New Species 02 Slade (8 page)

started to inch toward the dirt, intent on climbing out of

the wreckage.

A hand gripped her thigh. “Don’t,” Slade ordered.

“They had guns. I don’t know how far we rolled but they

could be up there. You crawling out of here could make

you an easy target.”

“Oh God,” Bart sobbed softly.

“I have to help him.” Trisha met Slade’s gaze.

His nostrils flared. “Fine. Crawl over me to get to

him. There’s a lot of broken glass under me and I don’t

want you getting cut up. You stay inside the cover of the

vehicle. If you can’t reach him through the seats, forget

about it until I go out there and scout first. I need to find

out if we’re safe from them shooting down at us.”

“You want me to crawl over you? But—”

“Do it, Doc. I’m not kidding about the broken glass.

The windows shattered. Safety-glass my ass. This wasn’t

one of our security vehicles that have been specially

built for us. This is tempered glass but some of it is

sharp. Crawl over my body to him first and I’ll inch out

there to take a look at where we stand once you do.

Hopefully we rolled far enough down the hill that they

don’t have a bead on us but they might be coming down

on foot to finish us off. Either way, I don’t want to stick

around here for long. They know where we are or can

find us easily enough. I’m sure we left an easy trail of

debris for them to follow.”

Trisha turned onto her side. She had just enough

space to wiggle under the back seat before she met

Slade’s gaze. He gave her a grin but it didn’t reach his

eyes.

“You know you want to crawl on top of me, Doc.

Here’s your chance.”

Trisha frowned at him. “You’re such an ass.”

He winked. “It’s not my ass I’m worried about when

you’re on top of me. Watch your elbows and knees,

sweet thing.”

Her mouth opened to tell him that now wasn’t the

time for him to start his crap but Bart sobbed from the

front. Slade’s smile faded.

“Move it, Doc. They could be climbing down to

search for us and I don’t feel like being shot at like fish in

a barrel.”

Trisha carefully reached to put her hands next to

Slade’s head. He suddenly moved, holding out his hands

to her.

“Put your hands inside mine. There’s glass. I’ll lift

you over as much of me as I can. Then keep your hands

on my legs. Watch the knees, Doc. Seriously.” He winked

at her. “As much as I know you want to see how big I am,

I’d prefer you feel me with your hands.”

“Bastard,” Trisha whispered, not really meaning it.

She gave him a brave smile, knowing at this point he

was being an ass just to distract her. She’d be freaking

out over their dire situation if it weren’t for Slade. They’d

just rolled down part of a mountain, men with guns

might be on their way to the crash site, and Slade tried to

focus her attention on him instead of the danger.

“Thanks,” she whispered softly, putting her hands

inside his large ones. She curled her fingers through his,

their fingers locking, palms together, as Slade took her

weight. He started to pull her over his body. Trisha lifted

her lower body with her knees. She tried not to notice

when her breasts rubbed over Slade’s face and how her

stomach moved close enough to feel his hot breath

through the thin layer of her shirt.

“You might want to consider a diet when we survive

this,” Slade suggested softly.

“Kiss my ass.”

He chuckled. “It’s not your ass over my face right

now, Doc. That’s as far as I can pull you. As much as I

enjoy where you are, move it, sweet thing.”

Her knees reached his shoulders. She gripped his

thighs with her hands, knowing she’d have to either pull

her body down his body toward his feet by her hands or

crawl over him with her knees.

“Hurry, Doc.”

She carefully put her knee on his shoulder. His

hands suddenly gripped her hips as he lifted her lower

body similar to a pushup off his body. He shoved her

forward. Trisha was nearly thrown into the gap between

the front seats but instead it was just her head that ended

up between them with the center console above her. She

squeezed tighter into the narrow space. She could see

Bart now. Slade moved from under her legs, which were

still on him.

“Stay put, Doc. I’m going outside. It was nice

knowing you if you hear gunshots.”

“Be careful,” she warned.

Trisha’s gaze turned to Bart, studying him. He was

still strapped into his seat where the belt held him in

place. He appeared to be unconscious now and his

hands hung limp against the roof. She saw blood covered

his left hand and she reached for it carefully. It was hard

to do since it was on the other side of his body.

She inwardly cursed, realizing it appeared to be a

crush injury. The skin was torn and she guessed his hand

must have been thrown through the window that had

been smashed out when they rolled. Her fingertips

brushed up his arm, feeling for injuries, and she

determined his wrist had also been broken. He’d caught

a break there, no pun intended, since the bone hadn’t

popped through the skin. He jerked awake.

“Bart?” She swallowed. Her voice kept breaking on

her. “Where does it hurt besides the seat belt and your

arm?”

“My leg,” he gasped. Tears drowned out the brown

of his eyes when he started to cry.

Crap. Trisha couldn’t get any farther into the driver’s

area since his body was in the way and the steering

wheel was above. She could have seen better if she’d had

a flashlight since the sun was going down, making the

interior dim.

“Can you move both feet?”

“It hurts,” he cried softly.

“Do it, Bart,” Trisha snapped. “Those men could be

coming after us. Move your feet. I need you to work with

me.”

He moaned in pain. “I feel them and I think they

moved.”

