[06] Slade (6 page)

“Jill is an asset to the VC Warriors,” Slade’s voice rolled over her emotions, almost doing her in. “And if you don’t like it, I release you from assisting me in their preparations for their initiation. I’m sure Sloan has other duties you can do. Either drop it or get out.”

Jax leaned back, looking at each of them, and then shrugged. “It’s your funeral.” He looked at Steve and Adam before turning his attention to Slade. “And your early retirement.”

“I said to fucking drop it,” Slade growled, taking a step toward Jax. Jax held up his hands as if surrendering. Slade glared at him for a second longer before grabbing the clipboard. “You guys go ahead and wait outside. We’ll get your scores and then head back to the compound. Sloan texted me earlier and has a job that needs doing.”

Jill nodded before looking at Jax, who was leaning against the wall, staring at her. “What?” Her tone wasn’t pleasant.

“Nothing really.” Jax’s half-grin didn’t fool her.

Before anyone else could say a word, a woman’s robotic voice came from Steve’s phone, “This is what I found on the web for ‘Do ants have balls’.”

“Ah shit.” Steve looked down at his phone. “I must have hit something to make it go off again.”

Jax’s mocking laugh grated on Jill’s last nerve. Without thinking, she flung her hand toward Steve and to everyone’s astonishment, his phone was pulled away from his hand and flung into Jill’s hand. Hitting the button for Siri, she brought the phone to her mouth. “Male chauvinistic pig.”

“What the hell?” Steve stared at his hand to Jill holding his phone. “How the hell did you do that?”

As soon as Siri answered, Jill looked down at the phone with a smirk, and then tossed Steve’s phone to Jax before walking out of the room, slamming the door behind her. She knew she would pay for that little stunt, but she didn’t care. What she really wanted to do was tell him to fuck off, but Jax was a scary guy and she wasn’t quite that brave or stupid.

Heading out of the shooting range, she walked back to the compound, which was only a few blocks away. She didn’t want to answer questions about what she had just done with Steve’s phone, because she really didn’t know how she did it, just knew she could. She had been practicing a lot, and one night in her room, she managed to move a cup across her small desk to her open hand. With more practice, she discovered not only could she move things with her hands, but pull objects toward her. It was pretty cool. She was sure Jax found it lame, but she didn’t really care. Okay, that was a lie. She did care what the asshole thought. She had always been a pleaser and hated, absolutely hated when someone was upset with her or didn’t like her. It sucked, but it was what it was.

Checking her pockets as she ran up the compound steps, she frowned. Dammit, she forgot her keys again. She was hoping to go to her room without being seen so she could get her mind right before seeing Sloan and the rest of the Warriors. Hitting the buzzer, she looked around, wondering what Slade had thought about her taking Steve’s phone like that. She released a frustrated breath; there she went again, wondering what others thought. She needed to get over that and not care. It was a cool power to have and she was perfecting it; that was all that should matter. Not what the hot doc thought.

“Jill?” Tessa’s voice came over the intercom.

Stepping fully into view of the camera, Jill smiled and waved. “It’s me. Forgot my keys again.”

The door opened and Jill walked in to see Tessa heading back to the game room in a hurry, motioning for her to come. “Hurry up,” Tessa called out over her shoulder.

“What’s going on?” Jill hurried across the entryway then stopped at the doorway. Sitting in front of the big screen television were Nicole, Lana, Pam, Angelina and Tessa plopping down on the couch.

“Okay, Lana, hit it.” Tessa settled in with a big smile.

Jill looked at the television as Russell Crowe’s face and buff bod dressed as a gladiator entered an arena. “You have got to be kidding me.”

“Angela and Lana have never seen it,” Tessa grinned.

“Do the guys know you’re watching it?” Jill walked further into the room, leaning against the couch, her eyes glued to the television, putting the Warriors in place of the actors. It was kind of surreal.

