Page 8 of Christmas Homecoming Secrets

Bryce gave a low groan. “He thought there might be some cops—or at least one—on a drug ring’s payroll, but he didn’t know who.

He just had his suspicions and told me who he wanted me to ride with.

He wanted to know if any of them made unauthorized stops or met with anyone suspicious.

Honestly, I didn’t know what exactly I was looking for, but Frank seemed to think I’d recognize it when I saw it—probably a phone call or a meeting that didn’t look on the up and up. I don’t know.”

Tony caught her attention and motioned for her to follow him to the back. Bryce stayed on her heels and she let him. Once in his office, Tony jabbed a finger at her. “You’ve got to leave. You’re going to get me killed.”

Jade blinked. “What are you talking about?”

“Frank was making enemies left and right. And now you tell me he’s disappeared. You two need to be smart and learn from that. Get out and don’t come back here unless it’s to shoot.”

“Tony, if you’re worried about—”

A shot rang out, and Jade and Bryce ducked as one. Glass from the shattered window hit the floor the same time as Tony, the blood stain on his chest growing bigger by the second. The second bullet whizzed past Jade’s left ear, and she grabbed Bryce’s arm as she threw herself behind the desk.

Bryce landed in an awkward heap next to Jade, thrown off balance by her frantic yank. She scrambled around him. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. You?”

“Can you check on Tony and call 911 while I go after the shooter?”

She pulled her gun from her holster and, without waiting for an answer, headed for the office back door.

“Jade! Don’t!”

* * *

Of course, she ignored him. Heart thundering, fighting his protective instincts that urged him to go after her and the need to help the wounded man, Bryce reminded himself that this was Jade’s job and she was trained for this.

Then again, so was he. Flashes from the past rose to haunt him, gunfire erupting in his mind while his buddies fell around him.

Save them, have to save them!

Bryce crawled over to Tony, ignoring the pull of memories he’d thought he’d dealt with. Bullets popping. Bombs exploding. He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth. Help him!

The man was conscious and his hand gripped Bryce’s. “How bad is it?”

Bryce’s eyes shot open, his mind cleared and training took over.

“Not that bad. Hold on.” Spotting a roll of unopened cleaning rags on the bottom shelf next to the desk, Bryce grabbed them and yanked out a handful.

Turning, he pressed them to the wound in Tony’s side.

Keeping pressure on the area, Bryce dialed 911.

“911. What’s your emergency?”

He rattled off the information as fast—and as clearly—as possible. “One man shot. Officer needs help. And I need an ambulance.”

The sound of fingers clicking on the keyboard reached him. “One’s on the way.”

God, please protect Jade and don’t let Tony die.

“Hang on, buddy,” he said. “Help’s coming.”

“It’s bad, isn’t it?” Tony gasped.

“Naw, just a nick.” Bryce fell back into combat zone mentality. No matter how bad it is, don’t say. The roll of duct tape on the top shelf caught his attention. He took Tony’s hand and pressed it over the wound. “Hold this and don’t let go.”

Tony’s pain-filled gaze met his. “Come on, man. How bad? I…served, too.”

“Yeah, well, this isn’t the Middle East. You’re going to be fine.” He grabbed the tape and ripped strips, then pressed them over the rags. Tony hissed at the pressure. “You hear me? Help’s on the way. You’re going to be all right.”

No response. He turned. Tony’s dark eyelashes rested on waxen cheeks, and his chest rose with shallow breaths. Blood trickled from the side of his mouth. Bryce’s tension amped higher. “Hold on, Tony,” he whispered. “Please hold on.”

Incoming! The explosion rocked him, but only in his mind. Sweat poured from him.

Bryce shook his head.

“Bryce!”

He turned to find Jade staring at him.

“You okay?” she asked.

How long had she been calling his name? He sucked in a breath. “Yeah. Fine. Where’s backup and the paramedics?”

“Almost here. How’s Tony?”

“He’s unconscious, but still breathing.”

