God, she prayed the child slept through this. He was so small still, innocent-looking as he slept in the backseat. Of course, if he were awake…
She stilled as she felt something at her wrist. A faint touch, a tug at the knot. He was awake. Oh God, he was awake. She felt her breathing hitch in her chest at the fear he must be feeling.
But he was working the knot free, slowly, his fingers quick and sure. They weren’t trembling like hers. And hers were trembling. She was shaking like a leaf. And behind her, a nine-year-old baby was working the knot loose on her bonds.
“You’re such a dumb little twit, Tamber,” Scheme announced, feigning amusement. “John is going to chew you up and spit you out, you know that, right?”
Tamber’s fist flew out, connecting with Scheme’s jaw, knocking her sideways into the jeep as a mini growl erupted from the backseat and David Lyons pounced.
Tamber wasn’t expecting the attack. She cursed as her hands jerked on the wheel, throwing the jeep against the sharp incline that ran alongside the road. The jeep tilted, wheels spinning as Tamber’s hand flew back and connected with the face of the child locked onto her neck.
A hiss of pain sounded from the little boy, but he didn’t let go. The jeep tilted again as Scheme fought to get to the wheel to right the vehicle. Tamber had her hands full with a miniature Lion Breed hybrid that seemed to be everywhere at once.
And cursing. Scheme hoped she lived to laugh about the less than childish language he was using. But it wasn’t looking good. Oh God, it wasn’t looking good at all. The jeep was tilting, pitching.
The child. She had to protect the boy. As the jeep finally lost its battle to stay upright, she pitched herself toward the little boy, hoping to cushion him, to break the roll as it came.
Her elbow connected with Tamber’s head, her fingers grasping frantically to grab hold of David as she bounced, her back hitting the seat, before she was tossed again, slamming her into the dash as she heard Tamber scream and the mini-Lion’s almost grown-up roar.
Another flip of the jeep and her head slammed against the windshield, darkness flickering over her consciousness as she fought to keep from being sick or passing out. Or both. She could have easily done both.
Dammit, where was Tanner anyway? He was supposed to keep this from happening, wasn’t he? Protect her and all that macho stuff?
Moaning, she felt her fingers curl into something soft, cool. Dirt. She struggled to shake off the paralyzing pain that seemed to blaze through her body. It wasn’t the stupid mating heat either; she had just been bounced around a jeep like a frickin’ soccer ball.
David.
She forced her eyes open, seeing first dirt, crushed leaves, a hint of grass and trees. Moaning again at the effort, she turned her head to stare directly into David Lyons’s golden gaze.
The kid was crouched beside her, his eyes, very much like his father’s, peering into hers as he tilted his head, his shaggy light brown hair falling over his eyes before he pushed it back.
“Lady, we need to move,” he seemed to sigh. “That stupid cat is just knocked out, I think.”
“I have to move.” Why didn’t she figure that one out? “Where is a damned Breed when you need one?”
Damn. She hurt. She hurt bad. And if she wasn’t mistaken, the gown she was wearing was ripping further up her thigh with each move she made and she had lost both shoes.
Forcing her arms beneath her, she struggled to sit up.
“You could help,” she muttered.
David frowned a little. “You smell like Uncle Tanner when he’s really mad,” he pointed out. “I aint touchin’ you for nothin’.”
“Not touching me for anything,” she automatically corrected him.
“That’s what I said.” He chewed at his lip worriedly, sharp little incisors poking out. “But we got to go. We’re too close to the boundary.”
“Okay, we have to go.” She nodded.
“Uncle Tanner will turn the lions loose when he knows we’re gone. Uncle Kane will have his soldiers out on the motorcycles. If we can get close enough, then we’ll be okay. Uncle Tanner says the lions only eat people that are too close to the boundary.”
“Oh great. Let me guess, they only eat my kind, not your kind.”
He paused as she wobbled to her feet, his frown deepening as he stared back at her with a hint of hurt confusion. “Aren’t we the same kind?”
Scheme winced as she tried to smile in agreement. “Yes, David, we’re the same kind. But Breeds have a different scent from non-Breeds, just like a male smells differently from a female.”
“Oh.” He moved around her, nodding thoughtfully before he picked up a thick stick lying on the ground and handed it to her. “Here. We better hurry. I can feel a chopper in the air, and I know our heli-jet isn’t in Sanctuary right now.”