Synergy: New Adult Romantic Suspense (U-District, #1)

by Ashland, Jodi

  With both hands firmly wrapped around the gun, she spoke calmly. “You know me, Donald, so believe me when I say this to you. If you don’t let him go, I will pull this trigger.”

  Donald turned to Jade and stared into the barrel of the gun.

  “You killed my grandmother, you stole from me. I will not let you take anything away from me ever again.”

  Jade’s hands weren’t shaking, she wasn’t crying, she wasn’t bluffing. “You know me. I don’t lie.”

  Donald continued to stare at her.

  Bryce’s face turned red, and his eyes rolled back in his head.

  “Do you want to die?” Jade started to pull back on the trigger, ready to fire.

  Bryce stopped struggling. He was close to death.

  “Let go of him, now!”

  Donald released Bryce, rolled onto his back, and started weeping. He made her sick.

  Neal pressed the palm of his hand over his wound. He was already on his cell phone, calling for an ambulance. “Keep the gun on him, Jade.” He winced. “Backup should be here any minute.”

  Jade wanted to run to Bryce, to pull him into her arms to make sure he was all right, but she couldn’t risk Donald making a move. He’d intended to kill all three of them. If he moved one inch, she would shoot him without hesitation.

  FOUR UNIFORMED OFFICERS came up to the roof, two flanking either side of them, guns drawn.

  “Put down the gun,” the officer in the lead said. Neal recognized him.

  “Officer Gomez,” Neal called out to him. “Apprehend Donald Haley, the man with the beard, before you have her surrender the weapon. He is extremely volatile and dangerous. He’s the one who shot me.”

  Gomez scanned the scene.

  Neal knew what was going through the officer’s mind. He’d see law enforcement down with a gunshot wound, a man lying unconscious or dead, another man lying on the ground weeping, and a girl pointing the gun at the weeping man.

  “Back away from Mr. Haley, ma’am.”

  Jade’s eyes darted from gun to gun, all aimed toward her. “I can’t.”

  “She’s injured. She can’t walk.” Neal coughed in pain.

  “I don’t like this situation, Detective. You two”—he pointed to his men—“come in behind the girl.” Officer Gomez kept his gun trained on Jade. “When they have their guns on Mr. Haley, I need you to lower your weapon, ma’am.”

  “Okay.” Jade nodded, her eyes wide open.

  Neal was impressed by Jade’s composure. She was nervous, but not once did her gun waver.

  Two officers walked up behind Jade. One knelt down and took the gun from her voluntarily.

  “We’re secure, sir. Take him.”

  Gomez and his partner walked cautiously toward Donald Haley.

  Haley’s eyes grew large when he noticed the handcuffs and the officers hovering over him. “No!” He shoved the closest officer.

  Neal blanched. The two officers behind Jade were ready to shoot. This man had already shot one of their own. They wouldn’t hesitate to take him down. He prayed Jade wouldn’t be caught in the crossfire.

  Gomez came in from behind to restrain Haley. It took a lot of effort for both officers to handcuff him. Once he was in restraints, Donald stopped struggling and started to weep again.

  Neal closed his eyes when Gomez and his partner escorted Haley off the roof. Jade had confirmed his suspicions. Gloria had been murdered, and her killer would finally be brought to justice.

  I hope you rot in jail.

  JADE CRAWLED OVER TO BRYCE. She placed both hands on his cheeks. “Bryce.”

  There was no response.

  “Bryce, wake up.” She leaned her head down to hear if he was breathing.

  Nothing.

  “Bryce, please, please, wake up. I need you.” Tears flowed freely down her cheeks. Panic gripped her heart and squeezed. She couldn’t lose him now, after everything they’d been through, after waiting for so long to be with him. He was her other half, the one who made her whole.

  She shook him. “Please.”

  Still nothing.

  Her chest constricted, the weight of loss making it difficult to breathe. She kissed his lips, his cheek, his forehead. “I can’t lose you.”

  Two paramedics rushed up to Neal. His eyes locked with hers. He pointed to Bryce. “Help him. He’s unconscious.”

