Read New Species 02 Slade Online
Authors: Laurann Dohner
had me blocked from reaching you before they did. I
heard them state they were bringing you back to their
camp. You did good, Doc. You slowed them down and
gave me time to come back here. I found the first one
inside the tent. I killed him and carried his body away to
prevent them from finding him.”
“But―” Slade gently put his finger over her lips and
she closed her mouth. “I knew they wouldn’t harm you
as long as they thought he was injured and in need of
your help. I hid his body, hoping they’d think he walked
off to piss and got lost. I followed the younger one and
took him out. I had to backtrack the loudmouthed one
for a ways. He was smarter and harder to get the drop
on. Then I came back here in time to hear you scream.”
“They are really dead?” Shock tore through her that
Slade had killed them.
“Yes. The men they are with killed Bart and they
were going to kill you. They would have done the same
to me too. Trust me. They tried to kill me when I found
them. I never would have left you alone if I didn’t think
you would be safe. I’m so sorry. I swear I never thought
you’d be harmed. When I left he was feeding you and
giving you a drink.”
She saw sincerity in his eyes. “I didn’t expect him to
attack me either.”
Slade cupped her face and studied Trisha. “I’m really
sorry, sweet thing. Do you forgive me?”
She nodded, still stunned that he’d really killed
those men to save her.
He took her wrists in his hands and peered at them,
frowning. “You will have a lot of bruises. Are you hurt
anywhere else?” His gaze met hers. “Tell me. Did that
bastard hurt you worse?”
“No.”
“Trisha? Tell me. Did he do anything to you besides
the wrists and your face? Did he assault you sexually in
any way before I arrived? Did I reach you in time or did
he molest you earlier too?”
Tears blinded her. “You got here in time.”
“Then why the tears?” He brushed at a few of them
with his thumb, eyeing them as though they were
something foreign.
Trisha laughed, partly from hysteria and partly from
his comical look. “You don’t ever cry, do you?” She
sniffed, her laughter gone. “I was terrified. I’m crying
because of what he planned to do to me.”
“No. I don’t cry.”
Trisha wasn’t surprised by that admission. “Well, I
do. Crap. I’m naked. See what a mess I am right now? I
forgot I wasn’t wearing clothes.” She gripped her shirt
from behind her neck and yanked it down her body to
cover her to her lap. She glanced around the area and
found the rest of her things before she looked back at
Slade. “I should get dressed.”
“Don’t move. You’re still shaking.” He put his arms
around her. “Just relax, Doc. They are dead and you’re
safe. There isn’t anyone else around for miles. I made
sure of it.”
She turned and relaxed against Slade, putting her
arms around his waist and just clung to him. She fought
the urge to cry when both his arms wrapped around her.
It was a given that she would have been in some serious
hell if it weren’t for Slade holding her. He made her feel a
little better.
“By the way, don’t ever do that again.” Slade sighed.
“Do what?” Trisha lifted her head, peering at his
tense expression.
“Provoke a man into hurting you.” Slade shook his
head a little at her. “What if I had arrived later? I
wouldn’t have been able to reach you before he’d killed
you. I would have come to recover your body from his
dying, bloody fingers, Doc. Next time you do anything in
your power to stay alive. You can survive anything as
long as you keep breathing.”
“He was going to do horrendous things to me. I
would rather die than suffer through that.”
Slade growled at Trisha, showing his anger. “No.
You survive any way you can but you cling to life. It
would have been hell for you and it would have hurt
you badly but as long as you are breathing, you have life
left to fight for.”
“You don’t understand. That asshole didn’t tie you
to a tree and tell you he would rape you in ways that
would have left you screaming.”
Slade breathed harder now, angry, and glared at
Trisha. He gripped her arms, turning her to face him. “I
have suffered many harsh things, Doc. You have no idea
of the kind of pain and agony I have endured in my
lifetime. I watched them kill my friends and they were all
I had. I’ve suffered pain that would have driven most
males insane but I am here still. I fought. I bided my time
in hopes that one day I might have one like today. I’m
free. All the pain and agony, all the hell, all the indignity
and humiliation is behind me. I’m here sitting with you
on my lap and I’m grateful, Doc. Do you understand?
You survive any way you can but you don’t give up.
Never provoke a man into killing you again.” He took a
ragged breath and his handsome features softened.
“Please. I can’t save a corpse.”
Trisha nodded her understanding, her anger gone.
He had suffered and she had no idea how deeply that
anguish had gone. He’d spent year after year being a test
subject. He’d seen many people he had to have cared
about being tortured to death. One really horror of a
nightmare day she’d had to undergo paled in
comparison to Slade’s entire life.
“I promise.”
The tension in his body eased. “Good. We’ll eat their
food, take their supplies, and get out of here before
someone comes to check on them. I’m sure teams of my
people have reached the area and are searching for us.”
“But those men have hunting parties out there
looking for you, Slade. They were talking about a fifty
thousand dollar reward.”
Slade cursed. “On capturing me or killing me?”
“I don’t know but I’m pretty sure it didn’t matter as
long as they killed you. They just said it was fifty
thousand dollars. They mentioned someone named
Thomas who wouldn’t pay them if something happened
to his son. That was the first guy you killed inside the
tent.” She gave him a smile. “I guess Thomas won’t be
happy when he finds out his son is dead.”