“Hell, no,” Nicole grinned with a snort. “I could hear them now…”

“Yeah,” Tessa laughed. “Russell Crowe’s a pussy,” she deepened her voice to mock Jared.

Jill felt the presence of the Warriors as soon as they walked into the room. Glancing over her shoulder, Damon, Jared, Duncan and Sid wore matching frowns.

“He
is
a pussy,” Jared’s deep voice boomed throughout the room.

Tessa screamed, trying to control the remote she bobbled as she attempted to turn the television off. All the women had turned with the ‘oh, shit, busted’ look on their faces. Jill sidestepped, making room as the Warriors headed toward the women. As shitty as her day had been, it might as well end on a bad note, even though she really wasn’t part of the
Gladiator
party the women were throwing.

“What the hell are you watching?” Sid frowned at the still image of Russell Crowe dressed in gladiator garb in the middle of an arena.

“Ah, well, we….” Tessa began until Sid’s eyes flashed to her.

Nicole stood in front of the television as if trying to hide the frozen screen. “We are watching a movie,” Nicole finished for Tessa before moving toward Damon. “Same thing we usually do when you guys go out on a job. Calms our nerves.” She reached Damon, putting her arms around his neck.

Damon smiled down at her, placing a kiss on her lips. “What movie are we watching?” His deep voice was low, but radiated throughout the room.

“Oh, that doesn’t matter now.” Nicole winked up at him. “Now that you are home, I’m not in the mood to watch a movie.”

Jill watched Nicole flirt with Damon in awe. It actually looked like it was working. His attention had turned fully to her. Damn, she was good. Tessa, Lana and Pam all stood, heading toward their men in hopes of turning their attention away. It seemed to work until Steve and Adam walked into the room.

“
Gladiators
!” Steve grinned with a nod. “That’s a kickass movie.”

“Steve!” Every woman except Jill yelled, making Steve jump.

“What?” He actually looked nervous under their angry glares.

“
Gladiators
?” Sid frowned at the frozen television screen, then turned to Lana. “Are you kidding me? What the hell are you watching that for?”

Jared grasped Tessa’s hand, taking the remote she still had in her death grip. Re-clicking the pause button, the movie began to play. A lot of grumbling came from the Warriors as they watched the gladiators in the arena.

“Look how he’s holding that sword,” Duncan snorted, shaking his head, his arms tight around Pam as she stood in front of him.

“Those guys would be pissing themselves if they ever found themselves in a real arena.” Jared’s voice was full of disgust, but his golden eyes stayed on the screen watching the scene unfold.

Jill glanced around at each Warrior who somehow had their hands on their mates. Even Adam had Angelina wrapped up in his embrace. She and Steve were the only ones without any physical contact. Steve wasn’t a bad guy, goofy, but not a bad guy. He was nice looking, in a ‘boy next door’ kind of way. Frowning, Jill wondered where in the hell those thoughts came from. Loneliness? Yeah, definitely loneliness because Steve was so not her type. It was pretty bad if she was even looking toward Steve as a…mate. Holy shit, she was losing it. She had to get the hell out of there before she grabbed Steve like the lonely loser she was.

Turning quickly, she took one step, running into a brick wall named Slade. Her face actually smashed against his chest. “Ouch!” Looking up at him, she lifted her hand to her nose. “Sorry, didn’t know you were there.”

“I know.” His deep gravelly voice did that thing to her where she felt hot all over, like a fire from the inside out heating her skin. His golden eyes searched hers before looking over her head then back to her with his eyebrow cocked. “
Gladiators
?”

“Hey, for once I’m innocent,” Jill grinned, hearing the Warriors moan and groan at the acting in the movie. “I just got here. They did this all on their own.”

“Got the popcorn!” Caroline walked into the room with a large bowl, then frowned. “Hey! You started the movie without me.”

“Not a huge loss.” Sid rolled his eyes at the television, and then grabbed toward the popcorn, but Caroline pulled it away.

“Go make your own,” Caroline growled at him. “This is for my girls.”

