The Diehard Warrior

by Youngblood, Jennifer

  She waved a hand. “No worries. Sadie can handle it. I just need to call her right quick.” She reached in her purse for her phone.

  Jordan nodded again, but she could tell from his distracted expression that he’d barely heard her. She laughed inwardly. Same old Jordan, his mind always somewhere else. Lanky with blonde hair and dark eyes, framed by trendy glasses, he reminded her of an absent-minded professor—brilliant, but caught up in his own world. A pharmaceutical scientist with a background in biochemistry, Jordan was the most intelligent person Addie had ever met. The last time she’d seen him, he was on top of the world, telling her that the new drug he was developing at his research facility had the potential to reverse Alzheimer’s. Had anyone else made such a bold claim, Addie would’ve laughed. With Jordan, it was different. He’d made it his life’s ambition to eradicate Alzheimer’s. He’d lost his mother to the disease. She was in the same care center as Addie’s grandmother, which is how she and Jordan first met. They’d formed a strong bond of friendship that had turned into something more. Once Maddox stepped into the picture, however, everyone else, including Jordan, paled in comparison.

  After Addie’s call to Sadie, she and Jordan went to the café where Addie selected a pre-made chicken salad sandwich and bottle of water. Jordan also grabbed a bottle of water. Next, they went to the terrace and sat down. Addie unwrapped her sandwich and took a large bite, relishing the creamy taste of the mayonnaise combined with the crunchy walnuts and tangy grapes. “I’m so glad you stopped by,” she began. “It’s always great to see you. I just wish Piper had come with you.” As fond as she was of Jordan, she was closer to Piper.

  Addie reached for her water and unscrewed the top, taking a large swig.

  She looked across the table. Jordan had pushed his bottle of water aside. Hurriedly, she took another bite and put the sandwich down, feeling a smidgen of guilt for being so concerned about eating when it was clear that Jordan wanted to talk.

  “How’ve ya been?” she prompted. It was then that Addie got a good look at Jordan. His face was pale and drawn, worry lines carved deep around his eyes and mouth. A sense of alarm shot through her. “Are you okay?”

  He offered a strained smile. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”

  She sat up straighter in her seat. “What’s going on? Is everything okay with the new drug? Uh, what was the name of it?” She took another bite of her sandwich.

  “PZT,” he inserted.

  “Yes, PZT.” It was an acronym for a long, technical word that she couldn’t remember. “I asked Piper how things were going. She said you’re in the final phase of the lab trials and are getting ready to submit an application to the FDA.”

  “That’s the plan.”

  “It sounds like things are right on track.”

  He nodded.

  “I’m so glad.” Emotion welled in her chest. “I only wish you’d developed it soon enough to save Gram and your mother.”

  Regret flashed in his eyes. “Me too,” he said quietly as understanding passed between them. It had been their frustration over the disease, and how it stripped away the essence of the victims, that had first drawn them together and sealed their friendship. Both knew the depth of loss that came with Alzheimer’s.

  “You did what you could. Now, untold others will be blessed.” She reached across the table and squeezed his hand, surprised to find it ice cold. In a deft movement, he flipped his hand over and clasped her hand in his. The close contact made her uncomfortable, but she didn’t want to come across as rude by snatching her hand away.

  His eyes held hers. “Thank you.”

  She blinked a couple of times. “For what?”

  “For believing in me.”

  “Of course. I’ve always believed in you.”

  A shadow crossed his features. “I know you have. It means the world.”

  Something flitted in his eyes—sadness, regret? She couldn’t pinpoint what the emotion was.

  His voice grew reminiscent. “I often wonder what would’ve happened … if things had been different,” he cleared his throat, “if you and I had ended up together.”

  She stiffened.

  He gave her a wistful smile. “Before you fell head over heels in love with the military guy.”

  She removed her hand, irritation prickling over her. Was Jordan hitting on her? Surely not! She didn’t know what angle Jordan was playing, but she wasn’t about to apologize for breaking up with him for Maddox. That chapter of their lives closed eons ago, and she didn’t know why he was bringing it up now.

