Adam (The Protectors #5)(27)
“We need you to interview some of the women before we release them to their families.” Slade turned, heading down the hallway.
Jill watched Adam go in the opposite direction, wondering what the hell was going on. Sloan didn’t tell them much on the way over, other than get their asses to his office pronto, and then they blindly followed him to his car.
Slade stopped in front of a door before he turned toward them. “Most of the women’s families have been contacted, but ask them to make sure. If they haven’t, then contact their families before interviewing them.”
“What are we interviewing them for?” Steve asked, peering around Slade to see into the room.
Jill also looked into the room and was shocked as she stared into the frightened eyes of some of the women, some who had eyes like hers. “Who are those women?” Jill’s eyes shot back to the women and then down the hall as Jared and Duncan disappeared into a room, only to return ushering out two men, one who claimed to be Angelina’s husband.
“They are a part of the trafficking ring,” Slade replied without further explanation, since the expression on Jill’s face said she’d worked it out already.
“But I thought we stopped that.” Jill’s eyes filled with anger.
“Unfortunately, it’s never going to stop,” Slade replied, his voice softening. “We only put a small dent in it that night.”
“So what I did was for nothing,” Jill hissed, anger clinching her stomach, making her feel sick.
“No, it stopped some of it, so I don’t think it was for nothing, Jill,” Steve added, touching her arm as he passed her.
“Well, it needs to stop,” she replied, before spotting Angelina. “And I’m going to do everything in my power to see no more women suffer at the hands of men like this.” She went to push past Slade, but he stopped her.
“What you did that night was not nothing, Jill,” Slade reassured, still holding onto her arm. “Never doubt what you did.”
The skin on her arm where he touched tingled, feeling nothing like when Steve touched her or anyone else for that matter. “It’s hard not to doubt when I see this.” She turned her head toward the women. “Why do people do this to other people?”
“Greed.” Slade’s voice was strong, his eyes seeing through her like no other.
Jill frowned with a shiver. “I remember how some of those men looked at me and greed had nothing to do with it.”
“You were safe.” Slade’s tone took on a protective, hard edge as he pulled her closer. “No one would have hurt you.”
Jill felt herself leaning toward him, everything around her disappearing. She was so drawn to this man, and even though he was sexy as sin, she knew it wasn’t that or at least not all of it anyway. She never was a visual type of girl going crazy over the cutest guy in school, one who her friends always went nuts over. No, it was something else entirely, and she felt it deeply, so deep it scared her.
“Some of the families are down on the street waiting,” Damon informed them as he came up behind Jill.
Slade dropped Jill’s arm like she was diseased, taking a step back. “Find out who has been interviewed and let them go to their families, unless they’ve been turned. In that case, they are either going with us or to another Warrior compound in the area,” Slade ordered her, his protectiveness turned to bossiness. “Make sure we have their contact information.”
“Yes, sir.” Sarcasm dripped from her voice. “Anything else, sir?”
Warning her with his eyes and a frown, he shook his head. “That’s enough, for now.”
Jill nodded without the sneer she wanted to shoot his way. Turning around, she headed into the room, wanting to kick her own ass for acting like a girl. This gooey, stomach tingling bullshit she felt whenever he was around needed to go away. Stopping, she turned to glance his way as he stood talking to Damon. Maybe she should just show up in his room…naked, screw his brains out and then leave. That should cure her of these stupid feelings. Her eyes traveled his body. Yeah, like that would happen. Plus, it wasn’t her style. She wasn’t a hoe, never been a hoe and wasn’t about to start being a hoe. She’d probably make an ass out of herself anyway. He was probably used to hoes who knew what the hell they were doing. Her eyes traveled to his face just as he slowly turned his head; their eyes met and the heat coming from his made her wonder if he knew exactly what she had been thinking. She turned and ran smack into Steve.
“What the hell are you doing?” Steve frowned at her, handing her a pad of paper and pen. “Come on, man. These women want to get out of here and to their families they haven’t seen in months.”
Jill felt her face flush and cursed herself again for thinking about screwing the hot-ass vampire behind her rather than helping these poor women. Mad at herself, she jerked the paper and pen out of his hand. Spotting Angelina sitting with another woman, she headed her way.
“Angelina?” Jill knelt down in front of her, and when Angelina looked over, Jill frowned. “Are you okay?”
Angelina gave her a sad smile. “I’m okay, but Anne is having a lot of pain.”
Jill looked over at Anne, knowing without even having to ask, she had just been turned. “Are you having stomach cramps that feel like your insides are on fire?”