[06] Slade

by Teresa Gabelman

  “Jill, what’s wrong?” Slade sounded pissed, but not as pissed as Sloan.

  “I’ve got a slight…buzz going,” she giggled. What the hell, she didn’t giggle…ever, and why she found that funny was beyond her.

  “Shit,” Slade hissed in her ear, but he sounded funny.

  “I got her.” Sid’s voice interrupted more cussing. “Jill, you see that dumpster to your left?”

  Jill looked, rising up to see over the car parked next to her. “Yup.”

  “Pull up next to that. I’m going to slide in,” Sid ordered.

  “Roger,” Jill snorted, wondering what the hell was wrong with her. She’d pissed Sloan off. Slade didn’t sound too happy, yet she was giggling like a girl. She had never been drunk before and it wasn’t like she was stumbling drunk, but she felt pretty damn good and kind of funny; ha-ha funny. She laughed again.

  “Jill, how much did you have to drink?” Jared chuckled.

  “Only a glass and a half.” She started the car, putting it in reverse. “Of Jax and Coke.”

  “Jax?” Sid replied, his voice muffled, indicating he was on the move. “What the fuck is Jax and Coke.”

  “I think she means Jack and Coke,” Jared snickered.

  Jill pulled up to the dumpster, slammed the brakes too hard and waited. Her door opened, causing her to jump. “Shit, Sid, you scared me.”

  “Scoot.” He used his butt to push her over and took off. “Got her.”

  “Everyone, get your asses back to the compound, now.” Sloan’s order was harsh and loud.

  Jill pulled out her earpiece, closing it up in her palm. “Why is he such an asshole?” Jill frowned.

  “I can still fucking hear you. Goddamn people! Learn how to quiet your mic before you start insulting me,” Sloan growled loud enough that she heard him through her hand where she held the earpiece.

  Jill’s eyes shot wide open as she looked at Sid in shock, pointing to her hand in disbelief. “How did he hear me?”

  Sid was laughing so hard he couldn’t answer, but pointed at her neck. When she raised her hand her fingers touched the choker and her face comically shifted to horror as she realized what she had done. Reaching around, she pulled off the choker, shoving it in her bag.

  Pulling into a gas station, Sid looked over at Jill who had laid her head back on the seat. “I would suggest you not do that. You need to stay awake and alert.” He grinned, shaking his head. “I’m going in to get you some coffee so you can fully understand the ass-chewing you are about to get. Lock the door.”

  Jill raised her head as soon as Sid spoke. Once he slammed the door, she locked it. “Drinking is way overrated.” She rubbed her head, which was starting to hurt. Taking her wig off, she shoved that in her bag also. Lowering the sun visor, she pulled out the hair clips Caroline had used, and then peeled her fake lashes off. “And dammit, it hurts being a woman.”

  She hit the unlock button for Sid. He slid in, handing her coffee. “Drink up.”

  “Where’s the cream and sugar?” Jill opened the lid, blowing on the coffee.

  “Black is best.” He grinned at her as he backed out, and pulled onto the road.

  “I have to have sugar.” Jill went to put the lid back on.

  “Jill, I’m telling you the truth here. You want to be sober and on your toes, because Sloan is pissed.” Sid laughed when she groaned.

  “I hate coffee without sugar,” she griped, but drank it anyway.

  Pulling into the compound, Jill sighed. “How bad is it going to be?” she said once they got out of the car.

  “You just better hope that this works out with Georgie boy.” Sid shook his head. “Took balls doing what you did, that’s for sure.”

  Jill headed up the walkway to the door, but stopped. Slade leaned against the wall, his arms crossed as only Slade did as he waited for her. She took another sip of her coffee watching as he nodded to Sid, but his eyes never left hers.

  “You okay?” His voice was deep, without emotion.

  Nodding, Jill slowly walked toward him. “Are you mad at me, too?”

  His lips twitched, but he didn’t smile. “We’ll talk about that later.” He reached out, lifting her chin up, kissing her softly. “Let’s get this over with first.”

  “Okay.” When he turned to open the door, she stopped. “Did he really hear me call him an asshole?”

  Slade’s face turned grim. “That’s the least of your problems, Jill.”

