Slade (The Protectors #6)(2)
“Ah ha!” Adam shouted, pointing the ignition coil in her face. “I knew it. I told you to stay away from my car. You don’t have a license, which is a favor to mankind since you can’t drive worth a damn.”
“You don’t have a license?” Slade walked closer, watching the exchange, his eyes focusing intently on Jill.
“No, she doesn’t,” Adam answered for her. “And that is one of the big reasons she is to stay away from my car.”
Slade watched embarrassment color her cheeks and he knew exactly the reason why she didn’t have her driver’s license. She couldn’t pass the test because of her dyslexia. “Come on.” Their eyes met before he turned to walk away.
“Where we going?” Jill caught up to him, stopping when they reached his bike.
Swinging his leg over his bike, he sat staring straight ahead with a fierce scowl, wondering when the hell he became so f*cking nice. “To get a study book for your driving test and then wherever you needed to go in a stolen car.”
“I’ve got one.” She looked away, shifting uncomfortably. “And I can do what I needed to do another day. It’s no big deal.”
Slade knew she was lying. She was determined to go somewhere. He was the biggest dumbass in the history of dumbasses to want to know where she was going. Jesus, he needed to f*ck someone and soon because this little slip of a girl was going to drive him insane. For a split second his mind played out him f*cking Jill, and he almost ripped the handlebars clean off his bike.
“Get on the damn bike.” His demand was sneered with clenched teeth, his eyes narrowed.
Looking as if she wanted to argue, Jill did the safe thing and climbed on the back of the bike. “Since you asked so nicely,” she responded sarcastically as she shifted herself behind him.
Her body wiggling against him caused a growl low in his throat. His eyes closed tightly in an attempt to control himself. “Where?” When she didn’t answer, Slade opened his eyes, tilting his head toward her. “Jill,” he warned, his voice indicating he was not in the mood.
“My dad had a heart attack. I need to see him.” She didn’t say anything more, but without looking at her, he knew the conflict she was feeling. He could actually feel it radiating off her.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” He started the bike, waiting for her answer.
“I just found out,” she finally replied and he felt her shrug. “Even though I know I won’t be welcomed there, I need to make sure he’s okay. I haven’t seen him since…”
She didn’t finished. She didn’t have to. He knew. She hadn’t seen her family since she’d been turned and kicked out of her home. He was the one who sat in the hospital when she had been shot, filling out her paperwork because her family refused to have anything to do with her. And for her to want to see a father, who pretty much wrote her off, told him more than anything could about who Jillian Robin Nichols really was.
Instead of finishing her sentence, she directed him which way to drive from the compound. He tried not to respond as her hands grasped him tighter to keep herself steady behind him. Trying to block her out, he let loose and pushed his bike. With the added speed, he felt her excitement behind him as if it was his own. Jesus, he was in trouble. Pulling to a stop at a red light, he felt her shift behind him as a car pulled up beside them.
“Hey, good-looking,” a woman’s voice flirted over the rumble of his bike. Slade tilted his head slightly looking at the blonde through his dark sunglasses. She was pretty, but he knew her type and didn’t have time, plus blondes suddenly didn’t appeal to him as much. With a short nod, he turned to look straight ahead.
“Why don’t you let your little brother off at the next light so you and me can grab a drink.” She smiled innocently, her friend in the driver’s seat laughing loudly.
Slade didn’t have to turn to look at Jill to feel the anger and tension trembling through her body. He continued to ignore the woman and wondered if the damn light was stuck on red. Before he could do anything, he caught a glimpse of Jill’s hand raise in his side mirror. Just as the light turned green, the woman’s head smashed into the dashboard. Jill’s snort reached his ears.
The woman’s hand flew up to her forehead, then away checking for blood. Jill laughed louder. “Seatbelts save lives, Blondie.”
Slade had slipped his sunglasses up and was glaring at Jill in the side mirror, yet he couldn’t help the curve of his lips at how quick her triumphant face turned innocent. “Been practicing?” He cocked one eyebrow.
She shrugged, trying to hide her grin. “A little.” She glanced away, then back. “The light’s green.”
With one last long look at Jill, he slipped his sunglasses back into position and took off. As they passed the blonde woman, he glimpsed at her looking in the mirror at her forehead, an expression of horror and embarrassment coloring her face. His deep laugh was drowned out by the roar of his bike speeding onto the interstate.
Within minutes, Slade was pulling behind an old blue Chevy truck. Turning off the bike, he sat waiting for Jill to make a move. When she continued to sit still as stone behind him, he removed his sunglasses, hanging them on the handlebars. His eyes met hers in the side mirror, and at that moment, he wanted nothing more than to turn and comfort her. She looked terrified of what he figured was the rejection she may suffer again at the hands of her family. Jesus, these feelings were not good. Not good for him and definitely not good for her.