Well, there it was: her first big test. Holding the phone, she did everything in her power to stop her hands from shaking. She watched the video that was poorly done, but she could see enough to know she was in big trouble. The video scanned the club clumsily as if the person taking it was trying his best to hide the fact. Women were stationed throughout the dark club on round tables with stripper poles. Men sat around each pole staring up at the women, who surprisingly were in different modes of dress. Jill didn’t realize the breath she held until it eased out in a relieved hiss at seeing none of the women were completely naked. The video cut off abruptly. Raising her eyes from the phone, she noticed everyone was staring at her. Handing the phone back to Sloan, she could only nod.
“So does that mean yes?” Sloan took the phone, maintaining eye contact.
Before she could answer, she noticed Tessa had come up to their circle. “Have you ever used a stripper pole?”
Jill shook her head. “No.”
“As much as I hate to admit that Slade is right, but
he
is right.” Jax crossed his arms. “She’s not ready for this. I say find another way.”
“How do you know they have stripper poles?” Jared frowned at Tessa, everything else forgotten in his mind.
“Everybody knows about the Master’s Club.” Tessa frowned back.
Jill’s gaze shot to Jax, who stood staring at her with a cocky smirk. He expected her to back away from this mission and she’d be damned if she’d prove the asshole right. She looked back at Sloan. “When do I go?”
Slade hissed behind her, not happy with her choice. “Jill, these are professionals. You can’t just go in there and wing it.”
“I’ll help her,” Tessa replied, keeping her eyes averted from Jared.
Jared stepped into the middle of the group. “Excuse me.” He held out his hand before anyone else could speak. “What the fuck do you know about strippers and poles?”
“We have a pole at the bar,” Tessa said without thinking; even Jill’s eyes popped open. Tessa laughed at all the shocked looks on everyone’s face. “What?”
“
What
?” Jared growled, stalking toward her. “I hope for everyone’s safety in that bar, you have not used that pole.”
“Of course I have.” Tessa tilted her head staring at him.
Before Jared could explode, Nicole walked up to stand next to Tessa. “So have I. What’s the big deal?”
“What’s the big deal?” Jared’s laugh was not humorous at all. He looked toward Damon. “You going to help me out here, bro, or just glare them to death.”
Jill watched the scene and smiled when Nicole winked at her. Her smile faded when she glanced up at Slade who frowned down at her with a sneer. Actually, all the Warriors were frowning and growling, even Sloan.
“Nicole, you better make that statement a little clearer before I go to that bar and beat the hell out of every male there,” Damon’s deep voice boomed throughout the room.
“What’s the big deal?” Pam joined the group.
Duncan, who rarely said anything, snapped his head toward his mate. “Don’t even say it.”
“Say what?” Pam’s head snapped toward him. “That I’ve used the stripper pole? Well, I hate to disappoint ya, but I’ve used a stripper pole, but not the one at Tessa’s work.”
A deafening roar erupted in the room making Jill jump closer to Slade. Sloan actually stepped in front of Duncan. “Step down, Duncan.”
“If shit gets real and Warriors go wild, my ass is out the door,” Steve whispered to Adam, who was looking at Angelina with a questioning look. When Angelina smiled and nodded, Steve took a step back from Adam. “Ah, shit.”
Caroline laughed loudly along with Lana. Sid, who was grinning at what was going on concerning his brothers now dropped his grin, his fangs growing as he stared at Lana. “There’s going to be a lot of dead men in the Cincinnati area.” Sid’s tone was deadly.
“Oh, my God, this is classic,” Caroline laughed. “Tame down that testosterone, boys, before you blow the place up.”
“Caroline,” Sloan warned, shaking his head at her, but his eyes were on his Warriors who were about to go berserk with dominant force.
When the growls grew even louder, Caroline stepped into the middle of the angry crowd of Warriors. “Guys, seriously, get a grip. Do none of you remember the stripper pole craze?” When none of them answered, she sighed with a roll of her eyes. “It’s a great way to get in shape. Women everywhere were learning the art of pole dancing to either get in shape or to seduce their man.”
