Invisible Warrior (The Protectors Series) Book #11

by Teresa Gabelman

  “Seems to me like we have some new Warrior applications.” A grim look marred Sloan’s face.

  “Well damn.” Jared headed toward the table. “That sounds like good news, so why are you pissed?”

  “Because I know the shit storm that’s about to hit.” Sloan frowned, his eyebrow cocked as he again looked around the room.

  “Shit.”

  Mira heard Pam’s whispered curse as she edged toward the door.

  “What the hell?” Jared bellowed as he crumpled the paper in his hand. “Tessa!”

  The rest of the Warriors in the room grabbed the remaining papers, Duncan turning toward Pam. “No!”

  Mira actually stepped closer to Steve as the big Warrior looked their way. He had been nothing but nice to her, but the look on his face now was anything but friendly.

  “Let’s get you out of here,” Steve whispered, taking her elbow, but stopped when Tessa walked in.

  “What’s all the yelling about?” Tessa frowned, looked at Jared and then backed right back out the door.

  “Get back here!” Jared growled. “Tessa!”

  “What do you mean, no?” Pam was asking Duncan, and Mira really wanted to hear the answer, but Steve was doing his best to get her out of there.

  “Don’t go far.” Sloan eyed Steve. “I have a feeling another fucking meeting is going to be in order.”

  “Yeah, I wouldn’t miss it for nothing.” Steve grinned, but it slid right off his face at the look Sloan gave him.

  Tessa headed toward the steps and jumped when Steve and Mira came out of the door. Her hand slammed against her chest. “Damn, I thought you were Jared.”

  “A Warrior, huh.” Steve grinned at her.

  She glanced nervously at the kitchen door then nodded. “Yes, a Warrior. Why not?”

  Steve held his hands up. “Hey, I think it’s great, but it’s not me you have to convince.”

  “So you’ll stand up for me?” Tessa asked with hope.

  “Tessa!” Jared’s voice bellowed from inside the kitchen making them all jump, and Drew started to fuss.

  “Ah, no.” Steve gave her an apologetic look before pushing Mira down the hallway. “You’re on your own.”

  “Well, I think it’s great!” Mira called out over her shoulder. “I think you’d make a wonderful Warrior.”

  “Thank you!” Tessa called after them. “And yes, I will!”

  “Oh, man.” Steve shook his head. “This is going to get ugly.”

  “Why?” Mira asked as she and Steve headed toward her room. “I mean, Jill’s a Warrior so why couldn’t Tessa or Pam? I think a woman would make an amazing Warrior.”

  “You’ll get no argument from me on that,” Steve replied with a nod. “Jill has saved my ass many times, but she was going through the Warrior training before Slade, so it’s different. Plus Jill is different.”

  “How’s Jill different?” Mira walked into her room after Steve opened the door. “She’s a woman.”

  Steve grimaced. “Well, I don’t look at Jill like that, so to me it’s different.” Steve’s phone went off. He looked at it with a frown. “It looks like it’s about to hit the fan. I’ll come back later and we can talk about what formula you might want to try.”

  Mira felt such relief at his words. “I feel so dumb.” She walked over and laid Drew in the crib. “I should know this stuff.”

  “How? You got more kids running around somewhere?” Steve tossed her a fake frown. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. Everyone has to learn. I’ll be back and we’ll figure it out.”

  “We appreciate that, but we’ve got it.” Kira walked into the room without knocking and held the door open.

  “Kira!” Mira hissed at her sister.

  “Sorry, but I think I’m the better choice to help my sister and niece.” Kira’s eyes narrowed at Mira. “I do appreciate you helping them, but I’m here now so you can go do whatever it is you do.”

  Mira had never in her life been angrier at her sister, almost to the point of wanting to slap her. That had never happened before. But before she could say anything, Steve straightened up, his eyes narrowing.

  “You don’t like me very much, do you?” Steve tilted his head, looking at her sister closely. “Why is that?”

  Kira chuckled. “Believe me when I say if I didn’t like you, I would be begging you to stay around.” Kira’s chuckle stopped immediately. “This is nothing personal, but you need to back off and leave my sister and niece alone. I’ve got this.”