  Jade sat up when a paramedic knelt beside her. “You have to help him, please.”

  The paramedic put two fingers to Bryce’s throat. “I have a pulse.”

  The vise around her heart slipped.

  “He’s just unconscious.” He pulled a small packet out of his bag, ripped it open, and waved it under Bryce’s nose.

  Bryce began to stir.

  The vise around her heart released.

  “Bryce, talk to me. Please.”

  JADE’S VOICE PLEADED with him from far away. She was in danger. Somehow, Bryce knew she was in danger. He opened his eyes and squinted, the sun blinding him.

  A fog slowly lifted from his brain as he suddenly remembered and sat upright to defend her against Donald.

  “Take it easy. You passed out.” Jade placed a hand on his cheek. “Donald’s gone. They arrested him.”

  Bryce shook his head, letting the last threads of unconsciousness fade away. He grabbed Jade and enveloped her in his arms. He’d almost lost her. That son of a bitch had almost taken her from him. Raw terror had filled him when Donald had held her near the edge of the roof. If anything had happened to Jade, if anything had happened… he couldn’t bear to think of it.

  “I thought I’d lost you,” Jade said.

  “Never.” He found her lips, warm, inviting. “There’s nothing you can do to ever get rid of me.”

  “Does that mean you forgive me?

  “For what?”

  “For not trusting you.”

  “I was a suspect. My silver dollar was in your condo, and I couldn’t explain it. You did the right thing. And you never gave up trying to prove me innocent.”

  “That’s because I didn’t want to lose you. I love you.” She pressed her lips to his.

  He pulled her in, needing to taste her, to feel her warmth in his arms, to know she was safe, to know she was his.

  “We need to get you both to the hospital,” the paramedic next to him said.

  Bryce broke the kiss reluctantly. He rose with Jade in his arms.

  She bit her lip and stifled a moan. He hated causing her pain. If he could take it away from her, he would. Jade laid her cheek on his chest.

  He cradled her close and remembered the first time he’d ever felt the need to protect her. Everything had changed that day. Once again she was where she belonged, right here in his arms.

  HAVING A BULLET TEAR through his shoulder was no picnic. Neal had never endured this much pain before. The meds were starting to wear off. He pressed the button to call in the nurse.

  “I’d swear you’re following me around,” Kenzie Ballinger said when she walked into his room in her light blue nurse’s uniform. Her red curls were pulled back into a ponytail.

  Neal lifted his head off the pillow and tried to sit taller. “I didn’t have any more excuses to see you, so I thought what the heck, a gunshot wound should do the trick.”

  “A phone call would have worked too.” Although she was smiling, concern lurked in her eyes. “I couldn’t believe it when I saw your name on the chart. I asked to take this shift. How are you feeling?”

  He let his head fall back on the pillow. He’d lost a lot of blood and didn’t have the strength to keep up the pretense. “I’m not going to lie, it hurts like hell.”

  “You’re due for another dose of medication in five minutes. Let me get your vitals first.” Kenzie wrapped a blood pressure cuff around his arm and took his pulse.

  She smelled of fresh soap, much more inviting that the antiseptic odor of his room.

  The heart rate monitor started beeping faster; she was so close to him, so very close. Guess there wa
s no disguising how his body reacted around her. And if he was reacting this way with a hole through his shoulder, he’d hate to see what the machine would do when he was in good working order.

  She glanced at the monitor and a knowing smile crossed her lips. “Despite the apparent rise in your heart rate, your blood pressure is still low.”

  She’d caught him red-handed, and she had a sense of humor too.

  “Let’s take your temperature.”

  Oh, the things his partner would say to that.

  She slid a thermometer into his mouth and placed her hand on his forehead. Then she touched his cheek with the back of her soft fingers. If he didn’t have a fever before, he was sure he had one now.

  He studied her deep green eyes, the color of the sea along the Cancun coastline.

  “You’re not running a fever.”

  Are you sure? You might want to check it again. The minute she moved away from him, the distraction was gone. He was uncomfortable, not just his shoulder, but his back on the hard hospital bed. Neal tried to shift his body up with one arm. He cringed in pain.

