“Mine won’t have one either if you don’t have a signal.”
“You never know. We might have different carriers. Where is it? I don’t want to sit here debating. I’d rather try.”
She reached for her purse but it wasn’t where she’d placed it. She peered down and realized it had fallen to the floor. She pointed. Slade lunged for her purse. His hand practically crushed the bag as he yanked it up. In a heartbeat he’d flipped her purse over, emptying all the contents out on the seat between them with a few rough shakes.
Trisha had to fight the urge to yell at him when her mouth dropped open in shock. Those were her things he’d just strewn all over the seat as thought it were garbage. He shoved his hand into the mess he’d created to find her cell then he flipped it open.
“Damn it,” he growled. He threw it to the floor.
“That is my phone! Don’t break it.”
Her temper flared. She was also scared and really, really angry. She unfastened her belt to reach forward to lean down to check on her cell phone. Slade shoved her back against her seat with his hand.
“It doesn’t work anyway,” he snarled, glaring at her.
“Throw your phone but not mine. That’s rude.”
“I’m sorry. I would hate to be impolite when someone just tried to kill us.”
“Hello?” Bart shouted. “There’s another truck. Could you guys stop fighting? I think we have another problem. It looks as if they weren’t alone!”
Trisha turned her head to stare in horror out the back of the SUV. A second truck came at them fast, this one a blue pickup that had a metal grill, almost the twin of the red one. She watched as a man stood up in the back of the truck bed, one arm gripping the roll bar over the cab of the truck to keep on his feet, and lifted his other arm to try to point a gun at them. Her mouth opened to scream out a warning.
Slade reached over, grabbed Trisha’s shirt with his fist and yanked her down over the seat. His body crushed down on top of hers, causing her purse and its contents to dig into her stomach. Slade’s hand shoved in between the seat and her. He grabbed her breast, squeezed it, and his hand turned. He found his gun and yanked it out from under her none too gently. A loud noise sounded but it was muffled for Trisha since Slade’s thighs were against her ears.
My head is between Slade’s thighs. That meant the lump at the back of her neck… She gritted her teeth. How can Slade be aroused when someone is shooting at us? She struggled to get out from between his legs but his massive, bulky weight kept her down. His muscles suddenly squeezed, nearly crushing Trisha’s head in the process.
“Stay still,” he demanded. “Those are my nuts you’re pushing back against.”
“Screw you. Get off me,” she yelled.
A large hand suddenly slapped Trisha’s ass hard, sending a jolt of pain from it to her brain, stunning her.
“My face is right here, Doc. You don’t hurt me and I won’t hurt you.”
Trisha just screamed. She was angry, terrified, and her butt stung from where he’d struck her with his big palm. Something rammed hard into the SUV and it caused Slade to topple onto Trisha. They were thrown forward and Trisha’s body slid with his. They both slammed into the back of the front seats together.
“Drive,” Slade ordered Bart harshly. “One more hit that bad and— SHIT!”
Shit? Trisha felt alarmed by Slade’s tone. A second later the SUV bounced wildly. She and Slade were actually lifted completely off the seat. She heard a male scream. Bart. Then she was slammed hard back down onto the seat with all Slade’s weight coming down on her.
She heard a horrible noise as everything rattled, bounced and shook so hard Trisha wondered if she would be shaken apart too. A loud boom rent the air suddenly a second before the truck tilted crazily and she was thrown again. She screamed in pure terror.
She didn’t know what was up or down. She knew nothing but pain, fear, and the feeling of motion. Hands grabbed her thighs, she bumped into Slade’s body roughly, then something unforgiving. Glass sounded as if it were exploding. Metal groaned and smashed loudly, in deafening volume. Trisha continued to scream but everything stopped moving suddenly.
She panted, laying on something hard. Her shoulder, ear and hand hurt. She tried to calm down as she opened her eyes but instantly wished she hadn’t. She discovered her body sprawled on the roof of the SUV. The broken-out back window was to her immediate right, telling her that somehow she’d been tossed into the back luggage area. She stared at dirt and grass on the ground, just an arm’s length away. Close to the back of the SUV stood a thick tree trunk. It finally settled into her mind that the SUV had landed upside down.
Trisha moved and it caused pain to shoot up her leg from her knee. She groaned. She put her hands down and tried to push herself up even though her shoulder ached but only managed to lift her head a little. She turned it to the left to stare at Slade a few inches from her. He lay sprawled on his side with his back to her, his head resting by her hip. His arm moved as he touched his face.
“Shit,” Slade groaned. “Doc?” His voice deepened as his entire body jerked. “DOC?” Alarm deepened his tone.
“I’m here behind you. Are you all right?” Trisha cleared her throat. Her voice had broken as she spoke.
Slade twisted his head to look her over. “Fine. Are you injured badly?”
“Hurt but alive. Can you see Bart? All I can glimpse from here is the back of the seats and you.”
Slade moved slightly and groaned as he lifted his head. “I see him. He’s belted in upside down but moving. I can hear him breathing.”
A pained moan came from the front of the SUV. Trisha licked her dry lips, instantly tasting blood. She 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.
Chapter Three
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 limp around the SUV and knew she would suffer from deep bruising.
The SUV appeared in really bad shape. She assessed the crushed side panels and the dented-down roof. The back of the SUV had taken the worst of it on the crushed roof. There was a large tear near the front driver’s side door and the engine compartment in the front corner had been mangled badly.
She stared at it while Slade opened up the driver’s door. It looked as though they’d smashed into something in the front of the SUV on the way down. Trisha’s guess was a tree, maybe even a few of them from the damage to the entire front section of the vehicle. It was a miracle they were all alive.
She turned her head and stared up the mountain. She couldn’t see the road from where she stood but she could tell where the SUV had rolled before the debris disappeared into dense trees. Broken glass, ripped-off parts of the SUV, and some clothes were scattered in the path of the crash.