  “And what if I say no.” Steve took a step toward her, not backing down.

  “Then I say you and I are going to have a problem.” Kira touched her dragonfly choker.

  “I think we already do,” Steve answered with a growl, finally blocking her sister’s way to her.

  With a huff, Mira stepped around him and into the middle of them both. “Hey! I’m an adult and don’t need either one of you saying what I need and what’s best for me or Drew.” She pushed Steve toward the door, which was harder than she thought it would be with him still glaring at her sister. “Get out of the way,” she told Kira, who surprisingly listened and moved.

  Steve’s phone went off again.

  “Go take care of your business and then come back whenever you can,” Mira told Steve once he was outside her door.

  He remained silent as he glared at her sister over her head.

  “Steve, I’ve never listened to my sister.” Mira finally got his attention by snapping her fingers in front of his eyes.

  He finally looked down at her then nodded. “Good to know.” He smiled at her before it faded as he glanced back at Kira. “I’ll be back.”

  Mira sighed as Steve walked away. She shut the door and turned on her sister. “What in the hell is wrong with you?”

  Grabbing her shirt, Kira pulled the front down exposing her chest. The crooked heart-shaped birthmark was a bright red contrast to her pale skin. “You tell him or I will.”

  Snatching her shirt out of her sister’s hand, she turned away. “I will, dammit.”

  “Today, Mira.” Kira headed for the door. “Tell him today, or I swear I will.”

  After the door shut, Mira let the tears flow. She hated this, absolutely hated this part of her life. Wiping the wetness away with harsh swipes, she stepped toward Drew, who lay awake staring at the ceiling. Picking her up carefully, Mira held her close, a single tear spattering on her baby’s soft cheek, making her flinch.

  “It’s just you and me,” Mira whispered. She gently brushed the wetness away from Drew’s face. “It will always just be you and me, but I’m okay with that if you are.”

  Her daughter’s little face scrunched up as Drew’s own tears began to flow. It was a silent cry with a few sucks of breath. Mira knew at that moment Drew wasn’t okay with that and in all honesty, neither was she.

  Chapter 14

  “Go do whatever it is you do.” Steve mocked Mira’s sister’s voice as he stomped toward Sloan’s office where shit was getting ready to go down. Damn, that woman got under his skin in a bad way. He’d like to… no, that was Drew’s aunt. He needed to be cool, but he didn’t have to take her shit either.

  Walking into Sloan’s office, he headed toward the back then slammed himself against the wall in his usual space.

  “Damn, who pissed in your—”

  Steve held up his hand at Adam. “I will bitch slap you into next week.”

  Jill snorted as she leaned over to look at Steve. “Damn, I don’t think I’ve ever seen your eyes so black.”

  “Jill, I’m warning you.” Steve closed his eyes, blocking her out. “I’m not in the mood.”

  “Steve!”

  “What?” Steve bellowed, then realized it was Sloan who called him out. Fuck, this day just kept getting better and better. Opening his eyes, he noticed that everyone was staring at him. Jill’s face was priceless. She stared at him bug-eyed as if this would be the last time she saw him alive. Almost all the Warriors had a cocked eyebrow staring at him
as if he’d lost his fucking mind and hell, maybe he had. Sloan’s eyes were narrowed in on him, and while before that look made him shit himself, at that moment it just made him want to punch a wall. “Sorry. What?” he said in a lower tone.

  “I have a job for you and Adam.” Sloan held out an envelope. “You think you can handle that?”

  The question pissed him off because it was obviously directed toward him and not Adam. “Well, I don’t know.” Steve walked up and snatched the envelope out of Sloan’s hand. “I’m just the fuckup, so maybe not, right? I mean… is that why the question was directed toward me, the fuckup and not Adam, the golden boy. Hmm….?”

  “Steve, what the fuck you doing, man?” Adam hissed at him, then grabbed him by the neck and headed toward the back again before glancing at Sloan. “Yeah, we can handle it, boss.”

