A Warrior Wedding (The Protectors #7)(4)

“Ex-Warrior?” Steve glanced at the large man whose head swiveled toward him. “You get kicked out or something?”

At first it didn’t look like Blaze was going to answer, but a humorless grin curved his lips. “Or something.” His eyes went to Adam and then Jill. “So when did the VC Warriors start letting boys and women join the ranks?”

Adam didn’t say a word, but the tick in his jaw indicated he heard loud and clear. Jill on the other hand took offense, as usual. “With a name like Blaze, I’m surprised you don’t shimmer.” She rolled her eyes. “Seriously, who names their kid Blaze? You got a brother named Inferno?”

Sid and Jared smiled proudly, looking as if they were going to pat Jill on the head knowing they had taught her well in the art of being a smartass. Blaze, on the other hand, didn’t smile at all, but his eyes took on a funny swirly motion as he glared at Jill.

“Little girl, you best be careful and learn some manners before speaking of things you know nothing about.” Blaze’s lip tilted in a sinister grin as his eyes continued to swirl.

Jill became lost in his crazy gaze and couldn’t pull her eyes away. A burning heat started in the pit of her stomach inching along her spine, through her body slowly, until it reached her neck. She swayed and heard her name, but couldn’t open her mouth to respond. The edges of her sight started to darken as if looking through a pin hole into this man’s wicked gaze. In a final whoosh, her vision went black, while the heat in her body intensified, and that was all she knew.

CHAPTER 3

“Jill!” Slade’s voice sounded far away. Jill did everything she could to claw her way to him, but the darkness kept a tight hold over her. “Jill, wake up, dammit.” Why did Slade sound so pissed. Was he mad at her?

Fighting hard to break out of the darkness that gripped her, Jill pried her eyes open to slits, but moaned at the brightness. “I’m up,” she croaked, licking her dry lips. “Stop yelling at me. I’m up.”

She felt Slade’s large hand as it rested against her forehead while he pried one eyelid open.

“What are you doing?” She weakly pushed his hand away.

“Hold still.” Slade’s voice was stern with a hint of worry, and that was when it all came back to her in a flash.

This time, she succeeded in pushing his hand away as she sat up a little too quickly. Everything inside her revolted at the movement and she dry-heaved herself right off the table. If not for Slade, she would have landed face first on the floor.

“Find out what that son of a bitch did to her,” Slade ordered someone in the room. She heard the door slam and realized she was in Slade’s office.

Getting her stomach under control, Jill opened her eyes, letting Slade help her up and back onto the table. “I’m okay.”

“No, she’s not,” Steve answered from behind her.

“Shut up, Steve.” Jill turned toward him, giving him a warning glare. “I said I’m fine.”

Before Steve could reply, the door opened and in came Blaze along with Sloan, Jax and Sid. In a split second, claustrophobia set in with the huge Warriors in Slade’s small office all staring at her.

“What did you do to her?” Slade kept one hand on Jill’s leg to keep her steady as he pushed his face toward Blaze’s.

Blaze didn’t lean back, but his eyes did shoot to Jill’s before looking back at Slade. “What I did should not have had that effect on her.”

“I asked you a question, not your opinion.” Slade’s voice turned deadly.

“Slade, I’m fine.” Jill grabbed onto his hand that tightened on her leg.

“And I repeat, no, she’s not,” Steve added, ignoring Jill’s death glare.

Slade glanced at her for a split second, his eyes searching hers. “Why do you say that, Steve?”

Jill sighed, rolling her eyes, ready to open her mouth, but Steve beat her to it.

“She’s been getting sick. She can’t hold down blood and—”

“I probably have a virus or something.” Jill felt every eye on her as she interrupted blabber mouth. She hated attention directed toward her. It made her more nauseous than she already was, and then she heard a plastic bag rattle. Her heart sunk as her stomach rose to the back of her throat.

Steve reached into the plastic bag. “So tell me, Doc, do women with viruses usually get pregnancy tests? It took us ten minutes to wake her up once we got here today, and she looks like shit.” He looked at Jill, raising an eyebrow. “Well, you do.”

“You’re an *,” Jill sneered at Steve.

“Yeah, well, I’m more afraid of him”—he nodded at Slade—“than I am of you. He needed to know and I have diarrhea of the mouth when I’m afraid of something, as you well know. And that big bastard scares the hell out of me. Oh, and just to make sure everyone in this room knows if she is pregnant, I had absolutely nothing to do with it.”

Slade took the pregnancy test from Steve, looking at it then to Jill without saying a word. The room went deathly quiet.

“Annnnd, on that note,”—Sid edged toward the door—“we’re out. You need us for anything, Slade, just....” The door shut muffling anything else Sid had to say as everyone emptied out of the room as if it were on fire. Even Sloan exited the room without a word spoken.