  “Dammit,” Jill cursed under her breath. Slade opened the door for her and she walked in, weaving a bit to the left.

  “Have you ever drank before?” Slade steadied her so she didn’t run into the doorframe.

  “Not a drop. I’m still a little fuzzy.” Jill grinned up at him. “Fuzzy. Fuzzzzzy. That’s a weird word.”

  As soon as they entered, the women ran out into the entryway. “How did it go?” Nicole grinned.

  “Did your wig stay on okay?” Caroline frowned, looking at her wigless head.

  “It went great.” Jill grinned real big, then swayed when she held up her coffee as if saluting.

  Nicole leaned in and sniffed. “Are you drunk?”

  “Maybe a little,” Jill whispered. “I only had a couple.”

  “You said you had one and a half.” Sid frowned with his hands on his hips.

  “Well, Dad,” Jill frowned back, “I forgot about the two I had in the back before I left, but they were little.”

  “Shit. Those were shots, Jill,” Sid cursed, glancing at Slade, then Nicole. “Go make up some more coffee. Has she ever drank before?” Slade just shook his head.

  “And bring the sugar.” Jill nodded, pointing at Nicole with her coffee. “Lots of sugar.”

  “Hey.” Damon stuck his head out of Sloan’s door. “Come on, so we can get this over with.”

  “This is going to be ugly,” Sid said, looking at Jill. “How drunk are you?”

  “I’m fine.” Jill grumbled. “I just feel really relaxed and want to smile a lot, but other than that, I’m fine. What’s the big deal? So I had a few drinks. Performing barely dressed in front of a bunch of men isn’t easy. I’d like to see you do it without drinking, Sid.”

  “Come on,” Damon called out again. “I want to get this shit over with.”

  “Okay, grumps.” Jill headed that way. “Geez, stop being so grumpy all the time.”

  “Jill.” Slade stopped her. “You need to get ahold of yourself. Sloan…”

  “Needs to take a chill pill.” Looking up at Slade, she smiled. “You are a hot-ass man, you know that, Doctor Slade Buchanan. How about me and you forget about all this nonsense and−”

  “Now!” Damon shouted this time.

  “Okay!” Jill shouted back with an irritated frown, turned and headed toward the office, but was stopped this time by Nicole and Pam who were trying not to laugh. Nicole poured more black coffee into her foam cup.

  “Be careful, Jill. It’s hot,” Nicole warned.

  “I just want to tell you both that Damon and Duncan never once looked at one of those women. I mean they looked, but they fake looked. You two should be really nice…” she slyly gave them the most awkward wink, “to them tonight.”

  “Jill,” Damon growled.

  “Damon,” Jill growled back and started walking again. “A little thanks goes a long way. I’m helping you out here, buddy.”

  Everyone became quiet as soon as Jill walked into the room, except for Sloan who was on the phone. Seeing Steve and Adam against the wall, she raised her cup of coffee to them with a goofy grin, then headed their way, squeezing herself between them. Raising the cup to her lips as if hiding what she was saying, she whispered, “What did I miss?”

  “Are you drunk?” Adam frowned down at her.

  Jill huffed. “No.” She held up her cup. “Coffee.”

  “She’s shitfaced,” Steve laughed.

  Sloan hung up the phone, his eyes going straight to Jill. Okay, that sobered her up a little and actually worked better th
an the nasty non-sugared coffee she was drinking. He continued to stare at her to the point where Steve started sliding away from her.

  “Do you want to explain what the fuck that was all about?” Sloan didn’t yell; he didn’t growl; he just asked the question with a calm, cool demeanor that scared the shit out of her.

  Jill opened her mouth to answer, and then slammed it shut. Looking away, she tried to make the words she wanted to say form in her head so she could answer the question with her numb lips. Looking back, she opened her mouth again and everyone in the room watched in anticipation of what she was going to say. “Ah, which part?” finally came out of her mouth.

  “Which part?” Sloan sat back, his stare becoming more intense.

  “Yeah, which part?” Jill took a step forward, but when the floor shifted suddenly, she retreated to the wall. She felt herself sliding toward the left, but Adam used his arm to slowly slide her back up. “Why do you always answer a question with a question?”

