However, he’d been unable to talk her out of going, so he’d keep himself busy while waiting to hear if she would finally be safe and Frank’s killer was in custody.
He dialed Lisa’s number.
“Hello?”
“It’s Bryce, Lisa. How are you doing?”
“I’m...not good.”
“I know. I shouldn’t have asked.”
“No, it’s not just about Frank’s death. I found his journal. He left it here last weekend when he stayed with us.”
“He left his journal behind?”
“Trust me, I was incredibly surprised. He would only have forgotten to grab it if he was distracted. Which he was.”
“You’re not the first person to say that. Tony Swift, the owner of the shooting range, said Frank had been in a lot lately and seemed to have something on his mind.”
“Exactly. I left him a message that I had it, but he never called me back. I’d put it in the drawer of the nightstand in the room he uses. With all of the craziness of the last few days, I’d forgotten about it. George went in there a little while ago and found it.” She cleared her throat. “I...ah...opened it up and read a few pages.” She paused. “Bryce, you spoke to Frank a lot since coming home. Did he ever say anything about calling off the wedding?”
Bryce stilled. “No. Why?”
“It’s one of his last entries. He said he was marrying Heather for the wrong reasons and was going to talk to her about calling it off. I think that might be what had him so preoccupied over the last few weeks.”
“It could be, but he didn’t say a word to me.”
“He wouldn’t unless he’d talked to Heather first.”
“Of course not.” Now he needed to talk to Heather. “I don’t think Heather knows, either. She hasn’t said anything. Certainly not to Jade. I’m pretty sure she would have told me. Did Frank say why he wanted to call it off? Other than that he was marrying her for the wrong reasons?”
“I don’t know. I felt so guilty reading it that I shut it.”
“This could be important. I need you to read through it and tell me if there’s anything in there about the investigation he was doing.”
“I... I can’t, Bryce.” Her voice grew tight. “It’s just too soon. We haven’t even buried him yet. I can’t read his journal. Why don’t I bring it to you first thing in the morning and you can read it.”
Bryce hesitated. He really wanted his hands on that journal. Frank might have mentioned something vital about what he was investigating—and whether that something had led to his death. “Okay. If it’s not too much trouble.” He wasn’t sure it would be much easier for him, but he’d do it.
“It’s not,” she said. “See you soon.”
Bryce hung up and pressed his fingers to his eyes, then pulled up Jade’s text. Anything new? he asked.
Still waiting.
Should he say anything about Frank having second thoughts about the wedding?
Gotta go. Someone just pulled up.
Bryce closed his eyes to pray. Then opened them and grabbed his keys. Sitting here while Jade put her life on the line just wasn’t going to happen.
* * *
Jade sat in the command van and kept her eyes on the monitor, watching as a white truck pulled into the parking lot of the warehouse. With the earpiece in her left ear, she could hear the captain’s voice like he was standing next to her instead of in one of the unmarked police SUVs now closing in around the perimeter of the warehouse.
“Just got word that Dylan’s family is safe and the three men who were watching the house are in custody,” the captain said. “I sent officers over there, and they’ve been waiting for this moment to move in. If we’d tried to do it too soon, we would have tipped off the ring, but the timing was perfect and it went off without a hitch. Everyone is safe. Dylan? You hear that?”
“Yes, sir. Thank you.”
“Now it’s time to get the rest of them.”
Dylan rolled in shortly after the van.
“There he is,” Captain Colson said. “Keep eyes on him. And keep the body cams rolling. We do this by the book and take no chances on any lawyers getting these people off.”
Affirmatives echoed.
Jade gripped her weapon and made an effort to control her breathing. This was what she was trained for. Hours and hours. Trained to work as a team, to go in and catch the bad guys. To make her hometown a safer place for the people she loved. For her child—and, hopefully, future children. Gage and Jessica’s sweet faces flashed in her mind. How she prayed her parents were able to adopt them without any glitches holding things up.
“Let ’em get comfortable,” the captain said softly.
The van doors opened, and two men climbed out, then disappeared inside the warehouse.
Tense seconds passed. On the captain’s signal, Jade slipped from the command center van behind two team members and together, they scurried to the door. She took up a position on one side, connected eyes with the officer opposite her and nodded. He twisted the knob and pushed the door in. “Police! Everybody on the ground!”
“Show me your hands!”
Jade wasn’t sure who called the order as she and the others swarmed inside the building like ants on a hill. She held her weapon in front of her, sweeping it to cover the four men in the back of the warehouse. “Down on the floor!”
Two dropped, and two ran.
Jade bolted after the one closest to her. He darted toward the exit, and she quickly closed the gap. “Police! Stop right there!”
Of course he didn’t.
He reached the exit door. Pressed the bar—and went nowhere. The door was locked. Jade slammed into him, knocking the weapon from the back of his waistband. It clattered to the floor and he spun, fist shooting out. She ducked and threw a punch to his solar plexus.
