A Warrior Wedding (2 page)

“Don’t order my men around, motherfucker. If you Warriors don’t stop aiming those fucking guns at me, you will be getting them surgically removed from your goddamn asses!” The Sloan by the doorway growled loud enough that Jill swore the room shook.

The Warriors, without moving an inch, looked at each other for a split second before all guns were turned and aimed toward the Sloan behind the desk. That was when all hell broke loose. Jill was pushed back when the Warriors, as one, took the Sloan doppelganger to the ground.

“You going to fucking do something?” The impersonator shouted.

Jill watched Jax slowly move away, his eyes meeting hers briefly. “Let him go.” Jax’s voice was smooth and calm.

Jared and Sid jerked the man up to a standing position, holding him tight, and Jill gasped. The man no longer looked like Sloan. His black hair hung in his eyes shielding them from view, but his massive frame loomed over Jared and Sid. He shook his head, finally revealing golden eyes framed by long black lashes. His fine muscled arms were sleeved with the most beautiful tattoos Jill had ever seen. She loved tats, but was too chicken to get one herself because pain sucked. Yeah, shock made her think of dumb shit.

When Jared and Sid didn’t let go, the man growled loudly and shook them off. Sid re-pulled his gun aiming at the man’s head.

“If someone doesn’t start explaining, I’m going to unload in two seconds.” Sid’s voice was not the easy-going tone he usually expressed.

The man turned to Sid, bending slightly so the barrel pressed against his forehead. “Pull the trigger. I dare you.”

“Good thing you didn’t double dog dare him.” Jared sneered. Everyone in the room became even more tense, if that were possible. “I’d hate to have my favorite shirt splattered with your brain matter, dumbass.”

Sid’s eyes darkened as he pushed the gun harder, making the man’s head move slightly as he leaned closer. “Any last words.”

“Yeah.” The man also leaned into the gun. “You’re a pussy. Pull the trigger.”

Sloan reacted by knocking the gun away before landing a punch to the man’s face, then picked him up by the throat shoving him against the wall. “You have exactly one second to tell me who the fuck you are and why you shifted to look like me, which I never want to happen again or I will take your life with no questions asked.”

The man cocked his eyebrow before hissing as Sloan’s hand tightened painfully around his throat.

“I brought him in,” Jax spoke up, still looking at ease and not at all put out by the situation that had everyone else on edge. “Blaze is not only an ex-Warrior, but a highly intelligent shifter.”

“I wouldn’t say he’s too intelligent in the position he’s in now.” Steve snorted then stepped way back when Blaze’s eyes narrowed on him.

“You going to let go of my throat?” His raspy voice from short air supply echoed in the room. Everyone waited to see what Sloan would do.

A rare sinister smile formed on Sloan’s lips. “Not until you agree to never impersonate me or any of my men.” Sloan’s grin left his face quickly as his lip tilted into a snarl. Blaze struggled, but Sloan, even though just a bit smaller than the man, didn’t lose his grip. “And even then I’ll think about it.”

“It was his brilliant idea,” Blaze hissed out, his eyes betraying Jax.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Sloan pushed away from the man, letting his death grip go before turning on Jax. “Explain,” he demanded, walking around his desk, everyone giving him plenty of space. Jill tripped over her own feet backing out of Sloan’s way. She had never seen him so pissed.

Jax didn’t seem the least bit upset that Blaze ratted him out. “I wanted to prove to everyone how easy it is for someone to shift and impersonate any one of you. Until now, I don’t think you guys totally understood. Now you do.”

“He didn’t shimmer,” Jill pointed out. “Don’t they usually shimmer before they shift?”

Blaze snorted, but his eyes pinned her to the spot. “I don’t shimmer.” His words were hard and deep.

“And that’s exactly why I brought him in,” Jax replied. “My brother is up to something and honestly, we need more help finding him. Blaze is the best and is an ex-Warrior. He knows a lot of people in both the vampire and shifter circles. We need him and he agreed to help.”

“Ex-Warrior?” Steve glanced at the large man whose head swiveled toward him. “You get kicked out or something?”

At first it didn’t look like Blaze was going to answer, but a humorless grin curved his lips. “Or something.” His eyes went to Adam and then Jill. “So when did the VC Warriors start letting boys and women join the ranks?”