“My bad.” Slade shrugged. “He’s definitely dead
and I hope none of them get paid their blood money. Did
you hear anything else?”
“Bill, that’s the dead guy over there, used a walkie-
talkie to talk to a base camp. I’m assuming they set up a
few of them around here. There are more teams out there
hunting for you but I guess we’re a few miles from them.
Bill was supposed to check in with them first thing in the
morning.”
He smiled. “He won’t be.”
“They knew I’m a doctor when they found me.”
“Your things were at the crash site. It was probably
easy to figure out who you were and they can
communicate and share information. I’m sure there is a
search going on for us. Justice would have publicized
our faces to help find us.”
“Oh. Sorry. I thought that might be important.”
“It was a good catch on detail.” Slade winked at her.
“Hungry? I am.”
She nodded. “I have to pee first though.”
“You go find privacy while I find you some clean
clothes. They have water. I see the bottles from here.
Take one with you and wash, Doc. I’ll take care of the
body over there and start sorting supplies.”
“Thank you.” Trisha suddenly cupped his face and
leaned closer to him. “You saved my life, Slade. Just…
thank you.”
A slow smile curved his lips. “Since I saved your life
does this mean I’m guaranteed to get lucky tonight?”
Trisha laughed. She couldn’t help it. It was the
amused look on his face. “I can’t believe you said that.”
Sturdy shoulders shrugged. “I always want you,
Doc.”
She climbed off his lap and stood. Slade rose to his
feet as well. Her body trembled from the stress and tired
muscles but she ignored it. She was more concerned with
the fact that she was naked from the waist down. She
knew Slade couldn’t help but see that as she moved
away from him. She walked over to retrieve a bottle of
water.
“Tease,” Slade growled as she bent over and
retrieved one of the bottles her for a sponge bath.
She straightened and shot him a look over her
shoulder. “Aren’t you supposed to be finding me some
clean clothes instead of watching me bend over?”
“I’m doing both.” He headed for the tent. “Do you
want to lean over and pick something else up before I go
inside? I could throw things in your path for you to have
to move.”
She laughed, walking toward the clump of bushes
that would give her privacy. “No thank you. I’m good.”
She quickly attended to her immediate needs and
then removed her shirt and torn bra. She stood naked in
the shade as everything hit her at once. Trisha fought
tears as she examined her injured wrists. Her mouth hurt
and her cheek throbbed hotly and ached where she’d
been struck. She also felt really, really dirty. Bill had
touched her and just the thought of what he had wanted
to do to her body made her want to throw up.
She crouched, attempting to open the water. She
wasn’t strong enough to twist the lid off and her
trembling didn’t help. She made a soft sound, fighting
the urge to start sobbing, and hugged her body as she
stared at the bottle.
“Doc?” Slade’s voice came from right behind her.
She didn’t move. She huddled naked and kept her
back to him. It embarrassed her to fall apart the way she
was and remembered he wasn’t fond of tears. She knew if
she looked at him he’d see how close she was to
completely losing it.
“I found clothes for you,” he said, his voice soft as he
moved closer.
She hugged her chest tighter. The urge to break into
sobs grew stronger. The past events of the last twenty-
four hours were just too much. She wasn’t used to
people trying to kill her or men attacking her.
“Trisha?” Slade crouched down behind her and his
arms wrapped around her. “It is okay, sweet thing. I’m
here. You’re shaking.”
Hot tears streamed down her face. She heard Slade
softly curse and then he sat on the ground, pulling her
into his arms. She didn’t look at him. She wrapped her
arms around his neck instead, held on tightly, and
buried her face against his chest.
Slade’s arms hugged her harder and his fingers dug
into her hair. He cradled her against his chest and rested
his chin on the top of her head.
“You’ve been very brave,” he rasped softly. “I’ve
been trying to keep you mouthy and fighting but it’s
been too much, hasn’t it?”
She nodded against his chest. “You hate tears. I’m
sorry.”
His hand stopped rubbing her scalp and he sighed.
“I don’t hate tears on you. Don’t be sorry. You deserve to
cry. It’s actually been a bad two days. I’m so sorry I left
you here. I would have killed him first if I thought he
would hurt you but I made a mistake. I was certain he
would treat you right until I got back and I thought it
was best to leave you here with him in case more men
came. My reasoning was that they already had you and
wouldn’t hurt you because they had a need for you to
treat their team member.”
“It’s not your fault.” Trisha used her forearm to wipe
her tears. “You saved me. Thank you, Slade. I know you
didn’t have to and you risked your life fighting that man
to do it. You killed him for me. You killed all of them to
rescue me.”
His fingers brushed her hair again. “You’re mine,
Doc. I’d fight anyone to get you back and I’ll kill any man
who touches you.”
His words sank in. Trisha lifted her head, stared at
Slade. His blue eyes met her shocked ones. “I’m yours?
What does that mean?”
He hesitated. “Now isn’t the time, okay? We’ll have
this discussion later when we’re home. Let me help you
get cleaned up. We’ll eat, salvage their supplies, and get
out of here. I’m hoping we are back at Homeland by
tomorrow.”
Trisha studied him. “Okay.” She wanted to ask him a