The Protectors: Slade Part 13

"That's cowboy slang, dumba.s.s." Jax turned his head away so Sid couldn't see his half smile. This f.u.c.ker was nuts, but funny as h.e.l.l.

Chapter 13.

After hours of lying awake, Jill headed to the kitchen, grumpy and s.e.xually frustrated. She had thought of many nasty, painful ways to torture Slade. After a cold shower, which didn't help her one bit and proved the belief that cold showers helped a s.e.xually frustrated individual was total bulls.h.i.t, her ways of torture turned even more evil.

"Well, h.e.l.lo, sunshine." Steve smiled at her from the table.

Ignoring him, other than a growl, Jill headed for coffee. Grabbing the biggest cup she could find, she poured and poured, dumped half a bowl of sugar in and took a long drink, loving the burn going down her throat. Bringing the cup down, she sighed then looked around at everyone staring at her.

"What?" she glared, not in the mood.

"You want some food with your cup of sugar?" Sid eyed her closely.

Shaking her head, she poured more coffee and sugar into her cup and walked to the table to sit down across from Steve. Jax sat on one end drinking coffee. Adam had just walked over with food falling off the edges of his plate and sat down.

"So when do your stripping lessons start?" Adam dug into his food, waiting for her to answer.

Pulling the hood up around her head, Jill frowned. "Tessa texted me this morning. I have to meet them around noon at the bar."

"Good." Sloan had walked in on the conversation, followed by Jared and Slade. "That will give you plenty of time to practice your driving. Congrats on pa.s.sing the written. Monday you test for your driving permit and you better be ready. I had to pull in a few favors to get you in before your required time."

Well, that sure as h.e.l.l didn't add any pressure. What she really wanted to say was can't I even drink a full cup of coffee before you're on my a.s.s about something',' but instead, responded with, "Yes, sir." Seriously, she wanted to live, but was just having a minute to relax too freaking much to ask?

"Who's free this morning to go with her so she can practice driving?" Sloan looked around.

"Ah, well, I ah..." Adam about choked on his egg when Sloan's eyes fell on him.

Jill glared at him, the a.s.s. G.o.d forbid, he let her drive his precious piece of c.r.a.p.

"I'll do it," Jax said, surprising everyone. Draining the rest of his coffee, he stood, looking at Jill. "Let's go."

"Dun Dun Duuuuunnnnn," Steve mumbled before taking a bite of food.

Jill s.n.a.t.c.hed a sausage link off Adam's plate, hitting Steve between the eyes with it before standing up and taking her cup to the sink.

"Hey!" Steve frowned, before looking at the sausage and taking a bite.

Jill rolled her eyes when she turned around to see Steve eating the sausage she threw at him. Pa.s.sing Sloan and Slade, she nodded, but kept her eyes off Slade, because suddenly, all the torture techniques popped into her head again. Yeah, she needed to get out of there.

Heading outside, she saw Jax walking toward a cherry red Mustang GT. Holy s.h.i.t, if she wrecked that car, she would be a dead woman. She wondered briefly if stress could actually kill a half-breed. "Hey, if that's a stick, I can't drive it."

Jax laughed without turning around. "There is no way in h.e.l.l I would let you drive this car." He popped the trunk, getting something out. "We're taking one of the other cars."

Okay, that settled her stomach a little bit. Still, it rolled and pitched thinking about getting behind the wheel while the person who hated her and wanted her to quit the program sat next to her. This was going to be a total fail.

They went to one of the old cars, a Nissan, the Warriors used for different occasions. He threw the keys to her. Jill got in, put her seatbelt on, started the car and sat there staring out the window.

Finally, Jax glanced over at her. "Please tell me you know how to put the car in gear."

Jill nodded. "I just don't want you to start yelling because that's just going to make me more nervous."

"Don't give me a reason to yell and I won't yell." Jax's response was pretty much to the point, but didn't help. Jill gave him a sideways glance. "Okay, I will only yell if you are about to plow someone down. Better?"

Again, Jill nodded as she put the car in reverse. Pulling out fast, and then slamming on the brakes, Jill watched out of the corner of her eye as Jax's upper body flew forward and then slammed back against the seat. She waited...ready.

Slowly, he turned to look at her. "And the reason for that was?" He c.o.c.ked his eyebrow at her.

"Just wanted to make sure you weren't going to yell before I actually got out on the road," Jill shrugged.

Jax nodded slowly, still eyeing her. "Well since we have that cleared up, are you ready to stop f.u.c.king around and get this over with?"

