Synergy: New Adult Romantic Suspense (U-District, #1) (43 page)

Donald stood over the cop and took aim at his heart.

BRYCE CHARGED FORWARD
and rammed into Donald. It took a lot to take down almost three hundred pounds. The gun went off again, the sound almost deafening. Both of them fell hard, and the gun flew out of Donald’s hands.

Bryce landed on top of him. The pain he’d expected from the gunshot never came. The bullet had missed its mark.

Donald’s enormous hands found their way around his throat. No longer handcuffed, thanks to Neal slipping him the key, Bryce pounded a fist into Donald’s face, again and again. Donald rolled them over, using his massive weight to pin Bryce down, then he squeezed harder, his hands wrapping almost completely around Bryce’s neck.

Bryce couldn’t get air into his lungs. He swung wildly at Donald, tried desperately to roll to one side, to knee him in the back. Nothing was working. Donald’s eyes were black with rage and he wouldn’t let go.

Bryce’s vision grayed. He tried to say “Don’t,” but no sound came out of his mouth. He needed air. He was suffocating.

ON TWO HANDS AND ONE KNEE,
Jade crawled to get to the gun. Her fingers trembled when they clasped around the cold handle. Bryce was fighting for his life, and she was not going to let Donald take him away from her. Anger helped her push through the pain as she crept within two feet of Donald and pointed the gun directly at his head.

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.