Another long minute passed, but finally the sound of sirens reached him. Officers rushed in. As soon as they cleared the scene, paramedics hurried to Tony, and Bryce stepped back.

He turned to Jade, who studied him. “You sure you’re all right?” she asked, her eyes clouded with concern.

“I’m fine. What have you got?”

She held up a bag. “Found the weapon. A witness saw him toss it into a trash can. Probably worried about getting caught with it. I’m going to get the registration number off this weapon and see if we can find out who it’s registered to.”

“If it’s registered,” Bryce said.

“True.”

Bryce waited while Jade spoke to fellow officers and passed the weapon off to one of the crime scene unit members.

Two hours later, Bryce had finished giving his own statement and was now in the role of observer, trying to figure out his next move while he studied the cops on the scene.

Not that the cops Frank suspected of being dirty would have it stamped on their forehead, but he wanted to remember faces. He would put names to them later.

Jade approached, looking tired and worried. “You okay?” he asked.

She kept asking him that and he wondered what he’d done to give away his internal struggle against the memories. “Sure. I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not.”

“Yeah, I am. What about you?”

She arched a brow at him, and he knew he wasn’t fooling her. “Ready to go home,” she said. “I can do the paperwork on this from there.”

“I’ll follow you,” he said.

“No need. I have to stop and get a Christmas tree before I walk through the door or my name will be mud.”

“I’ll still go with you.”

She didn’t move, just studied him, a new look in her eyes. A guarded one that he didn’t like. Before he could wonder about the source of it, she shook her head.

“What am I missing, Bryce?”

“What do you mean?”

“Who was the target? Tony? Or me? Us? I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Tony got shot the morning I came to talk to him.”

“I agree.” He paused. “Did someone follow you here?”

“Possibly. Or you.” She rubbed her head as her phone buzzed. “Detective Hollis. Uh-huh. Okay, thanks. That’s kind of what I figured.” When she hung up, Bryce raised a brow. “The weapon I recovered was stolen.”

“Of course it was.”

“Yeah.”

“So, what now? Home or…?” He let his sentence trail off, hoping she’d fill in the blank.

“Now we check with Heather and see if she’s heard anything from any of Frank’s friends on our way to the hospital to check on Tony Swift.” She cut her eyes to Bryce. “He knows way more than he was telling us. Then I find a Christmas tree and go home to decorate it with my—um—the kids.”

“How many kids are staying with your parents right now?”

“Just…well, three.”

“It’s crazy to think how many kids have come and gone over the years. They’re really special people.”

“I know.” She paused. “They’re talking about adopting the twins in their care right now.”

“Oh. Really?”

“Yes.”

“Wow.” He cleared his throat. “That’s a lot of responsibility.”

Her eyes went frosty. “No kidding. I’ll be sure to pass that tip on to them.”

“I didn’t mean—”

“Some of us don’t run away from responsibility. Some of us actually embrace it.”

He blinked at the hostility shimmering in her voice. “Hey, Jade, I didn’t mean anything—”

“Don’t worry about it. Are you ready to head to the hospital?”

He stared at her for a moment before shrugging. “Um…sure.”

“Great. You can follow me if that’s all right with you.” She didn’t bother to wait for his agreement but headed for her vehicle.

Bryce frowned. He’d really struck a nerve with Jade.

Her reaction seemed to indicate that he ran from responsibility, but what would give her that idea?

The fact that he’d stayed the night—that one night—and never contacted her?

Probably. She knew he was leaving and why, but she had no idea why he’d stayed away from home for six years with minimal contact.

And zero contact with her . Could that be interpreted as running from responsibility somehow?

Maybe. Again, probably. At least in her eyes.

He started to ask her, but her hard jaw and narrowed eyes said right now might not be the best time to broach the subject. He had a feeling if Jade chose to let loose the words she’d swallowed, they might be more deadly than the bullets that had been fired at him earlier that day.

A good soldier knew when to attack and when to retreat.

And Bryce had been a very good soldier.