  “Here, let me help.” Kenzie put her arm under his uninjured side and helped him.

  Damn, she smelled good. When she started to pull away, he reached for her hand. “Thank you.”

  She laid her hand on top of his. “No. I should be thanking you for helping Bryce and Jade. This is the least I can do. Now lean forward.” Kenzie slid a pillow behind his back. “Is that better?”

  “I’m always better when I have a beautiful woman helping me.”

  Color rose to her cheeks.

  Jade stood on crutches in his doorway. She was starting to back away. “Jade.”

  “Sorry. Am I interrupting?”

  “No, come in. How are you?” Neal glanced down at her bandaged leg.

  “It’s not broken. It’ll take a few days for the swelling to go down. I’m not supposed to put any weight on it yet. How are you?”

  “The bullet went through cleanly and they’ve loaded me up on antibiotics and pain killers. I should be out of here in no time. Nurse Ballinger is taking good care of me.” Neal winked at Kenzie.

  Jade swung into the room on her crutches. “I’m really sorry, Neal. I should have listened to you and not gone to work today. You warned me.” She stopped a few feet from his bed.

  “Hey, it’s not your fault. Haley had all of us fooled and he covered his tracks well. If it weren’t for you, we’d all be dead right now.”

  “I can’t take the credit. I think we all played a role.”

  “Spoken like a true leader.” Neal smiled. “Where’s Bryce? He was the last person I expected to save my life. I owe him one.”

  Sadness crept into her eyes. “I haven’t seen him since he put me in the ambulance.”

  “He’s a good man.”

  “I know.” She looked down at the floor.

  “You’re worried about him.”

  She looked at Kenzie and then back at him. “I just keep thinking, could he really forgive me, after everything I put him through?”

  Kenzie stepped toward Jade. “Bryce loves you. He understands.”

  “I just feel I need to make it up to him. To show him how much I really love him. I—” She stopped mid-sentence. The worry lines on her face suddenly disappeared, and a slow smile formed on her lips. Her eyes sparkled. “I’ve got to go.”

  “No problem.” Neal was glad to see the weight lift from her shoulders. “Don’t forget to thank Bryce for me.”

  “I will, I promise. Take care of him,” Jade said to Kenzie.

  “That’s what I’m here for.”

  “Neal!” His sister Selena rushed past Jade and threw her arms around him.

  Kenzie barely got out of the way, her smile gone.

  He hoped he was reading the signals right. Was she jealous? He grunted in pain when Selena squeezed him tightly. “Hey, Silly, what are you doing here?”

  Her head popped up. “What do you mean what am I doing here? You’ve been shot.”

  “I’m fine, it went clear through. I’ll be as good as new in no time.”

  “You better be, or I’ll kick your ass.”

  Neal laughed, which was the wrong thing to do after a bullet had plowed through his shoulder.

  “This isn’t funny.” A tear rolled down her cheek. “You could have died.”

  “Hey.” He swiped the tear away with his thumb. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  “You can’t leave me. You’re all I’ve got left.”

  “I made a promise to you, and I intend to keep it. I’m not going anywhere. Now get off me. You’re hurting me.”

  “Why didn’t you say so, you moron.” She sat up and held his hand in hers. Her hair, the color of honey, had grown past her shoulders. Her dark brown eyes, a mirror of his own, while teary, no longer held the deep grief she’d carried so long. She was finally moving on with her life, and he was happy she was here.

  He squeezed her hand. “Selena, this is Jade Buchanan, and that beautiful nurse is Kenzie Ballinger.”

  “Beautiful nurse, huh? I guess my brother can’t be that hurt if he’s flirting.”

  Kenzie turned to the computer and typed in something. Then she pulled out a needle and injected morphine into his IV.

  Damn, he’d embarrassed Kenzie. Probably not the best thing to do when he was seriously interested in her. If he weren’t on these meds, he wouldn’t have said that. It was no excuse.

  “Nice to meet you, Selena.” Jade turned to leave. “I’ll give you some time with your brother. He’s a true hero.”