  “I don’t know… unless it’s changing a shitty diaper, it might just be too much for dumbass here.” Steve pointed to himself. “What do you think, Sid? You always got something to say? What say you?”

  “What say you?” Jill whispered, her eyes wide with shock. “Steve dude, I think you’re having a breakdown. I’m the one who rambles weird shit when I’m pissed, not you, so shut the fuck up before you start saying cock.”

  “What say me?” Sid chuckled then shook his head. “Well, me says you better get a grip on your shit before Sloan here gets a grip on your ass. That’s what says me.”

  “You got something to get off your chest, son?” Sloan’s tone was all business, but not as harsh as before.

  “No.” Steve shook his head, backhanding the envelope unopened into Adam’s stomach.

  Sloan eyed him for a few more seconds before continuing. “Ronan is going to need help tonight, so I want you both to be ready to head out in the next hour. He will explain everything later.”

  Steve bit the inside of his mouth before he said anything else. The miracle of him still standing upright after his little display toward Sloan was probably the only miracle he’d get tonight. Jill may be able to get away with showing her ass, but Steve believed he just got his one pass to do that. He was disappointed because he wanted to help Mira, but that would have to wait. His duties came first. He knew that, but it still sucked.

  There was a knock on Sloan’s door before it opened and in walked Tessa, Pam, Nicole, Lana, Caroline, Angelina, and Katrina. Every single one of them had the look of they meant business, and they were ready to fight. Everyone was surprised when Becky, who was usually quiet at her corner desk where she helped Sloan, stood and walked toward the women. She then stopped and crossed her arms with a narrowed stare at Sloan.

  Okay, that instantly cheered Steve up. He may not be able to get in Sloan’s ass— Wait that didn’t sound good, he thought with a frown.

  Jill moved from the wall and Steve actually tried to stop her. “Oh shit, here we go.”

  “So, have our applications been accepted?” Tessa asked with her hand on her hip.

  “No.” Jared glared at her.

  Tessa’s eyes left Sloan to narrow in on Jared. “I wasn’t asking you.”

  “Well I was answering,” Jared shot back. “You are not going to be a Warrior, Tessa, so get it out of your thick head—”

  “Damns” and “shits” were hissed throughout the room.

  “Thick head?” Tessa’s voice rose as she took a step toward Jared. “I’ll show you a thick head, you long-fanged—”

  “Long-fanged?” Jared sneered, leaning toward her.

  “Hey!” Jill walked between them with her hands up in the air. “Let’s all calm down.”

  Everyone seemed to relax as Jill attempted to defuse the situation.

  “I think it’s only fair that you listen before you say no,” Jill said to Jared, then looked toward Duncan before back to Jared. “If they had a cock, this wouldn’t be an issue now, would it?”

  Groans flittered throughout the room and Steve laughed. “And there it is.”

  “Well it wouldn’t,” Jill hissed. “Give me one good reason why Tessa can’t train to be a Warrior.”

  “She’s my mate,” Jared answered point-blank.

  “Oh, okay, caveman.” Jill snorted then looked toward Duncan. “Haven’t heard your thoughts.”

  “No.” Duncan’s one word said it all.

  “Oh, wow!” Jill threw her arms up. “You know if they had a—”

  “Jill.” Sloan shook his head.

  Jill frowned at him then stepped back, but added, “—cock we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

  “If she had a cock, I wouldn’t be with her and she wouldn’t be my mate,” Jared replied to her whisper, finishing of her sentence.

  “Why do you want this?” Sloan ignored both of them and directed his gaze at both Pam and Tessa.

  “After what happened the other day with all the shooting, what if you all hadn’t been here?” Pam replied, then glanced at Duncan. “I want to be prepared and feel I can bring a lot to the program.”

  “It’s not a program,” Duncan said, and everyone in the room could tell he was trying to maintain his shit because his words were spoken between clenched teeth. “I can teach you whatever you need to know, but being a Warrior is a different beast. It’s too dangerous. You need to think of Daniel.”

  “That was a low blow.” Pam frowned at him. “And I have thought of Daniel, have you?”

  A few breaths were sucked in at that statement; Steve’s was one of them. Holy shit, he would rather be anywhere and he meant anywhere other than this room right now.