Jill grinned when Caroline looked at her then winked with a smug look.
“You know, if I was one of these women, I’d be pissed,” Caroline continued, then glared at Sid. “Actually, I am pissed because you, the person who is supposed to keep my sister happy in all things, just accused her of being a stripper.”
Sid’s head snapped back, a comical look of shock crossed his face. “No, I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did.” Caroline nodded along with all the other women, including Lana.
“You kind of did, bro,” Steve spoke up then jumped behind Sloan when Sid snapped at him with his large fangs. “But I don’t know shit so just don’t listen to me.”
“There is nothing wrong with strippers or stripper poles.” Caroline ignored Steve, turning her attention to Jared, then the rest of the Warriors.
“We didn’t say there was.” Jared’s face grew even angrier with frustration. “But if it’s my woman up there on a stripper pole, then I have a big fucking problem with it.”
“Even if she had to support herself,” Caroline kept going, liking the fact she could shake these Warriors up a little. “Most of these women are hardworking and just trying to get by.”
“She doesn’t have to support herself.” Jared pulled Tessa next to him, his arms wrapping around her. “At least not in that way because I will kill any son of a bitch who was dumb enough to even watch her.”
“Jared, I’m not a stripper.” Tessa laid her hand on his chest looking up at him. “And I haven’t used the stripper pole since you. It’s just a way the bar brings in money with contests and stuff. No one strips. Everyone has their clothes on.”
Caroline’s grin grew as she looked at Jill. “So, Jill, I think you have plenty of us here willing to help you on this mission.”
Jill never wanted to hug anyone more in her life than she did these women who were all grinning at her. Glancing at Sloan, who was still on edge but looking at her and not the Warriors, she knew this mission would either prove to them how serious she was about becoming a Warrior, or be the biggest fail in her life to this point. “When do we do this?”
“Three days.” Sloan nodded at her. “I will have everything in place by then.”
“Won’t she need to drive there?” Jax asked, staring at Jill, yet asking Sloan the question.
Jill looked up at Slade in horror. How did Jax know? Her gaze narrowed as she pinned first Adam then Steve with an ‘I will kill you’ look.
“Ah, yeah,” Sloan replied, frustration blazing from his eyes. “I guess there’s a reason behind your question, Jax.”
“Well, yes, sir, there is.” Jax looked away from Jill to Sloan. “She doesn’t have a driver’s license.”
Sloan stared at Jax for a few seconds before running his hand down his face. “Did you know this, Buchanan?”
“Yes, I did and it’s being taken care of,” Slade replied in his deep voice, which sounded confident as if it was already taken care of.
“It fucking better be,” Sloan growled, pointing at Jill then Slade.
Jax’s sly grin spread across his face when he looked at Jill, pissing her off. He was trying to get her in trouble as well as Slade, and she wanted to know why. “What is your problem?” She took two steps toward him before Slade stopped her.
“Just stating facts,” Jax replied, still grinning.
“Yeah, well, with all due respect, screw you and your facts.” Jill pointed at him. “I’m going to make it whether you like it or not, and the more you push me, the more I’m going to sacrifice to make it.”
Something flashed across Jax’s face, but then it was gone. “Yeah, good luck with that.”
“She’s not your sister,” Caroline, who had been watching closely, replied.
Jax’s whole body stiffened, his eyes turned dark as if a shutter slammed across them. “What did you just say?”
“You heard me.” Caroline didn’t back down when he took a step closer to her. “And I’m not afraid of you because your sister said you’d never hurt me.”
Jill witnessed for the first time since meeting the Warrior, who hated her for whatever reason, look unsure of himself. Slade positioned himself closer to Jax.
“Get out of my head,” he hissed at Caroline, his eyes narrowed.
“I’m not in your head,” Caroline countered. “She’s in mine. Well, actually, she’s not in my head, but standing right there.” She nodded to a place between them.