"Yep." This time, Jill pulled out carefully and headed for the exit of the compound driveway. Flicking on her blinker, she looked for traffic and pulled out, smiling at herself for getting that far without killing them. As they travelled down the road, Jill kept a death grip on the wheel, her eyes going all over the place looking for obstacles she could murder with the car.

Leaning over, Jax looked at the dashboard and sighed, "How about pushing on the accelerator a little harder, Jill. It shouldn't take us a half an hour to go a block and a half."

Frowning, Jill did as he said. She should have said no yelling and no being a smarta.s.s. "Where to?"

"You know how to get to the bar?" Jax looked at his watch.

"Yeah." Jill continued to drive and everything seemed to be going smoothly until someone pulled out in front of her. Jill slammed on her brakes barely missing the car. "Are you serious! Watch where you're going, a.s.shole!! Are you freaking blind?" Jill screamed, blaring her horn. "Come on. Can we go faster than two miles an hour?"

Jill flipped on the blinker, getting in the other lane to pa.s.s. As she pa.s.sed, she and Jax looked into the car. A little old man, who was absolutely adorable and could barely see over the steering wheel, glanced at them, giving them a grandfatherly smile.

Jax slowly looked at Jill with a frown. "I suggest, if that happens during your test, do what you did, minus the blaring of the horn and screaming threats at old people in a fit of road rage."

Jill shifted on the seat, frowning, but nodded. "Understood."

"Make sure you use your signals all the time." Jax sat back, relaxed, as if enjoying the ride. "You missed a few. I'm not sure how many points that will be. Have you ever parallel parked?"

Stopping at a red light, Jill glanced over at Jax. "No."

"Never?" Jax frowned and cursed. "Okay, no big deal, but we need to practice that. You're okay driving when you're paying attention. Find a street that cars park on."

Driving up and down streets, she finally found one. Seeing a parking spot between two cars Jill slowed down. "Is that a good one?"

Jax looked at it and actually got out for a closer look. Walking back to her side of the window, he bent down. "Get out and let me do it first. Stand over there and watch."

Getting out of the car, Jax pulled her aside as someone drove past. Heading over to stand, she watched what Jax did and shook her head once he was in the spot looking at her. After pulling back out into the street, he got out and waved her over.

s.h.i.t, there was no way she was going to be able to do that. "There is no way," Jill spoke her thoughts out loud.

"Yeah, well, you have no choice now, do you?" Jax looked back at the spot where he had parked. "When you test, they will have cones, not cars."

"What if I hit one?" Jill still stared at the spot as if it was her worse nightmare. h.e.l.l, it was pretty d.a.m.n close to her worse nightmare.

"You won't." Jax opened the door for her.

"But if I do?" Jill sat in the driver's seat, staring at the spot before looking up at Jax.

"Then you get to tell Sloan and he'll have to call the insurance to fix whatever you f.u.c.k up." Jax laughed at her horrified look. "Now, pull up like I did. Then turn the wheel and start backing up slowly. It's really common sense and I do know you have common sense."

Waiting for Jax to step out of the way, Jill closed her eyes, said a quick prayer, put the car in drive and pulled up."

"Open you d.a.m.n eyes, Jill!" Jax yelled.

"Don't yell at me!" Jill yelled back.

"Then keep your eyes open!" Again Jax yelled back, shaking his head with a roll of his eyes.

Once Jill pulled up, she braked and put the car in reverse. Turning around in the seat so she could see, she started backing up in jerky movements.

"Use your mirrors," Jax instructed. "And stop slamming on the brakes."

Jill mumbled to herself, her neck hurting from jerking her head around to each mirror. Once she had the car backed in, she put the car in drive, turned the wheel and started moving forward.

"That's good, Jill." Jax walked closer, watching. "Cut the wheel more. You got plenty of room up here."

"Please don't let me hit the car," she said to herself. "Please don't let me hit the car. Please don't let me hit the car."

"Okay, now cut the wheel again and put it in reverse. Take it slow." Jax walked to the back of the car.

"Please don't let me hit the car," Jill continued the chant since it seemed to be helping. "Please don't let me hit the car. Please don't let me hit the car."

"Good, Jill, now straighten the wheel and pull up a little." Jax waited until she was good and held up his hand. Walking to her side of the window, he smiled down at her. "Congratulations on your first parallel park."

"Really?" Jill's smile was huge. Slamming the car in park, she got out and stared at Jax with a happy look on her face. "I really did it."

