Slade (The Protectors #6)(33)
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Jill was glad Dillon was back, but he was getting on her last nerve. Every few seconds, he was asking if she was okay, did she want him to carry her, on and on he went. Yeah, her head and body hurt, but she knew it would be short-lived. She was half-vampire, just like them. She would heal. She was fine and she wanted to tell him to shut the hell up.
Spotting the two men she had shot in the woods, bright pink splattered across their vests, she sidestepped and tried to avoid being seen by them as they walked by, but she wasn’t that lucky. One of their buddies spotted her.
“Is that the one who got you?” he said loudly, pointing at Jill. “Hey, girl, come here. I want to get a picture.”
Ignoring him, she continued to walk behind Steve and Adam.
“Jill, who is that?” Steve was looking at the guy coming up to them, then his friends. Seeing the pink splatter, his eyes shot to Jill. “Shit, did you shoot them? Sloan is gonna be pissed. Citizens were off limits.”
Jill mumbled, nudging at Steve, “Just go.”
“Hey! I’m talking to you.” He grabbed her arm. “I want to get a picture of you with my boys.”
Jerking her arm away from him, she turned to glare. “Get off.” He was decked out in his paintball gear with a hunter’s hat on his bushy head and a lip full of chewing tobacco.
He stumbled backward when he got a good look at her eyes. She had taken her safety glasses off after getting shot. “Holy shit, you’re a breed.” He looked at Steve, Adam and Dillon who were giving him a death stare. “You’re all breeds.”
Slade walked up, stepping between Jill and the man. “You got a problem?”
“Yeah, I do.” The man spat, looking from Jill to Slade. “They’re breeds.”
The rest of the Warriors surrounded them as Slade lifted his sunglasses off, sizing up him and his friends. “And you’re a redneck *, but we’re not making a big deal out of it.”
“Oh, hell, man.” The man held up his hands, backpedaling after seeing Slade’s golden eyes. “We don’t want no trouble.”
Slade dropped his sunglasses back in place giving them a nasty grin. “Good choice.”
“Really, man. I just wanted to get a picture with my buddies and the pretty girl there that shot them.” He smiled as if he and Slade were now buddies, but his smile disappeared when Slade took a step toward him.
“But she’s a breed,” Slade growled back the man’s word. “Isn’t that what had you all upset?”
“Ah, no…” The man laughed nervously. “It just took me by surprise is all. Didn’t want that sexy thang taking out my neck or something. I’ve heard breeds are unpredictable….ya know?”
“No, I don’t know.” Slade’s growl turned menacing.
Sid stepped in, waving his two fingers to the guy. “Come here.” As the man took a few hesitant steps, Sid grabbed him, putting his arm around his shoulders like they were the best of friends. “Listen, Cooter.”
“My name’s Buck.” The man gave Sid a sideways glance, not sure what was about to happen.
“You don’t say,” Sid grinned. “Well, listen….Buck. I suggest you and your boys go on about your business before you get an asswhoopin’ you’ll never forget.”
The man nodded then hurried toward his friends when Sid let him go. Jill really didn’t want to look at any of the Warriors, but her eyes went to Sloan because he was the one glaring at her. She started walking ahead knowing he was coming up beside her.
“So, Jill.” Sloan moved up beside her as they headed into the parking lot. “Did you not hear the part where I said all citizens were off limits?”
Jill grimaced, trying to think up something intelligent to say, but Sloan made her nervous, really nervous. “I got excited,” came out of her mouth; well, at least it was the truth. “Sorry.”
“And is there a reason you shot Slade in the ass before time started?” Sloan grilled her more.
Jill’s grin was filled with evil glee; now that was worth it. She glanced at Slade, who was giving her a ‘payback’s a bitch’ look, then to Sloan, wiping the grin off her face. “I slipped.”
He actually laughed at that, shaking his head, but then his face turned serious as if he had never laughed at all. “Next time you…slip, or get excited and shoot civilians, you will get written up.”
Jill cleared her throat with a nod. “Yes, sir.”
Sloan glanced at her sideways as he walked beside her, his silence made her nervous. “You take your driving test yet?”
“No, I was….”
Before she could finish, Sloan broke in, looking at his watch. “You have plenty of time to do it today,” he ordered, heading toward his bike. “I want it done. I’ll make a call so you don’t have to wait the required time to do the driver’s test, but I want that written test done today.”
“Yes, sir.” Jill frowned, and after Sloan started his bike, she cursed, “Dammit.”
“Come on.” Adam heard the whole conversation. “We’ll stop there first.”
Waiting for Adam to unlock the doors, Jill tried not to watch as Slade rode past on his bike, but her eyes, damn them, had a mind of their own and went to him like a magnet. As if that wasn’t bad enough when he rode past, his head slowly turned, and even though his sunglasses hid his eyes, she felt the heat of his stare burn through her body. Quickly, she looked away, climbing into Adam’s car.