Chapter 7

Jonah stepped into Ken's old office and flicked on the light. He ran a hand through his hair. Last night had left a gaping hole in Jonah's heart. But it was Noelle's hasty retreat that had gutted him. He'd wanted to wrap her in his arms and make the pain go away. He had no idea how to handle the situation. And the one man he turned to for advice was gone.

The wedding picture sitting on Ken's desk stared back at Jonah. He'd arrived at the medical examiner's department thirty minutes ago and finally worked up the nerve to search his friend's office. Jonah ran a finger along the edge of the desk. A vise clamped on his heart as he remembered the times he'd had coffee with Ken, discussing everything from work to plans for the weekend.

The weight that had pressed down on him after the explosion returned with an intensity that took his breath away. No longer would he stop by this room on a daily basis and chat with Ken. And to make matters worse, he'd received a phone call from the county that morning, informing him they'd moved him into the chief medical examiner's position.

Jonah had achieved his goal, but not the way he'd wanted it. Ken's retirement, yes. His death—not so much. And now he'd destroy the man's reputation once he found the evidence.

Shaking off the despair, Jonah sifted through the neatly stacked papers on the desk. "Ken, what did you get yourself into?" A part of Jonah feared what he'd discover. He lifted a file and found a Post-it note. Jonah's birthday coming in July. Don't forget. The reminder tugged a sad smile from him. Of all the wonderful qualities Ken had, remembering dates wasn't one of them.

"All good in here?"

He jolted at Noelle's question. She stood in the doorway with one hand on the frame. She'd shared some heavy memories last night and looked no worse for wear. He, on the other hand?—he ran his fingers through his hair—not so much.

"Sorry. I thought you heard me come in." She moved into the room.

"No. But that's okay. Just lost in thought."

"Anything I can do to help?"

"Not really. I'm going to examine the documents next." He pointed to the file cabinet.

"Think you'll find reports with the mysterious code on them?"

So far, he'd found nothing even close to helping uncover the answer they searched for. "It's the only thing I can think of. But if he kept them in his house…" He shrugged. "They're gone."

The file organizer on Ken's desk held nothing of interest. Jonah moved to the upright four-drawer cabinet and pulled out the one on the top left.

"I hear congratulations are in order." Noelle flashed him a sad smile.

"Not the way I wanted the job of chief medical examiner, but it is what it is, and I'll do my best." Ken, if you were here, I'd throttle you right now. And there it was again. When would the anger pass?

"You'll be good at it." Her gaze traveled the office. "Ken was organized and neat. You shouldn't have a hard time finding anything you need for your new position."

"I think I hear a dis in there somewhere." Jonah chuckled.

"Not me." She feigned innocent. "Seriously, though, I have no room to talk. My OCD tendencies match your chaos. We're complete opposites when it comes to our organizational habits."

"But yet, we make a friendship work." He fought the urge to pull her into a hug and never let go. When had she snuck under his radar and wormed her way into his heart? Jonah stood and moved toward her.

He watched as her throat bobbed, but she never broke eye contact with him. Without questioning his move, he cupped her cheek. "Elle?"

"I-I'm not sure…"

Last night, when she'd left him standing in her office, his thoughts about their relationship had changed. He'd stood in front of the photos that documented her injuries, and all the pieces had fallen into place. Her security system, the long-sleeved blouses, the way she rubbed her upper arms while deep in thought. All of it had burrowed into his heart.

The warmth of her skin sent a searing heat through his hand all the way to his toes. "That's okay, neither am I. But I can't deny that my heart wants more than a friendship."

She leaned into his touch and closed her eyes.

Gaze on her lips, he eased forward.

Voices drifted from the hall. Jonah froze. For the love of everything, he was in his dead friend's office looking for the documents to right a wrong. Not the right time or place to explore his new feelings for Noelle.

She took a step back, breaking the connection between them.

He brushed the hair from her forehead. "I apologize for the timing, but I refuse to be sorry for my intentions."

She moved to a bookshelf and examined the contents. "We have a lot to do, so let's focus on that."

What had gotten into him? "I'll comb through the paperwork in the file cabinet. I think that's the most logical place."

"I concur. Hiding in plain sight is—was—Ken's style." Noelle glanced at him, and her gaze shifted to the window.

Her brow furrowed. She rushed toward him, wrapped her arm around his waist, and flung him toward the floor.

The window exploded, raining glass over the room.

His side hit the desk. He grunted in pain.

The two of them tumbled to the floor along with items on the desk.

When the world stopped moving, reality hit him squarely between the eyes. His attacker was back and had Jonah in his crosshairs—literally.

* * *

Noelle lay on the floor of Ken's office with Jonah underneath her, trying to catch her breath. If she hadn't looked up at that moment and seen the glint of the rifle scope, Jonah would be dead. She placed her hands on either side of him and pushed up. Fire shot through her arm and she cried out.

"What's wrong?" Jonah's frantic tone registered, but she had to breathe through the pain.

Eyes closed, she rolled off him. "Stay down." She clutched her right arm. Blood trickled between her fingers. The bullet had ripped a hole in her shirt and sliced her skin. Lovely. Another scar to add to her collection. What did it matter anyway? Her skin would never match up to her mother's expectations. Flawless, model-worthy smooth skin was a thing of the past.

"He can't see us down here." Jonah's hand covered hers and clamped down.

Nausea swirled in her belly from the extra pressure.

"I need to take a look."

"No. It's not serious." She had no desire for Jonah to see her damaged body.

"I beg to differ." His tone held the commanding edge of an ER doctor.

"Doc!" Bonnie's voice rose in the room.

Noelle rolled her head to the side and opened her eyes. Jonah's admin crawled to the doorway on all fours.