  “You’re the only one I can trust,” Jordan continued.

  For a second, she wondered if she’d heard him correctly. She gave him a hard look. “What about Piper? She’s your wife … your business partner.” Aside from the fact that Addie knew Jordan and Piper would be perfect together, she introduced them because Piper’s father Hamilton Gentry was a renowned brain surgeon turned researcher. Like Addie and Jordan, Piper lost her mother to Alzheimer’s. Just as Addie figured, Hamilton took a keen interest in Jordan’s work. He secured financial backing from investors and helped Jordan and Piper form a partnership. After Jordan and Piper were married, they, along with Hamilton, moved to New Jersey and opened a research facility.

  “Yes, Piper too,” he said absently.

  “She loves you very much.” Addie eyed him, daring him to disagree. She was fiercely loyal to her friend and didn’t want Jordan saying anything negative about her.

  “Piper’s a good woman.” He hesitated. “She just doesn’t understand.”

  She frowned. “Understand what?”

  He shook his head, an apologetic smile touching his lips. “Never mind.”

  She could feel nervous energy radiating off him. It was both concerning and confusing. What in the heck was going on? “Are you and Piper okay?”

  A tight smile stretched over his lips. “We’re great. One of the main reasons I stopped by today is because I’d like to get the earrings and bracelet that match my mother’s necklace. I want to give them to Piper on the cruise. I forgot to pick them up when I grabbed the necklace.”

  Relief surged through her. Jordan and Piper were fine. Of course they were! The two of them were the perfect couple—a match made in heaven. Besides, if something had been wrong, Piper would’ve told her. “Shoot. You can get the earrings, but the clasp on the bracelet broke. It’s at Steinway Jewelers being repaired.” She wrinkled her nose. “Sorry.”

  He waved a hand. “No worries.”

  A coy smile curved her lips as she crossed her arms and sat back in her seat. “So, how did Piper like the necklace?” A month ago, Jordan called saying he was in town. He asked if he could stop by her house and grab his mother’s necklace to give to Piper. Addie was at work but gave him the okay to get them from Pops.

  When Jordan’s mother Maxine died, Jordan gave Addie her jewelry. At the time, Addie and Jordan were dating, so it seemed logical that he would give her his mother’s jewelry. Then they broke up and Jordan married Piper. Addie asked Jordan if he wanted to give the jewelry to Piper, but Jordan declined saying that even though the situation had changed, his mother thought the world of Addie and would still want her to have the items.

  “I haven’t given Piper the necklace yet. I wanted to wait until we were on our cruise.”

  “Good idea. I’m glad I didn’t say anything to her.”

  “Me too. It would’ve ruined the surprise.”

  Addie made a zipping motion with her lips. “No worries. Your secret’s safe with me.”

  Jordan scooted back his chair and stood. “Can we go now? To get the earrings? Maybe we can stop by Steinway’s and grab the bracelet too?”

  “Sorry, I can’t leave. I have a group of executives arriving shortly.”

  “Is Wallace home? I can just stop by—”

  She winced. “No, sorry, Pops is out of town. Corbin and Delaney are expecting their baby any minute. Pops went to check on them.”

  “Oh.�
� Disappointment settled over Jordan’s features.

  “You can take my key and get into the house. The jewelry box is in the top drawer of the dresser in the closet.” She reached for her purse and fished for her keys.

  “That would be great.”

  “Just leave the key under the mat after you’re done.” She removed it from her keyring and handed it to him.

  “Thanks.”

  “Would you like for me to call Mr. Steinway and tell him that you want to pick up the bracelet?” She made a face. “That is, if he’s finished repairing it.”

  “That would be great. Thank you.”

  She also stood. They embraced as he kissed her on the cheek.

  “It was good seeing you, Addie.”

  “Good seeing you too. Have fun on your cruise.” Was it her imagination, or did she detect a note of despondency in his voice?

  Her phone buzzed. She reached to retrieve it, but in the process, accidentally knocked over her purse, sending the contents spilling out. “Dang it!” she muttered.