  “What the fuck you doing?” Steve whispered, pushing away from the wall, bending his head to her as he looked at the ground. “Shut the fuck up, Jill.”

  Anger hit Jill right in the gut, swishing around with the nausea she was feeling, and it wasn’t a great combination. “No, I won’t shut the fuck up.” This time when she pushed herself away from the wall, she walked slowly with concentration to the front of Sloan’s desk.

  “Jill.” Sid actually tried to stop her, but she jerked her arm away. “Sloan, can we do this when she’s sober.”

  “I’m not drunk. I’m just a little fuzzy.” She grinned at the word again, but then turned serious. “I did what I felt was right. If it was one of your Warriors with a cock−”

  Groans sounded throughout the room. “Here we go again,” Sid sighed, but had the biggest grin on his face.

  “We wouldn’t be having this conversation. Would we? No, I don’t believe we would. Believe it or not, Sloan, I can make snap decisions without a cock. Amazing, I know, but I can.” Jill saw George’s crumpled business card on Sloan’s desk and went to pick it up, but it flew out of her hand and landed at Duncan’s feet. He picked it up and handed it to her. She tried to straighten it out with one hand since her coffee was in the other. Giving up, she held it out, crumpled, toward Sloan. “This could possibly lead to information we need. I took a chance. I have a brain and I use it daily. I didn’t put anyone in immediate danger.” She tossed the card on his desk when he didn’t take it.

  “You broke protocol.” Sloan eyed her, but a light of respect gleamed in his eyes.

  Jill tilted her head, looking at Sloan “I’ve come to know all these guys.” She threw her hand out with the coffee cup, moving it around to all the guys as Warriors jumped out of the way when the hot liquid flew everywhere. “And I bet…this…ah…this…cup of nasty-ass coffee, they’ve all broken protocol. Sometimes it may work out and sometimes it may not, but again…I bet this nasty-ass coffee that George Groper will come through for us.”

  “And what makes you so sure of that?” Sloan’s calm was making her a bit nervous.

  “Because I saw his fear.” Jill put the coffee down on his desk, then looked at her hand, which had started to hurt, small little blisters had formed. She looked away from it to Sloan, not looking drunk at all, but like someone who knew exactly what she was talking about. “I know that fear. I know that feeling of being stuck in something and there is no way out. You will do anything, and I mean anything, to feel safe again. I saw that in his eyes. I felt it in my gut.”

  No one said a word, nothing. Not even Sloan.

  “I trust my instincts. They’ve gotten me through a lot in my life.” Jill blew on her hand. “And instead of yelling at me, which is fine when I really screw up and I will really screw up, just trust me on this one. I don’t need swats of congratulations on my ass like you guys do−”

  “That’s football,” Jared added with a horrified expression. “Warriors do not swat the asses of other Warriors.”

  “Whatever.” Jill frowned at Jared for interrupting her. “If I’m wrong, you all can stand here and scream or whatever at me, but I know I’m not wrong on this.”

  God, she was going to puke, or at least thought she was. It was so back and forth like a friggin’ war going on in her stomach. Wishing to hell the room would stand still, she took another deep breath, but she had one more thing to say.

  “And I swear I will never drink during a job again.” Jill groaned when the room tilted. “But I was scared and it helped relax me.”

  “Jill, none of the Warriors would have let anything happen to you.” Sloan sighed, “You need to trust that they have your back.”

  Jill tilted her head, but wished she hadn’t. “No, you’re wrong. I was afraid to let you guys down. I wasn’t afraid of what would happen to me because I knew none of you would let anything happen to me.” Jill smiled with a shrug. “The last two tiny drinks, which I think are the ones that made me fuzzy, were because the girls wanted to celebrate my first night. I’ve never had that before, so I did, but it will never happened again because I really don’t like the feeling I’m having now.”

  A few chuckles filled the room. Sloan looked toward Slade. “Slade, take her to her room−”

  “No,” Jill interrupted, picking up her coffee carefully. “I’m kind of upset at anyone with a cock right now. I’d rather go on my own if you’re finished.”

  Sloan’s lip twitched. “I’m finished, for now.”

  Jill nodded as she turned, but the floor swayed. “Steve, you got a minute?”

