Slade (The Protectors #6)(36)

“Jill.” The concern in his voice snapped her out of it. “Are you okay?”

Nodding, she looked away. “Yeah,” she answered, but her mind screamed NO as she walked up to the counter, handing her papers to the pretty blonde with light blue eyes her papers. Jill knew the woman’s smile and fluttery fake eyelashes weren’t for her, but for Slade. The woman asked her a few questions, her voice low and sexy. Jill wanted nothing more than to reach over and smack the woman, but that wasn’t fair. It wasn’t her fault she was beautiful and knew how to act like a woman in front of a man like Slade. Jill might as well spit and grab her junk as much as she considered how she looked in front of Slade. Would it even make a difference? Glancing down at her paint-covered, and dirty t-shirt, what little breast that filled out the t-shirt and ripped jeans, Jill knew the answer to that question. She was a hot mess.

“Ma’am,” the woman was saying.

Jill almost looked behind her to see who she was talking to. Ma’am? “Hmm?” Jill said, snapping out of her thoughts.

“If you go to the chair with the blue curtain, I’ll take your picture.” She gave Jill a sad little smile.

Ignoring what that smile might mean, Jill frowned. “Don’t I have to pay something?” What the f*ck happened, did she black the hell out?

“The gentleman took care of it.” She nodded to Slade, the sexiness back in her voice.

Looking over at Slade, who was watching her closely as he put his wallet back in his pocket, Jill grabbed her stuff without taking her eyes off Slade. “How much was it, Slade?” Jill reached into her pocket, pulling out a small wad of bills. “I was going to pay.”

“Put your money away. The Council pays.” Slade moved toward the chair where the woman waited behind a camera.

“Oh, you carry the Council’s wallet?” Jill frowned as she passed him to flop into the metal chair. When the woman told her to smile, Jill wanted to punch her. Instead, she just tilted her head giving her a ‘take the f*cking picture’ look and the woman did…quickly.

“It will be just a few minutes,” the woman stated, not to Jill, but Slade.

When Jill snorted and walked away, Slade thanked the woman and followed Jill, who was leaning up against the wall. She had her head tilted back and eyes closed.

“I think you might have a concussion.” Slade’s voice washed over her tired body.

“Nah, just tired.” Jill still didn’t open her eyes. “Need sleep.”

“Jill about before…” Slade sighed.

Now, that popped Jill’s eyes wide open. Was he seriously going to do this here? Break it to her in the damn DMV that…that…oh, hell, no!

“If you are talking about me shooting you in the ass, then talk away, but if you are talking about anything else, I don’t want to hear it.” The look on his face indicated that it wasn’t her shooting him in the ass that he had been referring to. Jill’s eyes narrowed at him as the woman called her name. Snapping her mouth shut, she marched over to get her temporary license.

The woman was staring at Slade, not her, with a longing Jill totally understood. Welcome to my world, she wanted to shout at the woman, but didn’t. Instead, she leaned over whispering to the woman who smiled so brightly Jill almost squinted. The woman hurriedly wrote something down on a small piece of paper, handing it to Jill. Turning, Jill marched back to Slade. Before he could tell her it just wouldn’t work out with them, she’d give him an out.

“There is nothing about before that we need to talk about.” She slapped him in the chest with the money she still held in her hand along with the woman’s phone number, and then gave him a push, which didn’t budge him an inch. “I’ll make it easy for you.” Without another word, she slammed out the door.

She didn’t look back, because if she had, she would have been terrified at the look on Slade’s face.

Chapter 11

Jax walked up to Caroline’s house, or actually her parents’ house, and rang the doorbell. He could hear people talking, and then the door opened.

“What are you doing here?” Sid looked behind Jax. “Has something happened?” He grabbed his phone out of his back pocket, checking his messages.

“I’m picking up Caroline,” Jax responded, wondering how this conversation was going to go.

“Why?” Sid frowned, putting his phone back in his pocket.

“Are you her father?” Jax’s smartass question was met with narrowed eyes.

“No, but her father will ask the same damn question,” Sid shot back.

“Can you tell her I’m here?” Jax really didn’t want to have an argument with Sid, so he decided to play nice.

“I probably would if she was here.” Sid stepped aside. “Come on in.”

Jax walked through the door into the house. Lana spotted him. “Hi Jax.” She walked up, looking from him to Sid. “Has something happened?”

Before Jax could answer, Sid stepped in. “No, he’s here to pick up Caroline.”

“Why?” Lana frowned, looking almost identical to Sid. It was actually scary.

“I’m taking her out to dinner.” Jax absolutely hated to answer to anyone, but he figured this was her sister. Actually, he was kind of surprised Caroline hadn’t said anything.