Jill almost felt sorry for Jax as pain and uncertainty flashed across his face when he looked at the spot Caroline indicated, but it was gone just as quickly as it came, anger replacing it. “You are a liar!” He pointed in Caroline’s face.
“Caroline,” Sloan warned her with a shake of his head. “That’s enough.”
Jill wondered if Caroline would continue and wasn’t surprised when she did.
“Alisha Wheeler is your sister’s name, is it not?” Caroline didn’t back down. She stood her ground staring directly at Jax who had finally dropped the finger he had pointed at her. When he didn’t answer, she sighed. “I’m not a liar, Jax Wheeler, but your sister wants you to help Jill.”
Jax stared at Caroline for what seemed like forever. Finally, he looked away to focus on Jill then back to Caroline. “Don’t ever mention her name to me again.” With that, he walked out, slamming the door so hard it broke off the hinges and would have hit Caroline if Sloan hadn’t pulled her out of the way.
Slade smiled as he left Duncan and Pam’s room after giving little Daniel his check-up. Seeing the badass Warrior, Duncan, pacing nervously was definitely a sight to see. Daniel was doing fine and growing normally, as any other eight-month-old child would grow. Slade had been worried at first that Daniel would have an accelerated growth, but that wasn’t the case. It puzzled him a great deal, but it was something he hadn’t been able to figure out yet, just as he hadn’t been able to figure out a lot of issues lately, namely Jill and his feelings toward her. Passing her room, he stopped, knowing she was in there, and the urge to knock on her door was overwhelming to the point he had to force himself to leave. It was a fight he was having with himself constantly. Hearing a loud bang come from her room, he turned around taking two steps back to her door, knocking loudly. He was ready to knock again after a few seconds before it opened.
“You okay?” he asked, looking over her head into her room.
“Yeah,” she replied with a small nod.
Slade spotted the
Driver’s Handbook
laying on the floor next to the door and immediately knew what the bang was he heard. Picking it up, he opened it to the question and answer page. “Unless posted, what is the speed limit in a residential area?” When Jill remained silent, Slade turned to look at her. “Jill?”
She stared at the book as if it was the devil himself. “Slow?” she replied, then frowned when he grinned. “I’m not stupid,” she hissed.
“I didn’t say you were,” he shot back, feeling bad for grinning, but her answer was cute. “Slow is good, but would it be 35, 25…”
“I don’t know.” Jill walked to her bed, plopping down with a sigh. “This is such a waste of time. Even if I somehow pass, there is no way they are going to give a license to someone who is dyslexic. I can’t even read the signs right.”
Slade sat down in a roll away chair next to a small desk. Putting both elbows on his knees, he leaned toward her. “So the woman who is going to go into a Gentlemen’s Club to dance is giving up on something as simple as this?” He held up the book.
“Simple for you.” Jill’s eyes were almost pleading with him to help her. “Impossible for me. Why can’t I just drive? I mean, if I practice driving, I’ll be fine.”
“Because it’s against the law.” Slade cocked his eyebrow at her, and then sighed at her defeated look. “Listen, I don’t know a lot about dyslexia, but I’ve done some research and I’m going to help you. You
will
pass the test.”
“Why?” Jill’s voice held the same shock her eyes relayed.
“Because I’m going to help you pass,” Slade replied, not exactly understanding what she was asking. He stretched his legs out trying to get comfortable in the little chair, but it was no use. The chair wasn’t made for his large frame. Standing up, he walked toward the bed. “Scoot over.”
Jill did, still looking at him as he sat on her bed, leaning against the bedframe. “No, I meant why did you research dyslexia?”
Slade was looking through the book to see where to start when she questioned him. Looking up, his eyes met hers and he felt a protective need to grab her, just to let her know she wasn’t alone. If he didn’t know anything at all about her and her past with her family, he could still read the loneliness in her eyes and it hit him hard. He was attracted to her in ways that he had never been attracted to another woman, but he wasn’t ready to admit that to anyone, even to himself.