  Frowning, Steve glanced down at his lower body and pointed. “Really?” When Jill looked up at him with pleading eyes, he just threw up his hands. “Ah, fuck it.” Rolling his eyes, he hurried to her, wrapping his arm around her waist. He made sure to glance at Slade who nodded his okay.

  “Will you please take my coffee? I burnt myself already.” She kept her head lowered, looking at the floor as he led her to the door. “And I’m sorry. I know you have a cock, but−”

  “Jill don’t sweat it. Just please stop saying cock or referring to mine. It makes me really uncomfortable and I don’t want Slade killing me.” Steve helped her out the door, down the hall and to her room.

  Once inside, Jill managed to make it to her bed falling face first into her pillow. “I’m such an idiot,” she cried, and then sat up. “And I think I’m going to puke.”

  Steve sighed, “You’re not an idiot. I’m actually proud of you for standing up to Sloan.”

  “Did I even make sense?” Jill wiped a tear from her cheek.

  “Surprisingly, you made perfect sense.” Steve laughed, sitting down next to her. “A drunk Jill is a funny Jill with much insight.”

  “I know I give you shit, but you know I love you, don’t you?” Jill leaned over, putting her head on his shoulder. “I really do, Steve, and I’m not just saying that because I’m drunk.”

  “We’re family, Jill. That’s what we do, and since you’re getting all sappy and shit, guess I will too.” Steve leaned his head against hers. “I love you, too, drunkie.”

  Jill laughed, which quickly turned into a groan. “I’m glad you feel that way because I think I’m going to be sick.” Jill raised her head quickly. “And I hate to puke alone.”

  Steve helped her up and to the bathroom. “Well, I don’t know if I love you that much, Jill.” When she heaved into the toilet, Steve gagged. “Then again, maybe I do. Damn, what the hell did you eat?”

  ******

  Slade watched Steve walk Jill out the door, wanting to follow, but decided it was better to give her a minute. He was so fucking proud of her drunk ass. He knew at that moment he had found the one. She was definitely the one.

  “So what are your thoughts about what happened tonight?” Sloan asked everyone and anyone in the room.

  “Hell, Sloan, we’ve all broken protocol.” Duncan was surprisingly the first to speak. “It’s not done out of disrespect to anyone in this room.”

  “Wel
l, I’m damn proud of her.” Sid beamed with a satisfied smile of his own. “She’s got more guts than a lot of men I know, and she’s right. George Groper might be the break we need. She saw something and went for it. Every one of us, you included, Sloan, have done the same.”

  Sloan nodded. “I’ll talk to her more tomorrow and we will try to make contact with this George.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” Jared nodded. “Now, can we go so I can see my woman?”

  “Get the fuck out of here,” Sloan growled. “You guys are so pussy-whipped it makes me sick.”

  “One of these days, Sloan, we are going to be saying the same about you,” Sid warned with a laugh. “And I cannot wait for that fucking day.”

  “You’ll be waiting a long time, asshole,” Sloan sneered. “Now get your ass out of my office.”

  “I’ve got forever,” Sid laughed as he followed Jared out.

  Sloan looked at Slade. “What?”

  “She made a good decision,” Slade replied, turned and walked out the door.

  “Hey, let us know if she needs anything,” Sid called out, grabbing Lana who waited for him to come out of Sloan’s office.

  “Thanks.” Slade hurried up the steps and down the hall to Jill’s room. Opening the door, he walked in and heard Jill and Steve talking from the bathroom.

  “God, I hate to puke, but it feels good afterwards.” Jill’s groan was miserable.

  “Well, Jill, I have to honestly say I hate when you puke, too.” Steve made a gagging noise. “You are a dramatic puker.”

  “What the hell is a dramatic puker?” Jill snorted. “You just puke.”

  Slade leaned against the wall outside the bathroom door, listening to their conversation, a small grin playing against his lips.

  “No, there’s different pukers. You got your heavers, your spitters, your gaggers and then there’s you, the dramatic puker; all three put together.” Steve sounded proud of his observation.

  “You know when I said I loved you?” Jill moaned.

  “Yeah.” Steve’s voice held a hint of pride.