  She bent down to pick up the items. Jordan squatted down and helped her put them back into her purse. Her cheeks flushed over how messy her purse was—popcorn kernels had fallen into her purse at a movie she’d attended a week prior and there were scraps of paper and gum wrappers. To her dismay, there was even a tampon. She grabbed it and shoved it into her purse. “Sorry, you had to see all that,” she laughed nervously as they stood.

  Jordan’s features went rigid, fear flashing in his eyes as he looked past her.

  She turned to see what he was looking at. The terrace was crowded with people, making it impossible to tell what had jolted him.

  “Thanks for everything,” he mumbled, walking away so fast that he was nearly jogging.

  Addie sat down to finish her sandwich, her mind replaying Jordan’s strange behavior. Then she remembered she was supposed to call Mr. Steinway about the bracelet. She’d lose her head if it weren’t attached.

  She was reaching for her phone when she heard gasps, followed by murmurs.

  “Someone’s been hit,” she heard a woman say.

  Her heart in her throat, Addie ran through the foyer and out the front doors. She clutched her chest, holding her breath when she saw a group of people encircling a person on the ground. She caught sight of a brown shoe and blue dress pants—what Jordan had been wearing. Dread screamed through her as she stepped closer. It took a second for her mind to register that the broken man on the ground was Jordan. She rushed to his side. His head was covered in blood, his hand cradling his ribs.

  Tears sprang to her eyes as she dropped down beside him. “Oh, my gosh! Call 911,” she cried. “Jordan, what happened?”

  “He was hit by a black sedan that sped off,” a man said.

  Jordan gasped for breath, a dazed look in his eyes.

  Addie’s pulse pounded against her head in hard thrusts. Please let him be okay, she prayed. “Hold on. Help is on the way.” A burst of dizziness overtook her, and she had the feeling none of this was real.

  The cloudiness dissipated from Jordan’s eyes for a split second as he focused on her. “Addie,” he breathed.

  She reached for his hand. “I’m here.” Panic rose thick in her throat as her chest constricted to the size of a pea. “He needs help,” she screamed, looking around wildly.

  “Help is on the way,” a woman assured her.

  “I’ve—” Jordan made a gurgling sound as his shoulders convulsed.

  “Don’t try to talk,” she implored.

  He coughed, a thin line of blood bubbling from his lips.

  A wave of nausea rolled over Addie. She suspected that Jordan was bleeding internally. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she watched his chest go up and down in a futile effort to get air. Jordan was dying before her very eyes, and she was incapable of helping him.

  “I’ve—done—things,” he managed to say.

  “Rest. Don’t talk.”

  The anguish in Jordan’s eyes seared through her like a red-hot knife.

  “Please— ” he coughed “—forgive me.” His eyes glazed, and she felt his hand go slack as life left him.

  “No!” she cried, sobbing.

  2

  Addie knew she needed to call Piper and tell her about Jordan. A part of her wanted to shrink back and let events run their course. Sheriff Hendricks would get around to it in the next few hours.

  No, she couldn’t wait for him. The news needed to come from her.

  Crazy how a few hours ago she’d been going about her life as normal, fretting over the details of the approaching conference. Jordan had done the same—coming to see her so he could get the jewelry to give to Piper. Tears glistened in her eyes. Hopefully, it would bring some comfort to Piper to know his last thoughts had been of her. Addie’s heart clutched. That wasn’t exactly true. Jordan’s last words kept replaying through her mind. What things had Jordan done? Forgive him for what? She pushed her hair out of her eyes and tucked her curls behind her ears as she took in a deep breath. She could do this! She had to hold it together to call Piper!

  A knock sounded at the door the second before it opened. Sadie stuck her head in, her wide eyes radiating compassion. “How ya holding up?”

  A lump formed in Addie’s throat. “Okay,” she croaked.

  Sadie nodded. “Don’t worry about the conference. I’ve got everything under control. The execs just finished lunch and are headed into the Alpine room for their workshops.”

  “Thank you.” She forced a smile. “What about dinner tonight?”

