Read Online Relentless by Bobbi Smith - Free Book Online

dark shadows of the night. She’d imagined being swept off her feet by her hero, who would declare his love and propose. Never in all her fairy-tale daydreams had she dreamed that the man kissing her would smell like whiskey or be so rough with her.
    Paul felt her resistance, but that only made him tighten his grip on her. He was confident his romantic ways would win her over.
    “Let me go—” she gasped when she finally managed to break off the kiss.
    “You know you’re lovin’ it,” he told her, pulling her tightly against him again.
    “No, I’m not!” Francie hissed, trying to twist away from him. “Stop it!”
    “Aw, honey—”
    “Don’t—”
    “You heard what Francie said. Let her go,” Rick directed. He’d been on his way over to ask Francie for another dance, but the ranch hand had gotten to her first. He had been disappointed, but had planned to claim her for the next one, until he’d seen Paul all but drag her out the back door. He’d known then something was wrong.
    Paul was angered by the interruption. He kept a tight hold on Francie as he looked up at the other man. “This ain’t none of your business, banker man, so go on back inside.”
    “I’m making it my business.” Rick moved closer, wanting to be sure she was unharmed. “Francie, are you all right?”
    Paul tightened the grip he had on her arms as he muttered to her in a low voice, “Don’t say a word.”
    “Paul, please, I want to go back inside,” she insisted, trying to avoid trouble.
    “We’re staying here,” he countered.
    “I said let her go,” Rick repeated. He could tell now the man had been drinking, and though he didn’t want a fight, he would do what he had to do to get Francie away from the cowhand and keep her safe.
    “She’s with me. Get lost,” Paul snarled. Just to prove his point, he yanked her hard against him and kissed her again.
    Francie almost gagged at his hot, disgusting kiss.
    Rick saw her trying to resist, and he reacted instantly. Grabbing Francie, he tore her free of the drunken cowboy’s grip before taking a swing at the man and knocking him to the ground.
    Francie was trembling in fear as Rick went to her.
    “Did he hurt you?” he asked, tender concern in his voice.
    “No—I—Thank you—”
    He put his arm around her shoulders and started to guide her back to the safety of the hall.
    Paul had been caught off guard by the banker’s attack, but now he was furious. There was no way he was going to let that banker man get away with stealing the girl he wanted. He lurched to his feet, wiping the blood from his mouth as he went after them, determined to take his revenge.
    “How did you know I needed you?” Francie was saying as she looked up at Rick with wide-eyed wonder.
    Rick smiled down at her, glad that she hadn’t been injured in any way. “I was on my way to ask you to dance, but Paul got to you first. I was keeping an eye on you so I could—”
    He never got to finish. Paul attacked, launching himself at Rick and shoving Francie forcefully aside.
    Shocked by the sudden, unexpected attack, Francie cried out as she fell to the ground.
    A few people standing near the door heard her cry and looked outside, trying to see what was going on.
    “Fight! There’s a fight going on!” one of the men shouted.
    Mark had seen Rick follow Paul and Francie outside, so he was pretty sure what was going on.
    “That must be Paul—” Mark said to Dusty. Without a thought, he deserted Dusty in the middle of the dance floor and ran outside to see if his friend needed any help.
    Dusty looked around and, realizing there was no sign of Francie anywhere inside, she hurried after Mark.
    The musicians kept playing, hoping to distract everyone, but a crush of people hurried toward the door.
    Dusty found herself trapped behind the crowd, unable to get outside to help her friend.
    Meanwhile, outside the hall, Rick was outraged that Paul had so brutally shoved Francie aside, and he feared she might