Jared grabbed from the other side of the bowl getting a handful. “Yeah, Sid, go make your own.”

Jill watched the play between the Warriors and the women, the loneliness seeping more deeply into her gut. Her eyes caught Jax who leaned against the wall, his eyes were on Caroline, doing the elevator routine, moving up and down her body, and by the look on his face, he really liked what he saw. Slowly, his eyes moved toward her as they narrowed and his lip turned up in a sneer. That look would scare most people and should scare the shit out of her, but she had just witnessed a more human side to Jax when he watched Caroline and was in awe. A small grin played on her lips, her eyes meeting his in a knowing stare.

“Please tell me my Warriors are not watching what I think you’re watching,” Sloan’s voice boomed over the talk and loud television set. He walked closer and the closer he got, the more disbelief came over his face. “What in the fuck is wrong with you?” His eyes glared at each of them.

“You want an individual list or will just one generalized…” When Sloan’s eyes shot to Sid, Sid nodded. “Shutting the fuck up.”

“Shush!” Caroline turned toward the television with a frown.

“Did that woman just shush me?” Sloan’s eyes turned black.

“What’s up, boss?” Damon as well as the other Warriors blocked Sloan’s view of the television and the women.

Jill glanced over at the women, happy to see they were involved in the movie once again. Talk about balls… Caroline shushing Sloan demonstrated either a large set or just plain stupidity. After looking at each Warrior with his pissed-off glare, his eyes focused on her and she had a feeling things were about to get real.

“One of our informants contacted me last night.” Sloan glanced around to make sure the women were still occupied with the movie. “We may have just hit the jackpot on gaining valuable information from the Mayor’s right-hand man.”

“Let’s go.” Sid rubbed his hands together. “The quicker we stop the roundup of half-breeds, the quicker Duncan can relax.”

“I’m relaxed,” Duncan replied. “No one will touch her.” He looked toward Pam and the power of possessiveness in his stare let everyone know he meant exactly what he said. No one would touch Pam or their child.

“This is where it gets tricky.” Sloan’s eyes found Jill again. “This is going to fall on you, Jill. Are you up to it?”

“If she’s not, I’ll do it,” Steve jumped in, his eyes and tone eager. “I’m ready to go with this stuff.”

Sloan cocked an eyebrow at him. “You ready to strip in front of horny men?”

“What?” Steve’s eyes popped open, his excitement dimming.

“What?” Slade growled, eyes narrowed, his attitude turning dangerous.

“Excuse me?” Jill’s eyes found everyone looking at her; her dreams of becoming a Warrior vanished in front of her eyes.

Sloan ignored Steve and Slade, looking directly at Jill with no humor whatsoever in his gaze. “It seems the Mayor’s right-hand man has a thing for the ladies at the Master’s Gentlemen’s Club.”

“What does that have to do with me?” Jill frowned, breaking out in a cold sweat; she knew she had just asked a very stupid question, one she already knew the answer to.

“We need you on the inside,” Sloan replied, ignoring Slade shaking his head. “The informant has overheard this man on several occasions bragging to the women about things I’m sure the piece-of-shit Mayor would not be happy about. I want to know everything, and you’re the one who can find out.”

“What exactly will I be doing?” Jill asked after taking a deep, calming breath.

Sloan was quiet for a second before answering, never once breaking eye contact with her. “This is a gentlemen’s club, Jill.” He seemed to sense Slade’s barging in and pointed straight at him. “It is her choice,” he warned.

“She’s not even close to being ready for something like this,” Slade’s voice was loud and angry.

“Then she doesn’t belong here,” said Jax, who along with the rest of the Warriors, had been silent up until that point.

“You, shut the fuck up before I shut you up.” Slade pointed at Jax, taking one step toward him.

“Both of you shut the fuck up,” Sloan warned before pulling out his phone. “I have video of the club. You won’t be alone. A Warrior will have you in sight at all times.” He messed with his phone before handing it to her.