Slade (The Protectors #6)

It really was pretty. The top was a draping soft cloth that connected at the neck by golden rings. She thought she heard Tessa say it was a cowl top, whatever that meant. All Jill knew, there wasn’t much to it and it barely covered what breasts she had. Though as she turned this way and that in the mirror, it did make her boobs look pretty good. It cut all the way down to her navel where the cloth gathered in a V-shape. When she moved to put the white boy shorts on, her boob popped out. “Are you kidding me?”


After stuffing her boob back in, she continued to pull the shorts up. Just below her belly button, three gold rings matching the top stretched across the shorts. The mirror was too high for her to see the shorts. Twisting, she tried to see her ass, but couldn’t. She did put her hands back there and felt a good amount of cheek. With one last look in the mirror, she headed out the door.

“Well, if my boob is supposed to pop out as well as my ass cheeks, then this should do just fine.” Jill looked up and stopped in mid-stride. Every Warrior was crammed in the room and every eye was on her.

“Holy fuck!” Jared choked out, but shut up when Tessa smacked him with the back of her hand.

“Yep, girls, we did it,” Nicole laughed and clapped her hands. “We have created a stripper. Damn girl, you are rockin’ in that−”

“No fucking way in hell are you wearing that!” Slade’s voice cut off Nicole as it boomed throughout the room. Daniel started to cry.

Duncan went over to pick up Daniel. “How about we give them a minute.” Duncan passed Slade, giving him a ‘you poor bastard’ look.

“I’ve got tape for your top to keep your boobs in,” Tessa leaned in to whisper to Jill before Jared could pull her out.

Jill watched the emotions cross Slade’s face. “It’s just a job, Slade. At least that’s what I keep telling myself.”

He rubbed his hand across his eyes, a deep scowl tightening his lips. “I seriously don’t think I can let you go in there.”

Instead of getting mad, Jill walked up to him. “I know this isn’t easy for you, Slade, but I have to do this and you have to let me. I’m going to be a Warrior. I want to be a Warrior and I want you to support me as a Warrior.”

Slade looked her over again, anger blazing in his eyes. Putting his hands on her shoulders, he set her back a few steps, turned and punched the wall, not once but twice. Rolling his shoulders, cracking his neck back and forth, he finally turned around.

Looking at the two holes in Jared’s wall, Jill frowned. “You feel better?”

“No.” His eyes roamed her body again. “Jesus, you’re beautiful. Though the wig can go.”

Jill blushed and actually felt beautiful. “Please support me in this, Slade.”

He nodded without saying a word, but cupped her face in his hands.

“I’m really nervous.” Jill’s eyes searched his. “I don’t want to let you down, the guys down.”

Something flashed in his eyes, but was gone. “You won’t.”

Suddenly, the door burst open and in walked Tessa, Nicole and Pam. “You know what, Warrior.” Nicole pointed her finger into his chest with each word. “You’re not the only one a little upset about this mission. Our guys are going into a strip club with beautiful women. Do you think we’re happy about that?”

“No, we are not,” Tessa added, then glanced at her wall. “What in the hell did you do to my wall?”

“You guys−” Jill tried to break in, but they weren’t having it.

“She is going to do this because it’s her job, just like it’s my man’s job to walk into a room full of beautiful women, who I know will be all over him.” Pam frowned, looking upset. “So you just need to get over it.”

Slade frowned at the women before looking back at Jill. Taking the studded choker from Tessa, he turned Jill around and placed it around her neck. Turning her back to face him, he took her into his arms and kissed her hard. “Stay safe and know I’ll be with you.” He tapped the choker and turned, just as Jared looked through the open door.

“You ready?” Jared looked at Slade. “We have to get moving.”

Slade didn’t say anything as he left the room, but Jared spotted his wall.

“What the hell did you do to my wall?” The men’s voices faded as they got further away from the room. “You will fix that, fucker.”

Jill stared at the empty doorway, the reality of what she was about to do hitting her like a sledgehammer to the stomach. “I think I’m going to be sick.” She ran to the bathroom, slamming the door shut.

“Ah, crap.” Nicole headed after Jill. “Get the makeup out for touch-up.

“Get the tape, too.” Jill shouted from the bathroom. “My boob keeps falling out.”

They laughed until they heard the retching from the bathroom, then they groaned.

*******

Everyone was in place, except for Jill who wasn’t due for another half an hour. Slade felt trapped in the surveillance van, but Sloan had been right. He couldn’t be trusted to be inside where he could reach out and beat the fuck out of anyone who even dared touch Jill.

“She’s going to be fine, man.” Jax was watching him. “She’s smart and thinks things through.”

“If I didn’t think she could pull this off, I wouldn’t have asked her in the first place,” Sloan added.

“And don’t think about how hot she looked,” Sid said through their earpieces. “She’s not really a stripper.”