The breath left him and he doubled over. She brought a knee up and caught him in the chin. He cried out and went down. “Stay there and put your hands behind your back.”
Wonder of wonders, he did. Jade snapped the handcuffs around his wrists and hauled him to his feet. He swayed, and she kept a grip on him. Looking around, she noted the others were in custody while yet more officers gathered the evidence. It was over. Before the sun came up, she had no doubt the rest of the ring would be captured.
And she and her family would finally be safe.
She directed her prisoner toward the entrance she and the team had breached and stepped outside to see Bryce standing next to her cruiser, Sasha at his side. Her eyes locked on his and her heart thudded a new beat in her chest. How could she still be so attracted to him when their future was still uncertain?
Grief shot through her, making her swallow a gasp. By the time she had the prisoner in the back of the car, she had her emotions under control.
As she shut the back door, locking the man in the back seat, she found herself watching her fellow officers do the same with the other prisoners.
She just had one question. Which one of them had murdered her friend, attacked her and burned her home, and had basically been making her life miserable lately?
She blew out a low breath. Time to find out.
* * *
Bryce stayed put, his fears eased at seeing Jade alive and well, doing her job with the confidence of one who was well trained and comfortable with her position. His respect for her just went up another notch—and it was already high to begin with.
Once she had her prisoner situated in the back of her vehicle, she shut the door and walked over to him. “Couldn’t stay away, could you?”
“No.”
Jade scratched Sasha’s ears and gave him a small smile. “I think we got them all,” she said. “All of the ones at the top, anyway. I’m sure there are a few low-level stragglers still out there, but we’ll catch them soon.”
“Y
ou think someone will cut a deal?”
She nodded. “I do.”
“I was scared for you.”
She stiffened and narrowed her eyes. “There’s no reason to be. I’m good at what I do.”
“I know. You have a dangerous job, but seeing you in action helped me. I might be concerned and pray for your safety, but I don’t think I’d be excessively worried you wouldn’t come home at the end of the day.”
Come home at the end of the day? Heat crept up his neck when he realized the way that sounded. Like they were a couple...or something. She obviously wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that and cleared her throat. “Yes, well, that’s good. I guess.”
“I guess.”
He searched for something to say to address his verbal blunder, but before he could think of anything, she patted him on the arm.
“I have to take this guy in,” she said.
He blinked. “Oh, I had something else I wanted to run by you. I talked to Lisa.”
“And?”
“She found Frank’s journal. He kept something like a diary, I guess. Anyway, she said she read some of it. Enough to know that Frank was planning on calling off the wedding.”
Jade gasped. “What?”
“So you hadn’t heard anything to that effect?”
“Of course not. Does Heather know?”
“I have no idea. I wanted to run this by you before I said anything to her.”
“Good. I’m glad you did.” She blew out a low sigh. “Okay, let me take care of this guy and then I’ll find Heather and ask her what was going on.”
“You want me to come with you?”
“No.” She bit her lip and paused. “In fact, now that I think about it, I’m not sure I even want to say anything to her. I mean, if she doesn’t know, why open that can of worms? Why hurt her like that?”
“Good point.”
Jade shook her head. “I’ll think on this after I get this guy taken care of. Just don’t do anything yet, all right?”
“Of course. Lisa’s bringing me his journal first thing in the morning. I’ll read though it, and that might give us some more information or insight into what Frank was thinking. Maybe she misunderstood or read something out of context.”
“Yes.” She grabbed that bit of hope and backed toward the cruiser. “Read it and fill me in.”
He nodded. “Be careful.”
“Always.” She pulled her coat tighter around her neck and grinned. “It feels good.”
“What does?”
“One of these guys is probably Frank’s killer—and the person after me. I think I’m good to go now.”
“Yeah. Still, watch your back until we know for sure, okay?”
“Of course.”
* * *
Jade climbed into her SUV and glanced in the rearview mirror. Her prisoner glared at her, and she shot him a tight smile. He looked away as she pulled out of the parking lot. At least tonight, the citizens of Cedar Canyon didn’t have to worry about a drug ring.
Tomorrow might be another story, but tonight the leaders were in jail. It felt good. As she drove, her thoughts turned to the questions just raised by Bryce.
Frank was going to call off the wedding? Why? Had he met someone else? Surely not. Then—again—why? And had Heather known about Frank’s cold feet?
No way. Heather would have told her. Right?
Then again, like Bryce said, it could have just been a misunderstanding on Lisa’s part. She continued to mull over what the right thing to do would be. Ask Heather...or not? By the time she had her prisoner processed into the jail, she still hadn’t come to a decision.
But it sure was nice not to have to look over her shoulder anymore.
At least until she caught sight of the headlights in her rearview mirror. They were closing in—and fast.
Jade frowned, tension threading from one shoulder to the next. The driver was going way too quickly. She flipped on her blue lights and slowed. The headlights grew brighter, and her stomach dipped as she realized the person was going to hit her. She jammed the gas pedal and shot forward. However, the car behind her stayed right on her tail.
