Slade (The Protectors #6)(31)

Aiming, she looked around the area with the scope and spotted Dillon on the other side of the woods hidden and waiting with his gun aimed. The Warriors dodged in and out of the woods getting closer and closer to the building. Seeing green splatter on Damon’s leg, she knew Steve was in the building. Where in the hell were Adam and Slade? Jax was the first she had a clear shot of and her hands began to shake. She had him and could make the kill shot, but did she have the balls. Her father’s words came back to her as if he was with her teaching her how to shoot. “It’s you or them, Jilly.” Her father’s words repeated over and over again in her mind.

Moving her shoulder, she wiped the sweat from her temple. Taking aim again, she pulled the trigger. Pink exploded on the back of Jax’s head. Jill’s stomach heaved as she pulled back behind the trunk of the tree. Damn, that was going to suck for her. Now Jax would hate her even more and she actually didn’t feel the satisfaction that she thought she’d feel.

“Where the f*ck did that come from?” She heard Damon yell above Jax’s cursing.

Jill peeked around the other side of the tree, praying Steve made a run for it out the back of the building. Seeing him take off toward the woods, she turned to aim to give him cover and freaked when every Warrior other than Jax had their guns pointed toward her tree. “Ah, shit!” She took cover again, squeezing her eyes shut as black paint splattered all around her. Keeping against the tree she climbed higher, then stopped and took aim hitting Damon and Sid, but not in the head. Another volley of paintballs rained around her, one getting her in the leg, the other in the side. “Dammit, that hurts,” she hissed. God, she hated pain and those damn paintballs pinging against her body was almost unbearable. Yeah, she and pain did not mix.

Dillon started shooting from his spot, drawing their attention his way. Jill took that opportunity, climbing and jumping down, but soon the paintballs were flying hitting her everywhere, except the head. She just tucked her head and ran…smack into Slade. Falling onto her ass, her gun bouncing out of her grip, she rolled to try to grab it, but he kicked it away.

“Stand up.” He aimed his gun at her, no emotion on his face.

Slowly, she stood, her brain working overtime. If he shot her in the head now, it was going to hurt like hell this close. Not liking her back exposed, she sidestepped so the tree was behind her.

He cocked his eyebrow. “Nice move.”

“Thanks,” she replied, and then shot her hand up quickly trying to knock the gun out of his hand, but it didn’t budge. She frowned and tried again.

“Not happening.” Slade shook his head at her like she was a naughty child.

“Then go ahead and shoot.” Jill even plunged her head forward. “Get the kill shot.”

Without moving her eyes, she could see Adam sneaking up on Slade; she didn’t want to give her teammate away. Just as Adam aimed, Slade turned, shooting Adam right between the eyes, knocking him on his back before swinging the gun toward Jill whose eyes were wide with shock. “Holy hell.” She looked around Slade to see Adam picking himself up, holding his head.

“Fuck, that hurt.” Adam stumbled sideways before sitting down on the ground.

“You still want me to take that kill shot?” Slade asked, watching her closely, a grin playing at the corner of his mouth.

Jill gulped, deciding if acting like a badass was worth it. Looking at Adam again holding his head, she decided that no, it wasn’t. She hated pain; pain sucked and getting shot in the head close range was going to hurt like hell. Suddenly, the horn echoed throughout the area ending their practice, giving new meaning to ‘saved by the bell’.

Walking over, she picked up her gun. Dillon and Steve headed over, followed by the Warriors. Dillon had been hit by a kill shot, black paint splattered his face. Sloan looked Jill over.

“No kill shot?” Sloan looked at Slade.

“No,” Slade replied, his eyes leaving Jill to land on Sloan. “Close range.”

“Didn’t seem to stop you with Adam.” Sloan frowned as Adam still weaved a little.

“It was me or him, and I picked me.” Slade’s tone didn’t change.

“She’s not going to learn anything by being treated differently.” Sloan frowned. “You had a shot and didn’t take it, why?”

Jill watched from a distance where she picked up her gun. Slade didn’t even look her way.

“She was apprehended. No threat.” Slade’s tone did change this time.

“And that wasn’t the exercise.” Sloan sighed and shook his head, then looked at Jill. He raised his gun.

Jill was looking at Slade when she heard the pop of a gun, next everything went pitch black as pain exploded in her head.

Chapter 10

Slade watched Jill go down. Every instinct he possessed urged him to go to her, but Sloan was watching his every move. His decision at that moment decided Jill’s fate in the program. Sloan warned them both to keep it professional, and well, he sure as hell f*cked that up, and just a few short hours ago.

“Jesus, Sloan.” Sid ran over to Jill who was just now moving. “What the f*ck?”

“What happened?” Jill’s voice was faint and confused.

“You got shot,” Sid answered her.

“But the horn blew,” Jill griped. “Who the hell shot me?”