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 ass**le 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.”