A Warrior Wedding (The Protectors #7)(2)
“You need to tell Slade.” Adam followed her. She could almost feel his frowning glare smacking her in the back of the head. “This doesn’t sound normal.”
“He’s been so busy and”—Jill tossed the box on the counter to pay—“I don’t want to bother him.”
The woman behind the counter took the box, but was staring at Steve and Adam with disapproval as Jill dug money out of her pocket.
“Honey, you shouldn’t be the one paying for this.” The woman glared at Adam and Steve, who stood behind Jill with their arms crossed.
Steve’s eyes widened as he stepped back from Jill, a mortified look on his face. “Whoa!” He looked around nervously as if Slade would pop out of the hair product aisle behind them. “I have absolutely nothing to do with...that!” He pointed to the box.
When the woman’s eyes went to Adam, Adam just shook his head, but didn’t say a word. Jill paid for her purchase, asking the woman to double bag the one item.
The ride was silent except for the radio playing. Jill’s hands shook, making the plastic bag rattle. Dropping it in her lap, she stared out the window. Her fear choked her as if someone had their hands around her throat. Something was definitely wrong because she was never sick. Even as a human she was never sick. How she had hidden it from Slade was a miracle, because Slade missed nothing.
Jill knew she wasn’t pregnant, yet in the back of her mind, she remembered when her mom was pregnant with Seth, throwing up constantly and all she did was sleep. Resting her head back on the headrest, her eyes closed. She was tired and weak. All she wanted to do was go to bed and never get up.
******
She could hear her name being called, but she had to fight to pry her eyes open.
“Go get Slade!” Steve’s worried voice broke through the darkness she was fighting out of.
“No!” Her voice croaked as her eyes finally opened to slits. “I’m fine. Just waking up. Give me a second. Geez, can no one take a nap around here?”
“We’ve been trying to wake you for ten minutes.” Steve’s voice was high-pitched with worry.
Jill straightened to sit up, willing her eyes to open all the way. “Steve, stop being dramatic.”
“He’s not being dramatic, Jill.” Adam broke in, his eyes missing nothing. “We’ve been trying to wake you for ten minutes.”
“So I’m tired,” Jill grumbled. “Haven’t you ever been tired?”
“Not since I’ve been turned,” Adam added, backing away to let her out of the car. When she swayed, he steadied her. “You need to talk to Slade.”
“I will.” Jill nodded, stretching. “I just think all the stress from everything going on got to me. I never did handle stress well.”
She knew by the look Steve and Adam gave her they weren’t buying it and neither would Slade.
CHAPTER 2
As soon as they made it inside the compound, her phone buzzed indicating a text. Quickly looking at it, she saw it was from Slade, wanting to know where she was. Putting her phone in the back pocket of her jeans, she tried to fit the bag with the pregnancy test in there too. But it wasn’t going to work. Wrapping the plastic bag around the test, she made sure no one could see what was inside. There was no way she could put off going to Sloan’s office any longer. Hearing Adam and Steve’s phone go off and their quickening steps, she knew they were really late and an ass chewing was only minutes away. Just what she didn’t need.
Following them into the office, she glanced around. Slade stood leaning against the wall, his intense stare following her. She gave him a smile, but didn’t head his way. Instead she followed Adam, her gaze finding Sloan who sat behind his desk, surprisingly not glaring or chewing their asses out.
The tenseness of the Warriors surrounded her, but Sloan seemed at ease sitting behind his desk staring at her. Okay, something was definitely off.
“It’s about damn time,” Sid grumbled, glaring at all three of them. “Where in the f*ck have you been?”
“Jill had to get...” Steve started, but Jill stopped him by stepping on the back of his shoe. “Dammit, Jill.”
“Sorry.” Jill’s eyes narrowed in warning at Steve who bent to put his shoe back on, his eyes meeting hers. The warning in her stare was clear. He needed to shut the hell up or else. Her eyes once again found Slade who hadn’t moved an inch, but his gaze had become more intense. He knew. What he knew, she didn’t know, but he knew something. Dammit.
“Sorry we’re late.” Steve walked toward Sloan’s desk, without looking Sloan in the eye.
“No problem,” Sloan replied and eyed Steve, Adam and Jill closely.
Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing to stare at Sloan.
“Who the f*ck are you and what have you done with Sloan Murphy?” Sid glared at Sloan as if searching his soul.
Unease slithered down Jill’s spine when she searched Sloan’s eyes. This easy-going guy sitting behind Sloan’s desk looked like Sloan, sounded like Sloan, but that was where it ended. He sure as hell wasn’t acting like Sloan.
“What?” Sloan leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms.
Jill actually felt every Warrior in the room tense. Slade slowly moved toward her. Again her eyes moved to Sloan, but the office door slammed open, drawing everyone’s attention. What she saw was something she hoped everyone else saw. If not, she really was sick...at least in the head.