And then the lights disappeared.
“What are you doing?” she whispered.
The slam into her rear bumper threw her forward against her seat belt, and she hit the brakes out of reflex. The wheel spun under her grip and the SUV whipped sideways. She jerked against the seat belt and slammed her head on the window. Stars flashed. The vehicle tilted on two wheels then crashed onto the asphalt.
Stunned, she hung suspended by the seat belt. Her only thought was that she and her fellow officers had somehow missed a drug dealer. The most important one had gotten away. The one who wanted her dead.
FOURTEEN
Bryce stood with Captain Colson, who insisted he go over everything Frank had initially told him when he’d asked him to investigate the four officers—including Colson. He wanted to know why Frank had him on the list.
“I don’t know. He never said how he picked his suspects.” The man didn’t seem terribly bothered by it. He seemed more curious than anything—which Bryce could understand. “It could have had something to with your more than usual involvement in the case.”
“I was staying on top of it because the commander asked me to—and because I knew the kid who’s still in the ICU.” His jaw worked. “This is something this town hasn’t dealt with before. Don’t get me wrong. I know we have our share of drugs running in and out, but this ring...it was killing our kids, and that had to stop. So, yeah, I’ve been vigilant in keeping up with every last detail pertaining to the investigation.”
“I understand.”
The captain’s radio chirped, and a voice came over the airwaves. “That’s dispatch.” He pressed the button. “Go ahead. Over.”
“Officer down on Gowen Road. Officer down. Be on the lookout for a black Tahoe, license plate ending in 09.”
“Who is it? Over.”
“Jade Hollis.”
Everything in Bryce stilled for a split second before he grabbed his keys from his pocket and gave Sasha’s leash a yank. “Sasha, car!”
She responded to his urgency, and they bolted toward his vehicle with the captain’s voice ringing in his ears.
Once he was on the road, headed in Jade’s direction, he directed his phone to call Jade.
For once the voice command actually worked and the call went through. His heart hammered in his chest while fear sucked the air from his lungs. Pick up, pick up.
On the last ring before voice mail, the line clicked. He heard a groan. “Jade? Jade!”
“Ugh. I’m here.”
Relief crashed over him. “Are you okay?”
“Trying to figure that out. I’ll let you know in a minute.”
“I’m almost there. Only a couple of minutes out. So are other officers. I was with Captain Colson when the call came in about an officer down and then dispatch said your name—” He stopped and sucked in a breath. Later. He could deal with his terror later. All that mattered was she’d answered her phone and was talking to him. Breathing air. Still alive. “Stay on the phone with me.”
“I’m trapped in my seat belt. I need to get out of it.”
“Don’t hang up.”
“I won’t. You’re on speakerphone.”
He heard rustling. A grunt. Then a thud. “Jade?”
“I’m okay,” she gasped. “Just had a bit of a hard landing when I released my seat belt.”
The picture that statement presented didn’t help his worry. And then he saw her up ahead. He pressed the gas pedal and heard sirens behind him. The sight of her SUV on its right side sent a wave of nausea crashing over him. But she was on the phone. She was okay. “I’m here.”
“I’ve got the window rolled down and am getti
ng ready to climb out. Driver’s side.”
Her head popped up and he pulled in beside her as she pulled herself out of the window and slid down the roof to the ground.
Bryce captured her into a quick hug before stepping back to check for injuries. Hopefully, the fact that she was able to climb out meant she wasn’t hurt too badly. “You’ve got a cut on your forehead.”
“And likely a bruise from the seat belt is going to show up and look lovely.”
“I think it’s time to start wrapping you in bubble wrap or body armor or something.”
She grimaced but didn’t argue.
Police cruisers pulled in, and officers surrounded them. Concern for Jade was obvious, and Bryce could see the close bond she had with her fellow officers. He flashed briefly to that remembered camaraderie he used to share with the buddies he’d served with. After the explosion and the loss of his leg, he’d shoved them all away and cut himself off. He’d think about the regret later. “How did this happen?” he asked.
“Guy ran me off the road.”
“But...why?”
“I don’t know. Trust me, I’ve been going over and over this in my head. The only thing I can think of is that we missed someone in the sting.”
“Then the person who wants you dead is still out there.”
“Apparently.” She raked a hand through her ponytail, and Bryce noted several cuts and scrapes.
“You need to go to the hospital and get checked out.”
“I’m fine. I just need to go to my parents’ house and get cleaned up.”
He started to argue with her, then snapped his lips shut. He didn’t blame her for not wanting to go to the hospital, but that meant he’d need to keep a close eye on her. “You’re going to insist on staying at your parents’ place, aren’t you?”
“Of course.”
“Of course. Then I’m letting the captain know you still need protection.”
* * *
Jade’s eyes popped open and she rolled over, stifling her groan. More aches and pains. Would she ever know what it felt like to be pain-free again? The paramedics had taped the cut on her forehead, declared her concussion-free, and told her to be careful.
Holiday Homecoming Secrets Page 15