Trisha nodded, looking up at where his feet would

be. No drips of blood were coming down to hit the roof

she lay curled on. Another good sign. She forced herself to

remain calm and think. Her head throbbed, her body

ached and she was in pain. She still tasted blood and

didn’t even want to guess the cause. She’d assess her

own injuries later but right now it was all about the

younger man in front of her.

“Listen to me, Bart. I need to find out if your legs are

pinned or if we can get you down. I need you to move

your legs to see if they are free. Do you understand me?”

“It hurts,” he whined.

Trisha clenched her teeth. “I’m in pain too. Come on.

Did you hear me about those men who ran us off the

road? They could climb down here and kill us. You need

to work with me. I can help you better if we can get you

free. I can’t do much for you right now since there’s not

enough room to treat you where you are. I have to assess

your injures but I need you out of that seat to do it.”

“Okay,” he hissed softly, “I’ll try.”

Trisha strained to listen for any sign of Slade but she

hadn’t heard any gunshots. Where is he? She experienced

a little fear suddenly. She and Bart weren’t New Species.

Would Slade just leave them behind to save his own ass?

She really hoped not. Maybe he’s gone for help but wouldn’t

he tell me first? She just didn’t know and that really

bothered her.

“I can move them.” Pain sounded in Bart’s voice.

“Terrific. I know you only have one usable hand but

you need to use your good arm to try the door. See if it

will open.”

“I can’t.”

Trisha twisted, looking at the passenger side. The

glove box had snapped open and things had fallen out.

She inched her way to the small area under the passenger

seat. The window remained intact on the passenger side

but it was cracked and spider-webbed. She used the

paper that had spilled out of the glove box to cover the

broken glass that had flown around the interior when the

SUV had rolled to protect her body. She reached for the

door handle. It moved but the door didn’t.

“Crap,” she sighed. She looked, realized the door

was still locked, and reached up. She had to work to get

the push-button lock to release. She tried the door handle

again and this time she heard a click. She twisted until

she rested on her back and pushed with one hand while

gripping the door handle. The door moved open a few

inches before it jammed into the ground outside.

“Double crap.”

“Hey, Doc.” Slade leaned down to peer inside the

wreckage at her from the passenger window. “Do you

want out? I don’t see any of those assholes coming down

here after us so far.”

“Can you get the door open?”

Slade lifted his head to study it instead of her. “I

don’t know. I’m going to have to push against the side to

see if I can lift it a few inches because the dirt is loose

here and it’s stuck on it.” He paused. “Maybe. Get ready

to feel some movement.”

It sunk in what he meant to do when she saw him

turn around and plant his feet by the back passenger

door. His back pressed against the side of the SUV. She

opened her mouth to tell him he wasn’t strong enough to

move the SUV even an inch but then the vehicle shifted a

little under her. He pushed back enough to tip the SUV

away from the ground.

“Push the door,” Slade groaned. “This bitch is

heavy.”

Trisha used both hands to shove hard on the door

that was a good half inch off the ground. It skidded on

the grass and dirt to open another foot. She pushed

harder and got another inch maybe. The ground inclined

higher. Slade groaned and the SUV shifted again. The

door dug hard into the earth under it.

Slade crouched next to the opening and put his head

inside between the door and the frame.

“Give me your hands and I’ll pull you out.”

It was only just over a foot of space, maybe sixteen

inches at most. She cursed. “I don’t think I’ll fit.”

“I was kidding about thinking you need a diet. Let’s

try, sweet thing. I think you can make it. You women

always think you are bigger than you really are. It’s more

space than you think. Go out sideways.”

Trisha grasped both of Slade’s hands. He slowly

started to pull her toward him with her twisting onto her

side. Her knees hung up on the front seats but when she

bucked a little, it moved her lower legs. Slade pulled on

her again. Her head fit through the tight space as she

turned it sideways and then her breasts and back were

squeezed. She realized she was stuck. Her breasts were

hanging her up.

“This wouldn’t be a problem if you didn’t have such

nice boobs,” Slade chuckled. “A flat-chested woman

would have slid right through there.”

Trisha shot him a dirty look as she stared at him.

“Just pull me out! This isn’t comfy.”

“Take a deep breath and exhale all your air. On the

count of three. One. Two. Three.”

Trisha exhaled until her lungs felt as though they

were being crushed inside her chest. Slade pulled her

free. She gasped in a gulp of air as Slade dragged her a

few feet from the SUV.

Slade released her hands before he reached for her

again as she lay on the ground. He grabbed her arms just

above her elbows and slowly helped her to her feet. He

studied her critically before his gaze met hers.

“Can you stand on your own?”

Testing her legs, Trisha nodded. “I’m good.”

He arched an eyebrow. “You wouldn’t say that if you

had a mirror. Stay here and let me see if I can get Mouth

over there free.”

“His left hand is crushed and his wrist is broken,”

Trisha warned. “Try not to touch it or have him put

weight on it.”

Trisha looked down since her knee throbbed and

saw a tear in her slacks. She bent, fought a moment of

dizziness, but it passed. She touched the torn material,

stained with blood. She gripped her pants with her

fingers and pulled the hole bigger. The material splitting

sounded loud to Trisha.

She looked closely at her knee, finding redness and a

small laceration that her fingers probed. It was a little

bloody but it didn’t need stitches. She straightened to