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eBook Category: Romance
eBook Description: Dr. Jennifer Maxwell never expected to want to be with her family again. She left them behind in a poor inner city neighborhood of Atlanta when she put herself through medical school. But on the eve of seeing all her dreams come true, she is brutally attacked, her hands crushed. Suddenly, nothing means what it did and she longs to be part of her family again. Will she find the love of her life or a truth she can't bear?

eBook Publisher: Awe-Struck E-Books, Published: 2005
Fictionwise Release Date: September 2005

11 Reader Ratings: Great Good OK Poor

Available eBook Formats [MultiFormat - What's this?]: Adobe Acrobat (PDF) [1.7 MB], eReader (PDB) [300 KB], Palm Doc (PDB) [294 KB], Rocket/REB1100 (RB) [263 KB], Microsoft Reader (LIT) [267 KB] - PocketPC 1.0+ Compatible, Franklin eBookMan (FUB) [286 KB], hiebook (KML) [776 KB], Sony Reader (LRF) [324 KB], iSilo (PDB) [241 KB], Mobipocket (PRC) [304 KB], Kindle Compatible (MOBI) [359 KB], OEBFF Format (IMP) [384 KB]
Words: 96236
Reading time: 274-384 min.
Microsoft Reader (LIT) Format: Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud ENABLED
Adobe Acrobat (PDF) Format:  Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud ENABLED
All Other formats: Printing DISABLED, Read-aloud DISABLED
ISBN: 1-58749-515-5

"I became enthralled in this story right from the start. Jenny's attack is horrifying, but she's such a strong character she is able to overcome her fears, and reinvent herself to become a better person. Even though the attack plays a major part of this story, Jenny's return to her difficult family and the community she grew up in fascinates me. I love that Riley refuses to allow Jenny to wallow in self-pity, she's a doctor, even with mangled hands is still able to help others."--Chrissy Dione, Ebook Junkies

She couldn't see their faces. She could never see their faces. They wore ski masks that only showed the area around their eyes. They were following her after she finished her shift at the hospital.

She walked a little faster and they walked faster. She glanced back over her shoulder. A terrified chill crept up her spine. She began to run towards her car. She saw it at the edge of the parking deck. She took out her keys.

The two men began to run after her. She made a noise in the back of her throat that was half a scream and half a startled yelp. They were coming after her. She didn't believe they were coming after her. She looked for a weapon and realized that she left her purse in the doctor's lounge.

If she could just make it to her car. She panted and ran wildly for the blue sedan. If she could just make it to her car. She could get inside and lock all the doors. Even if they tried to get in, she could start the car and drive away. She'd report it to hospital security. No one should have to fear for their lives. If she could just make it to her car.

The first man reached her as she put her hand on the door. She clung tenaciously to the handle but he was stronger. He ripped her hand from the door. She heard her keys fall on the pavement beside her.

She looked up into her attacker's faces. "What do you want?"

"Whadda you got?"

"I have my rings and a watch." She felt inside the pocket of her slacks. Her fingers touched her credit card that she didn't put away after dinner that night. "I have my credit card."

"That's a start," the second man said but he didn't back away.

She stripped off her gold chain, ring, and watch. She gave them her credit card. They put her possessions in the pockets of their dirty jeans. Please God let them leave me alone.

"What else?"

"That's all I have. I left my purse inside. I have my car." She reached for her keys. She could see them shining on the concrete in the glow of the dim overhead light.

The first man put his foot down on her hand, stopping her movement. Then he hit her hard across the mouth and she fell backwards.

"Take the car." She tasted blood in her mouth. She nodded towards the keys on the ground. "It has a full tank of gas."

The second man hit her, close to the eye. She was terrified up to that point. Suddenly, cold anger spread through her. She used her knee, bringing it hard and deep into his groin. It felt satisfyingly soft and painful. He went down to his knees.

Before she could move, the first man cuffed her on the side of the head. Her head snapped back on her neck. He grabbed her by her shirtfront before she fell back out of his reach.

She heard the sound of material ripping. She looked down and realized that the man ripped her shirt. Her skin looked very pale in the overhead lights. The red lace bra she wore wavered before her eyes. "What do you want?" Her lip was already swollen. She could barely form the words.

"You should'a stayed in your place, bitch," the first man told her with a short laugh. "We're gonna show you where that is."

They pushed her down on the cold concrete between the cars and stuffed a glove in her mouth. It smelled of paint or turpentine. They ripped her clothes from her and hit her until she stopped fighting. The first man shoved his penis inside of her. What little food she had in her stomach rose into her mouth. She realized with sudden clarity that she might die in that parking deck. She couldn't let that happen.

The second man recovered from her attack and joined his friend. She tried to lie quietly and separate her mind from the reality of the two men grunting over her. They were brutally using her body but if she could survive, she could go on. What they were doing to her wouldn't kill her. They couldn't penetrate who she was inside. She moaned painfully beneath the glove in her mouth and prayed that they'd finish.

Finally, they were done. She sat up, thinking they were gone. She glanced around herself. Her body was racked with pain but she was still alive. Her eyes were nearly swollen shut from their blows.

But they weren't done with her yet. She tried to get away from them but they kept hitting her. One of the men held her hands on the concrete while the other smashed her fingers with something hard. She felt the tissue rip while she screamed behind the glove trapped in her teeth. She heard her ribs crack as they continued to pound her with their fists but she couldn't feel anything. It was a curiously light sensation. Like she was being lifted from her body and moved away. There was no pain. No fear.

Her face touched the cold concrete. Then she drifted into that void. Her spirit ran away from what was happening to her.

She saw a light move in front of her eyes. She tried to fight her way back to consciousness but she was so tired. She tried to open her eyes. One of them was swollen completely shut. The other, barely open a slit. She saw a man's face, concerned and frightened. She was moving.

"We're going to take care of you," he said. "No one's going to hurt you. Just hang in there. You're going to live.