could do this correctly. Before
her nerves could get the better of her, Jennifer let her muscle memory take
over and she stopped, kicking her right foot out behind her. She felt her
sandal make contact and Brad let out a stream of expletives, loosening his grip
on her wrist.
     
    “Bitch!” He snarled as he shoved her.
     
    Jennifer stumbled back against the building, the impact knocking the
wind out of her lungs. She tried to push herself off of the wall but a sharp
pain shot through her wrist and shoulder. Her palm scraped against the rough
brick as she tried to get her feet back underneath her even as Brad limped towards
her.
     
    “You fucking c...”
     
    He raised his hand and Jennifer tensed, bracing herself for a blow.
     
    A hand closed around Brad's wrist and, as Brad was propelled away from
Jennifer, she saw Philip standing there, his eyes flashing. When Philip spoke,
his voice was ice cold and so dangerous that Jennifer shivered.
     
    “If you ever lay a hand on her again... no, if you ever come near her
again, no lawyer in the city will be able to get you out of the charges I'll
have filed against you.”
     
    Jennifer couldn't take her eyes off of Philip, in complete shock over
what had just happened. He started to turn towards her when Brad rushed
forward, head down, teeth bared.
     
    “Philip!” She called out a warning even as he reacted.
     
    Her cry of alarm died as Philip stepped aside and slammed his fists
down on Brad's back. His next series of moves were so quick that Jennifer
barely registered them before they were over. His right hand connected with
Brad's jaw, his knee with Brad's stomach. As the man dropped to the ground,
Philip drew back his foot as if to kick Brad, but paused as the other man made
no move to defend himself.
     
    “You're not even worth it.” He spat out the words, a look of disgust on
his face.
     
    Jennifer took a shaky step forward as Philip turned towards her leaving
Brad lying—likely unconscious— in the dirt. His expression instantly turned
from one of anger to one of concern. He crossed the distance between them in
two long strides, his arms automatically going out to her.
     
    “Did he hurt you?” Philip ran his hands over her hair and her face, his
gaze searching her features as if looking for something wrong with her.
     
    “I'm okay,” Jennifer hurried to assure him, all thoughts of her injured
wrist and shoulder banished by the thought that he'd been hurt. “Are you okay?”
     
    “I'm fine,” he dismissed the question as if it had no importance. “Are
you sure you’re not hurt?” He repeated.
     
    His hands moved down her arms and she winced as his hand touched her
wrist. His face darkened as he took her hand in his. With a surprisingly gentle
touch, he ran his fingers over her wrist, sending little tingles of electricity
across her skin.
     
    “Does that hurt?”
     
    Jennifer let out a shuddering breath. “N-nothing too serious.”
     
    A small smile played on Philip's lips, as if he knew exactly what his
touch was doing to her. Although, based on prior experiences, his insight
didn't exactly surprise her. His expression stayed serious as he began to
manipulate her fingers, studying her face to gauge her reactions. It wasn't
until he started to move her wrist that she sucked in a breath.
     
    “We're going to the doctor.”
     
    “No,”