She stopped in front of Ian’s desk, hands on her hips, eyes flashing
brilliantly. “I came to ask if I can borrow a car or get a lift to a train or
something. I need to get on the road ASAP, please.”

Ian was taken aback. He knew he had let her down, but
obviously he hadn’t properly gauged how much. He signaled to Sullivan and Trey.
“If you wouldn’t mind leaving us for a few minutes ...”

Wordlessly, Sullivan and Trey slipped out, quietly closing
the door behind them.

Ian kept his voice calm and steady. “Of course I’ll provide
you with any transportation you want. I’ll call in the helicopter, if you’d
prefer. But before you go, sit for a moment and tell me what’s going on. You’re
upset and have every right to be. I let you down.”

“It’s not that,” she said. “You haven’t let me down.”

Ian exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.
“Then why are you in such a hurry to get away from me?”

She sat on the edge of the chair Sullivan had vacated. “Ian,
you don’t really know me, and it’s not your fault. I haven’t been myself since
we met and I guess my father was right when he said I’ve been holding things
back. Not on purpose, of course, but there it is, anyway.”

“It’s been stressful.”

“Yeah, but more than that, I was swept away in all this,”
Jada gestured in the air. “You, the house, the lake, the stuff you bought me,
the money. All of it. I let myself pretend this was real, and so I relied on
it, on you, in ways that aren’t true to who I am. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“I assure you I am very real, Jada. All of this is.”

“I know, but at the same time, you’re not, because I made up
this fantasy that it was okay to let you handle everything. I pretended not
have the responsibility of fixing anything myself. That’s not real, it’s not
who I am, and it’s not fair to either one of us.”

“That’s not entirely true that you left it all to me,” he
said. “You and Marina have been working together to track down other suspects.”

“No, Marina has been working. I played amateur detective for
a while, tossing out suspects like it was a game. The instant you told me you
believed CGTV was behind everything, what did I do? I said okay, and fell in
line with hardly a question, convinced you’d gotten it right.”

Ian winced. “I still believe CGTV is behind it all.”

“That’s fine, but it’s not the point. I have my own ideas
and I shouldn’t put them aside because they’re not the same as yours. I’m used
to taking charge and handling my own problems. It’s how I was raised and the
only way I know how to be.” She stood up and gave him a level look. “And that’s
why I need to borrow transportation so I can get home to my own car. Then I’m
going to solve this case and return to my normal life.”

Ian stiffened, an image of Jada walking away from him
forever bringing on a disconcerting, plummeting sensation in the pit of his
stomach. “You don’t have to do this alone.”

“Oh, I’m not. Marina and Agatha are going to stay here and
keep trying to contact Sasha’s enemies. And I assume your people will continue
putting pressure on CGTV.”

“I meant me, specifically.”

She seemed different. More assured, direct, powered by
conviction. “I won’t play games, Ian. I think you know how I feel about you.
You overwhelm me sometimes, but that’s over. You’re welcome to help if you
want, we can be partners, but don’t pressure me again to let you handle
everything like I’m a helpless child. I don’t need you or anyone to hold my
hand. It won’t go well for you if you try.”

Damn. Ian could only sit there and stare at this fascinating
woman who stood proudly in front of him telling him how things were going to
be. He wasn’t sure how to take it.

People didn’t gainsay Ian Buckley. If Ian said he’d handle a
problem, people let him, expected it, were grateful for it. He was the problem
solver, the man who got things done. It was who he was and people relied on
him. Women in particular liked him to take charge. They always wanted him in
charge. Always. Until Jada.

He wasn’t positive how to handle this novel situation. Did
he argue? Let her have her way? Try to reach a compromise?

The bottom line was, could he turn over the reins of this
investigation to Jada like she wanted? He was no follower. He was the
commander, in the past, now and forever. Might as well try to break the habit
of breathing as try to stop leading.

A thought tapped for attention at the back of his brain.
Jada said she had her own suspects her own ideas about who was behind the fake
marriage licenses. This meant she wasn’t totally on board with Ian’s own
conviction that everything had been orchestrated by CGTV.

Since that was the case, it wouldn’t be hard to step back
and let Jada follow the trail of evidence all the way to its end, where she
would discover that she was wrong and Ian had been right all along.

He turned the idea over in his head, checking all sides to
make sure everything lined up. Yes, he could hang back and let her take the
lead as long as he knew exactly where they’d end up. And he believed he
definitely knew that.

He smiled and stood. “I accept your conditions. So what’s
the plan?”

She returned his smile and maybe it was wishful thinking,
but Ian thought he saw a glimmer of relief pass over her features, which could
only mean she didn’t truly want to leave him.

“I need to get to Springers Glen as soon as possible to
question the clerks in the courthouse records department. I think I’ll get
better results if I speak to them in person,” Jada said.

“Good idea. Car or helicopter?”

Jada looked thoughtful. “How long will it take the
helicopter to get here?”

The game was afoot.

You can get your copy of part four here:

US Amazon:
Alpha
Billionaire’s Bride, Part 4

UK Amazon:
Alpha Billionaire’s Bride,
Part 4

BOOK: Alpha Billionaire’s Bride, Part Three (BWWM Romance Serial)

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