  She raised an eyebrow, a hint of reproof in her voice. “I told you. I’m handling it. We’re shuttling them to the Center Street Grill.”

  Normally, Sadie second-guessed everything, running every insignificant detail past Addie. However, the woman standing before her seemed to have newfound confidence. Or maybe Addie was just hoping Sadie could handle it. Either way, she had no choice but to leave things in her hands—at least for today. “I appreciate all that you’re doing.”

  “You’re welcome,” she said briskly. “I’d better get back to it.” She offered a reassuring smile. “Hang in there.” She closed the door.

  “I’m trying to,” Addie said to herself, “but it’s certainly not easy.” Was the hit and run an accident? Had the person driving the sedan panicked when realizing he or she hit someone? Or was Jordan murdered? A chill slithered down her spine. Jordan had been frightened when he rushed from the terrace.

  Sheriff Hendricks and his deputy had questioned Addie right after the accident. She told them all she knew, which wasn’t much. She could tell that the Sheriff was way out of his league. Nothing like this ever happened in the sleepy town of Birchwood Springs, Colorado. Addie grunted. Well, the only other major crime incident that Addie could remember taking place in Birchwood Springs happened a couple of years ago. Her brother Corbin brought Delaney here and her ex-husband’s psychotic brother came after her. Why did all the bad things seem to revolve around Addie’s family? She shook off the negative thought. Now was not the time to feel sorry for herself. This wasn’t about her. It was about Jordan and Piper.

  Addie’s first impulse was to call Corbin and tell him everything that happened. Corbin had connections in his private security company. No, she couldn’t call him now. He had his hands full with Delaney’s pregnancy. Maddox! He could help. No sooner had the thought surfaced than she squelched it flat. No way was she calling Maddox. She gritted her teeth.

  Okay, she couldn’t put it off any longer. She had to call Piper. She reached for her phone. Her heart pounded against her ribcage like the march of doom as it rang. For a split second she thought it might go to voicemail, but Piper answered.

  “Hello.”

  Tears clouded Addie’s eyes. A sob rose in her throat as she coughed to clear the emotion.

  “Addie? Are you okay?”

  “No,” she croaked.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Her mind scrambled to find the words. She
knew what she needed to say, but couldn’t seem to force her tongue to get them out.

  “Addie?” Piper asked impatiently.

  “It’s Jordan,” she managed to squeak.

  Concern sounded in Piper’s voice. “What?”

  “He’s been killed.”

  This was met with stunned silence.

  The words fell out in a tangled heap. “I’m so sorry. He stopped by the Bear Claw Resort today. As he was leaving, he was hit by a car that sped off.”

  Piper gasped. Then her voice went shrill. “No, that’s not true! Jordan left for work this morning at the research lab. He wasn’t even in Birchwood Springs.”

  Addie’s heart felt like it was splintering into pieces. “He was.”

  “No, that can’t be right. There must be some mistake.”

  “I’m afraid it’s true.” Her voice sounded small in her own ears. She wanted to crawl into a hole—anything to escape the present.

  “No!” Piper made a strangled sound. Then she started weeping.

  Tears streamed down Addie’s cheeks. “I’m so sorry.” She put a fist to her lower lip to stay the quivering. The only sounds were Piper’s ragged grief. Addie wished she was there with Piper. It was so cruel to have to tell her this over the phone, but she wanted it to come from her instead of a stranger. “Piper, are you okay?” It was a stupid question. Of course Piper wasn’t okay, but what did one say to another person during a time like this?

  “I’ve—” She choked. “I’ve gotta let you go.”

  Panic fluttered through Addie. She didn’t want to end the call right now, not when Piper was in such a terrible emotional state. “Are you home?”

  Silence.

  Her voice rose. “Piper, are you home?”

  “Yes,” Piper finally uttered.

  “Are you alone?”

  “Dad’s here.”

  The tone of Piper’s voice was flat, devoid of emotion like she was in shock.

  Addie let out a relieved breath. At least Piper wasn’t alone. “I’m so sorry.” Her voice broke. There were no words sufficient for this. “I love you. Know that I’m here and will help in any way I can.”