Adam didn’t say a word, but the tick in his jaw indicated he heard loud and clear. Jill on the other hand took offense, as usual. “With a name like Blaze, I’m surprised you don’t shimmer.” She rolled her eyes. “Seriously, who names their kid Blaze? You got a brother named Inferno?”

Sid and Jared smiled proudly, looking as if they were going to pat Jill on the head knowing they had taught her well in the art of being a smartass. Blaze, on the other hand, didn’t smile at all, but his eyes took on a funny swirly motion as he glared at Jill.

“Little girl, you best be careful and learn some manners before speaking of things you know nothing about.” Blaze’s lip tilted in a sinister grin as his eyes continued to swirl.

Jill became lost in his crazy gaze and couldn’t pull her eyes away. A burning heat started in the pit of her stomach inching along her spine, through her body slowly, until it reached her neck. She swayed and heard her name, but couldn’t open her mouth to respond. The edges of her sight started to darken as if looking through a pin hole into this man’s wicked gaze. In a final whoosh, her vision went black, while the heat in her body intensified, and that was all she knew.

CHAPTER 3

“Jill!” Slade’s voice sounded far away. Jill did everything she could to claw her way to him, but the darkness kept a tight hold over her. “Jill, wake up, dammit.” Why did Slade sound so pissed. Was he mad at her?

Fighting hard to break out of the darkness that gripped her, Jill pried her eyes open to slits, but moaned at the brightness. “I’m up,” she croaked, licking her dry lips. “Stop yelling at me. I’m up.”

She felt Slade’s large hand as it rested against her forehead while he pried one eyelid open.

“What are you doing?” She weakly pushed his hand away.

“Hold still.” Slade’s voice was stern with a hint of worry, and that was when it all came back to her in a flash.

This time, she succeeded in pushing his hand away as she sat up a little too quickly. Everything inside her revolted at the movement and she dry-heaved herself right off the table. If not for Slade, she would have landed face first on the floor.

“Find out what that son of a bitch did to her,” Slade ordered someone in the room. She heard the door slam and realized she was in Slade’s office.

Getting her stomach under control, Jill opened her eyes, letting Slade help her up and back onto the table. “I’m okay.”

“No, she’s not,” Steve answered from behind her.

“Shut up, Steve.” Jill turned toward him, giving him a warning glare. “I said I’m fine.”

Before Steve could reply, the door opened and in came Blaze along with Sloan, Jax and Sid. In a split second, claustrophobia set in with the huge Warriors in Slade’s small office all staring at her.

“What did you do to her?” Slade kept one hand on Jill’s leg to keep her steady as he pushed his face toward Blaze’s.

Blaze didn’t lean back, but his eyes did shoot to Jill’s before looking back at Slade. “What I did should not have had that effect on her.”

“I asked you a question, not your opinion.” Slade’s voice turned deadly.

“Slade, I’m fine.” Jill grabbed onto his hand that tightened on her leg.

“And I repeat, no, she’s not,” Steve added, ignoring Jill’s death glare.

Slade glanced at her for a split second, his eyes searching hers. “Why do you say that, Steve?”

Jill sighed, rolling her eyes, ready to open her mouth, but Steve beat her to it.

“She’s been getting sick. She can’t hold down blood and—”

“I probably have a virus or something.” Jill felt every eye on her as she interrupted blabber mouth. She hated attention directed toward her. It made her more nauseous than she already was, and then she heard a plastic bag rattle. Her heart sunk as her stomach rose to the back of her throat.

Steve reached into the plastic bag. “So tell me, Doc, do women with viruses usually get pregnancy tests? It took us ten minutes to wake her up once we got here today, and she looks like shit.” He looked at Jill, raising an eyebrow. “Well, you do.”

“You’re an asshole,” Jill sneered at Steve.

“Yeah, well, I’m more afraid of him”—he nodded at Slade—“than I am of you. He needed to know and I have diarrhea of the mouth when I’m afraid of something, as you well know. And that big bastard scares the hell out of me. Oh, and just to make sure everyone in this room knows if she is pregnant, I had absolutely nothing to do with it.”

Slade took the pregnancy test from Steve, looking at it then to Jill without saying a word. The room went deathly quiet.

“Annnnd, on that note,”—Sid edged toward the door—“we’re out. You need us for anything, Slade, just....” The door shut muffling anything else Sid had to say as everyone emptied out of the room as if it were on fire. Even Sloan exited the room without a word spoken.