  Sloan looked around the room, then rubbed the bridge of his nose, which Steve knew indicated Sloan was ready to lose his shit and everybody better hold on.

  “This is my decision and mine alone, but we are going to take a vote because I honestly don’t want to make this fucking decision on my own.” Sloan sighed, finally removing his hand. “Who is in favor of Pam and Tessa training to become Warriors?”

  Of course, all the women’s hands went up which counted for nine. Even though Steve didn’t really see a problem with them training, he did see a problem with raising his hand, which determined whether he lived or died.

  “Looks like we have a tie,” Sid, who had been quiet up to this point, announced.

  To everyone’s amazement, Damon stepped up. “I’m not fucking raising my hand, but my vote goes for Pam and Tessa.”

  “What?” Jared shook his head as if he didn’t hear him correctly.

  “Oh, fuck!” both Steve and Adam said at the same time, pushing away from the wall.

  “You heard me,” Damon replied with a nod toward Tessa and Pam. “My vote is for them, so it looks like you lose.”

  “It’s not happening,” Duncan growled, his glare aimed toward Damon and then Sloan.

  “Actually, it is because my vote is for them also,” Sloan replied as Duncan cursed and slammed out of the room, the door cracking down the middle.

  “Did the fucking room just shake?” Steve looked around in awe. That was one hell of a door slam.

  “What in the hell are you doing, man?” Jared looked at Damon as if he were a stranger. “That’s my mate.”

  “Who will be training with my mate,” Damon responded, his tone the same.

  Jared turned to look at Nicole, who gave him a small smile. “They’ll be fine, Jared.”

  “Fuck this!” Jared turned toward Damon. “And fuck you! Just because you don’t give a shit about your mate doesn’t mean—”

  Damon didn’t let him finish. He punched Jared square in the mouth as all hell broke out. Adam and Steve took off to get the women out of the room as Sid, along with the rest, tried to break Damon and Jared apart. By the time Steve and Adam returned, the room was destroyed while Ronan and Sid held Jared back, as Sloan and Jax—as well as Blaze—held Damon.

  “Fuck you!” Jared spat. “I’ll never forgive you for this.”

  “Like I give a shit,” Damon spat back.

  Steve watched and realized this was different than all t
he other fights the Warriors had ever had. There was no getting up and smacking each other on the back saying good punch, man. No. There was some hate getting thrown here, and Steve didn’t like it.

  “We are no longer brothers.” Jared finally jerked away and pointed at Damon, who was still being held.

  Steve wasn’t fast enough as Jared headed toward the door and was pushed halfway across the room out of the way. He picked himself up with a feeling of doom. This was not good. When he looked at Damon, who was just being released, his face showed no signs of remorse.

  Yeah, this was not good at all.

  Chapter 15

  In the back of the van, Steve sat with Ronan and Adam, all watching a business that Ronan had been tipped off was selling Crimson Rush, vampire blood that humans used to get a high. It was a big business with big players and lots of money. It was mostly what the Warriors dealt with because the epidemic was out of control.

  The van was equipped with the most up-to-date equipment, and Steve usually liked doing spy shit in it, but not tonight. Instead, he was restless and had a lot on his mind. Before he’d left, he had gone to Mira’s room to let her know he had to work. He couldn’t really put his finger on it, but she was distant with him, and he totally blamed her sister. He would deal with it when he got back, but what was really bothering him was Damon and Jared.

  “What the hell happened tonight?” Steve finally broke the silence as he watched the monitor for any unusual movement.

  “You got me, but it was pretty crazy.” Adam frowned, tapping the monitor when it became fuzzy. “I’ve never seen Jared so pissed off.”

  “And who would have thought Damon would be okay with Nicole becoming a Warrior?” Steve added with a shake of his head. “He has got to be the most protective son of a bitch on the planet.”

  “Maybe he feels that she’d do it anyway and figured it would be safer if he played it cool so he could keep an eye on her,” Ronan added as he made notes.

  Steve and Adam glanced at each other and then shook their heads. “Nah.”