Free Always Us (The Jade Series #8) by Allie Everhart Page B

having food or friends or anyone to take care of her. It’s the past, but it still breaks my heart.
    “Anyway,” Ryan says. “I love her and I just want her to get past all that.”
    “We both do, Ryan. It’s just going to take some time, but I’m doing everything I can to help her.”
    He shrugs. “I’ve decided you’re not so bad. Jade could’ve done worse.”
    I laugh. “Thanks. That means a lot.”
    “Speaking of Jade, I better turn around or she’ll yell at us for being gone too long.” He gets off at the next exit. There’s nothing out here but farm fields and an old gas station. “You want to drive back?”
    “Sure.”
    “I’ll pull over at the gas station.” Ryan turns right, heading toward it just as my phone rings. It’s Jade.
    “Garret. You need to get home.”
    “Yeah, I know. We’re turning around.”
    “Did your dad call you?”
    “No. Why would my dad call?”
    “You need to hurry.” Jade’s voice is rushed, urgent.
    “Why? What’s wrong?”
    Ryan turns into the gas station. I nudge his arm. “Don’t pull over, just go.”
    “You don’t want to drive?”
    “No. Just get back on the interstate and head home.” I speak into the phone again. “Jade? Are you still there?”  
    “Yes, but—” Her voice gets cut off. I check my phone and only see one bar lit up.
    “You don’t have cell reception out here?” I ask Ryan.
    “It gets spotty when you’re out in these rural areas.”
    I hear Jade again. “Garret?”  
    “Yeah, we got cut off. What’s going on there?”
    “You need to get home. Your grandfather—” The phone cuts out again.
    “My grandfather what? Jade? Are you there?”
    I check my phone. It’s dead. Shit! I forgot to plug it in last night. “Ryan, can I borrow your phone?”
    “I left it on the kitchen counter.” Ryan’s on the interstate now, going the speed limit.
    “You need to drive faster,” I tell him.
    “I can’t. I’ll get a ticket. That cop we passed earlier might still be there.”
    “I don’t give a shit. I’ll pay the ticket.”
    He mumbles something about his insurance rates going up. I’m not really listening as I try to figure out why Jade sounded so frantic. Did someone show up at the house? Is my grandfather there? Or did he send someone there? Shit, what if he did? Is that why Jade asked if my dad called? Does she know what’s going on? Does she think my dad’s involved?
    In my mind I see images of Jade and Frank being held hostage in the house, guns pointed at their heads.
    “Ryan, drive faster. I’m serious.”
    “What’s wrong? What’s going on?”
    I keep my eyes on the road. “Do you have a gun?”
    “A gun? Why would I have a gun?”
    “So you don’t have one? Frank doesn’t have one?”
    “No. Why?”
    “Something’s wrong and Jade wouldn’t tell me anything. But she sounded really upset so we need to hurry up and get home.”
    “Why did you ask about a gun? You think someone’s at the house? Like trying to rob us?”
    I squeeze my hand into a fist, clutching my phone with the other. “I don’t know. We just need to get home.”
    He steps on the gas and five minutes later we’re back at the house. Nothing looks out of place, at least not on the outside. I jump out of the car while it’s still running and we’re still in the driveway. The front door is locked so I bang on it and ring the bell a few times.
    Jade opens the door and pulls me into the living room and points to the TV. “It’s your grandfather.”
    An image of my grandfather is at the top right corner of the screen.
    I walk closer to the TV and hear the newswoman talking, “…suffered a severe stroke that has left him in a coma. Kensington was found earlier this morning in his Manhattan apartment and immediately rushed to the emergency room. He’s currently in critical condition. In a statement just released, Holton’s son, Pearce Kensington, said his father appeared to be in good health just last night when the two of them