  CHAPTER 36

  IT WAS HARD TO BELIEVE, but Gloria’s lawyer had summoned him again, just two weeks after the shooting. Bryce walked into Ted Dawson’s office ready to get this over with. He hoped this was the last time he met with Gloria’s lawyer in this capacity. He’d sign whatever papers needed signing and then move on with this chapter of his life.

  “Ted.” Bryce held out his hand. “It’s good to see you again.”

  “Likewise, Bryce. How are things at Synergy?”

  “We caught a break. Detective Hawkins got the DA to lessen the charges against Donald’s wife as long as he pleaded guilty and disclosed the location of the stolen funds. We’ll recover over four million.”

  “I was glad to hear the DA is pushing for a life sentence for the murders. I’m curious. How was Arnie involved?”

  “I don’t know much, but apparently Arnie figured out what Donald was doing, given he worked in Purchasing and knew the suppliers. So Donald cut Arnie in on his take, and when Arnie wanted out…”

  “I can still hardly believe it happened. Donald and Arnie seemed like decent guys.” Ted shrugged. “I guess you just never know. So, how are things going with you?”

  “Good, actually, really good. We’ve hired a new director of Finance who has identified and corrected the bad invoicing. I’ve got two more large orders I’m negotiating as we speak. We expect to bring in a healthy profit this year.”

  “Fantastic. I have to admit, I wasn’t sure Gloria was in her right mind naming Jade as CEO when she did. If Gloria knew anything about the trouble Synergy was in, I feel confident in saying she would have just sold the company. I’m sure she’s very proud of Jade and you for turning the company around.”

  “I hope so.” Bryce smiled.

  “I brought you here for two reasons. The first is this.” Ted handed him a piece of paper.

  Bryce stared down at it. “I don’t understand.”

  “Jade signed over her shares of the company to you. You now have controlling interest in Synergy Technologies.”

  “No.” He shoved the paper back at the lawyer. “I won’t accept this.”

  “She’s already signed the document. The shares are yours.”

  “What’s this about?”

  “I’m afraid you’ll have to ask her.” Ted handed him a black velvet box. “This is from Gloria.”

  Bryce opened the small box and stared at the platinum gold
diamond ring. The center diamond, at least a carat, was cut in a teardrop shape and surrounded by smaller diamonds. He recognized the ring immediately.

  “This is also from Gloria.” Ted slid an envelope across the desk.

  Bryce looked up, baffled. He opened the envelope and read.

  Bryce,

  This ring was given to me by my husband of thirty-two years. We had a strong and loving marriage, one I hope to pass on. I am very proud of you. If ever I was to have had a grandson, it would have been you. It is my deepest wish you give this ring to a very special woman and take care of her. May you live a long, passionate, happy life, as I was lucky to do.

  Gloria

  Bryce glanced at Ted. “Why didn’t she give the ring to Grace or Jade?”

  “I don’t know. I wondered that same thing myself. All I can tell you is she said she wanted it to stay in the family.”

  Bryce stared at the ring. Why would Gloria give me her wedding ring? How could she have possibly known I’d fall in love with Jade? Bryce shook his head to clear his thoughts. “Is there anything else?”

  “Not for you. I mailed a letter to Jade this morning. It was the last thing Gloria asked me to do.”

  “I hope to see you under different circumstances in the future, Ted.” Bryce shook his hand. “I’ll see myself out. I have somewhere important to be.”

  TEARS RAN DOWN JADE’S CHEEKS as she sat at her small kitchen table. She ignored Whiskers rubbing his soft fur along her bare legs and read the letter again.

  My dearest Jade,

  I hope now that time has gone by, you have found it in your heart to forgive me. Know that I love you very much and want only what is best for you. By now, you are the CEO of my company. I know how stubborn you can be, a trait you inherited no doubt from me. I also know that you would never have let me sell Synergy and that taking over as CEO must have been very challenging for you. In time, you will make the company yours and will become a strong CEO. Believe in yourself, Jade. I know you can do it. Soon, you will have to make a decision, one that will change your life forever. Know that whatever decision you make, I am very proud of you. It is my dearest wish that whatever you decide, you are happy.