Jill’s eyes rose to look at Slade, who was staring at the pregnancy test in his large hand. “Listen, I know I’m not—”

“Why didn’t you tell me you were sick?” Slade’s tone was flat, neither angry nor...actually, it was just flat, no emotion whatsoever, and she didn’t like it.

“I really didn’t think it was anything and it probably isn’t,” Jill began, but could tell he didn’t believe her. She started to fidget on the table when he remained silent. “And...I didn’t want to bother you.” She finally admitted the real reason she hadn’t told him.

“I’m not like your family, Jill.” Finally Slade’s voice held some emotion, angry emotion, but it was emotion.

“I know that,” she replied, no longer sure she believed her words. Why hadn’t she told him right away she was sick? Had she been afraid he would toss her aside because she was being a pain in the ass? She knew that was exactly the problem and by the look on Slade’s face, he knew it too.

“Do you truly believe you’re pregnant?” Slade pointed the test at her. “Because if you are pregnant, there is a dead man walking out there who I need to find.”

Warmth flushed her body at his words and she shook her head. “I haven’t been with anyone but you,” she whispered.

“Then you’re not pregnant.” Slade tossed the test in the garbage can. “I want to know everything, and I mean
everything
, from the beginning till tonight. If you leave anything out, I will bust your ass. You hear me?” He growled the question at her.

“Yes, I hear you.” Jill nodded. Usually, she would be a little more of a smartass when answering to his attitude, but she just wasn’t up to it. She was ready to find out what in the hell was wrong with her and since Steve, the narc, told on her, she was ready to let it all out.

“Are you okay?” Slade walked up to stand in front of her, his large hand feeling her forehead, then running down her neck, feeling the pulse in her throat.

She nodded, leaning into his hand. “I’m fi...” She started to say, but his narrowed eyes told her he knew she was about to lie. “I’m feeling a little weak.”

“Do you need to feed?” The concern in his voice was palpable.

“I don’t know.” She shrugged one shoulder. “I just fed from you, but I couldn’t keep it down and while real food stays down, it makes me so nauseous that I’d rather go without.”

He tilted her face up to his. “You need to feed.” It was a demand, not a suggestion.

“I can’t keep taking your blood and then vomiting it up.” Jill responded with a frown. “It’s too good to waste.”

A small grin tipped his lips, but didn’t reach his eyes as he turned away from her, looking through a few drawers in the metal cabinets behind him. “I need to take some blood.”

Jill wrapped her arms around her waist with a sour grimace. “How much do you have to take?”

“Three vials.” He turned toward her, his hands filled with everything he needed. He set everything down behind her. Putting his hands on each side of her legs, Slade caged her on the table and leaned in close. “You never look like that when my teeth are sinking into your sweet, soft neck. This is the same thing.”

Jill stared up at him. “It’s so not the same thing, Slade.” She actually blushed. He was the only person who could make her blush.

His sexy lips tilted in a smile as he winked at her. His mouth took hers hard. His hands remained on the table, but hers clutched him to her as if he were her lifeline.

All too soon his lips left hers leaving her breathless.

“You ready?” His dark eyes stared down at her.

“No,” she replied, but nodded.

“I love you.” His deep voice washed over her and still he didn’t move, but stared steadily at her with his intense gaze. “I will not let anything happen to you.”

Swallowing hard, she nodded again. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.” She did feel guilty about not coming to him when it first started, especially since he was being so sweet.

A frown flashed across his face. “We will deal with that issue as soon as we find out what’s going on and you feel better,” he warned her.

Relief crossed her face, but his frown didn’t disappear.

“I won’t forget, Jill.” His tone definitely indicated he wouldn’t forget and it would be dealt with, but usually his punishments were awesomely blissful in the end. She shivered in a good way at the thought.

She kept quiet as he grabbed what he needed to take blood. With hands so large, he was surprisingly gentle as he wrapped the tourniquet around her arm. She watched until he reached for the thing with the needle. Lifting her head, she stared straight ahead. She hated the thing with the needle.

“Make a fist,” he ordered, his voice deep and strong.

She watched his handsome face instead of what he was doing to her arm. Her free hand clawed the table in a death grip waiting for the painful pinch of the needle. She knew her body was tense, but she couldn’t help it. It was either that or cry like a little bitch, and she didn’t want to do that in front of him. She heard plastic ripping and crinkling knowing it was coming. His eyes finally met hers.