"Yeah, you did good." Jax grinned with a nod. "Now, do it again."

"Okay." She hurried to the car, excited, but then stopped, turning to Jax. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

"h.e.l.l if I know," Jax grumbled, but when Jill continued looking at him, he frowned. "I figured I was being pretty hard on you. Don't worry, I'm sure I'll be back to my a.s.shole self soon enough."

"Thank you." She smiled at him before getting in the car. "I appreciate your help."

"Yeah, well, let's see what happens Monday before you get all sappy and s.h.i.t." Jax motioned for her to do her thing. "Come on. I don't have all day."

Jill parked five more times before Jax was happy enough to leave. Once they were in the parking lot of the bar Tessa worked at, Jill picked two cars to park between. It wasn't parallel parking, but close enough. Once parked, Jill switched off the engine and sat, sporting a huge grin.

"Pretty proud of yourself, aren't you?" Jax wore a half-grin on his face.

"Yes, I am," Jill sighed, handing him the keys.

"Well, you should be, except for the moment of road rage, you did well." Jax looked at the keys, but didn't take them as he got out of the car. "Keep them. You're driving back."

"Sweet!" Jill stuck the keys in her pocket, and then walked into the bar and froze. Not only were the women there, but Damon, Sid, Jared, Duncan and Slade, as well as Adam and Dillon. The only two missing were Sloan and Steve. Okay, so she thought the parking spot was her worst nightmare and how wrong was she on that. The stripper pole actually took on a shape of horror as it zoomed into her vision.

"How did the driving go?" Sid asked as she pa.s.sed him.

Jill didn't even look at the guys, just gave him a thumbs up as she pa.s.sed. She couldn't talk if she wanted to. Tessa smiled at her until she saw her face.

"What's wrong?" Tessa frowned. "Did you wreck?"

Prying her eyes off the stripper pole, she looked at Tessa. "No, I didn't wreck, but I wish I would have." She lowered her voice. "What are they doing here?"

"We thought it was best if you had an audience to get you used to...you know," Tessa replied, and then wrapped her arm around Jill.

"No, Tessa, I don't know." Jill pulled away in total freak-out mode. She was seriously going to have a panic attack. Looking over her shoulder everyone was sitting around talking, not paying them any attention except when her eyes. .h.i.t on Slade; he was staring right at her. "I can't do this."

"Just ignore them, Jill." Nicole walked up, hearing their conversation. "Now, come on. We don't have much time."

Tessa pulled Jill over to the pole. "Can you dance?"

Jill nodded. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Thank G.o.d," Pam sighed. "That would make this so much harder."

"We got some clothes for you, but won't make you put them on right now with all the guys here." Tessa grinned excitedly. "You are going to look awesome."

"I'm going to be a stripper." Jill frowned at their excitement, even Angelina was beaming. "Not a beauty pageant contestant."

"A gorgeous stripper." Caroline rubbed her hands together. "I'm doing your makeup and wig."

"Wig?" Jill was sure she was going to vomit. How in the h.e.l.l was she going to pull this off? Then she really looked at Caroline's face. Her cheek was bruised and swollen, her eye black. "What happened?"

"Nothing." Caroline waved her off. "And yes, a wig. A beautiful long, black wig."

"Yeah, so you can whip your hair around." Angelina did just that, getting a whistle from Adam, which made her blush.

"Okay, we are each going to do a little on the pole so you can watch." Tessa walked over behind the bar and turned on some music. Warrant's "Cherry Pie" blared throughout the bar. Tessa walked right up to the pole, kicked off her shoes and took control with the s.e.xiest dance Jill had ever seen.

Mouth opened wide, she watched Tessa, who was a full-bodied, beautiful woman, dance like she had never seen a woman dance. Holy s.h.i.t,' Jill mouthed, looking at Lana who was grinning at her, and then nodded toward Jared. Jill glanced at Jared who had walked closer and simply stood staring at his mate as if no one else was in the room and Tessa was dancing just for him. The heat in his eyes almost burned her. When the song ended, no one said a word.

Tessa straightened her hair, her clothes and walked off toward the bar like a boss, giving Jared a s.e.xy wink. Once at the bar, she looked toward the other women. "Next."

"If one of you motherf.u.c.kers even has a hard-on, I will kill you," Jared warned as he stalked toward Tessa, taking her in his arms before disappearing in the back storage room of the bar.

"Jared, I have to stay out here and help," Tessa laughed as they disappeared.

"You will, this will only take..." Jared's words faded as they disappeared.