"I need a first-aid kit, but stay out in the hall. And call 911. Tell them someone shot at us through the window." Jonah finished giving Bonnie orders and turned his attention back to her. "Noelle, I really have to take a look."

Uh-oh, her full first name. "Fine. But let's get out of here first."

"Hold on." He grabbed a clipboard and swept the glass aside as he army-crawled across the floor and edged against the wall. He gripped the pull and closed the curtain, blocking out prying eyes.

"Smart move."

"What can I say? I'm not just another pretty face." He chuckled. A bit strained, but she'd give him an A for effort.

"Cute." She struggled to get herself upright.

"Wait. Let me help." Jonah scrambled to her side. He hadn't stood but hunched over as he hurried to her. He gripped her under her arms and lifted as she scooted against the leg of the desk for support.

A black button lay next to the phone that had broken apart when it hit the floor.

She released her bleeding arm, wiped the blood on her pant leg, and picked the item up with her thumb and finger.

"What is it?" Jonah leaned in for a better look.

That's how the killer knew. She closed her eyes for a second and exhaled. Then she nudged Jonah and held her finger to her lips.

His forehead scrunched, and he tilted his head.

A listening device. He bugged the phone, she mouthed.

Jonah pinched the bridge of his nose with one hand and slammed his fist on the floor with the other.

The turmoil evident in his features made her heart ache for the man.

A year ago, she would've wanted to give him a hug and be the friend that he needed. Today…things had fundamentally changed. She had a strong desire to wrap him in her arms and make his pain disappear. To be there for him beyond friendship.

Tears clouded her vision. But that wasn't possible. Was it?

* * *

Jonah had taken the tiny listening device from Noelle and placed it on the desk for the police to take into evidence, then led her out of the room and into autopsy two. He pulled over two chairs and eased her onto one while he took the other. The seriousness of the situation made his nerves hum with the familiar sensation of not being able to sit in his own skin. He or Noelle could have been lying on a metal table right now instead of using the room for refuge.

"When do you think the killer planted the bug?"

Noelle continued to put pressure on the bullet wound. "I'm not sure. If I had to guess, I'd say whoever placed it there did it while Ken was alive, to spy on him."

"That makes sense." He scooted his chair forward to examine her wound. "We're going to have to tell Matt and Decia, aren't we?"

"Yes."

"Not even going to think about it?" He raised a brow.

She lifted her shoulder and grimaced. "You know as well as I do we can't wait any longer."

"I wish we had more details. I hate what this will do to Ken's reputation. And it's all based on a vague confession over the phone." He blew out a long breath. "Time to take a look." He removed her hand from her upper arm and froze. The blood-soaked sleeve sent his mind spiraling into the past.

"Jonah. You look a little green. Is it that bad?" She glanced at the tear in her shirt.

"No. Sorry." He shook his head, dislodging the horrible memory. "Blood sometimes gets to me. But I'm good." One of the main reasons he no longer worked in the ER. The other reason—his failure to save the person he loved most in the world.

"Doc!"

He leaned toward the door. "In room two, Bonnie!"

Bonnie hurried in and placed the box on the desk beside him. "Police are on the way along with an ambulance. There's the first-aid kit. Anything else?"

"No, that's all. Thanks."

The woman nodded and hurried out.

"Now that we've established I'm not the ER doctor I used to be, I'll do my best until the paramedics get here." He dug through the box and retrieved the scissors.

"No!" She jerked away.

"Elle." Jonah stared at her, then it dawned on him. The serial killer's lasting gift. The scars from multiple cuts during her captivity. "It's okay, Elle. I've seen a lot of things during my years as a doctor." He had no intention of downplaying her experience, but he wanted her to know that he wouldn't judge her. "Besides, it's not a secret anymore. At least, not with me."

She scowled at him. "Fine."

He smirked and shook his head. "Why do women always say that when things are obviously not fine?" Before he cut through the fabric, he went to the small closet in the room and retrieved a long-sleeve scrubs top. "I'll do my best to keep it between us."

"Thank you."

"You'll need antibiotics, but I can take care of that later." Even though he worked at the morgue, he still maintained his license to practice medicine. Within a few minutes, he'd cleaned and butterflied the gash closed.

"All done." Jonah cleaned up the bloody gauze and threw it away in the trash beside the desk.

"Do I get a lollipop?" Her racing pulse, which he'd noticed while treating her, belied her teasing tone.

Yes, her scars made him want to weep for the young girl who'd endured so much pain and fear. But with or without the raised white lines on her skin, he found her attractive—inside and out. He wanted her to see herself the way he saw her.

"You know…" He clasped her forearm and gently twisted it so he had a clear view of the healed slices on her skin. With a finger, he traced the lines beside her bandage. "I'm not afraid of scars."

"Please, don't." She attempted to pull away from him.

He held tight. Not enough that she couldn't break free, but enough to make his point known. "I know what happened. It's nothing to be ashamed of." He smoothed his hand down her arm and interlaced his fingers with hers. "You are beautiful, Elle." He leaned in, giving her a moment to decide what she wanted.

When she didn't move away, he closed the gap. He brushed his lips against hers, once, twice. Common sense flew from his brain, and the only thing that existed was how his heart rate spiked at the mere touch of his lips to hers. He slid his hand behind her neck and pulled her close, deepening the kiss. The moment should have scared him to death, but it was as if his out-of-control world had fallen into place with this sweet, vulnerable woman. All the dark shadows of his past scattered until only light existed.

He ended the kiss and rested his forehead against hers, both of them trying to catch their breath.

Voices carried down the hall.

He closed his eyes, not ready for the moment to end. "That's Matt. I'll go greet them while you change." He stood and handed her the clean shirt.

"I appreciate that." Her shoulders slumped.

Finger under her chin, he tilted her face. "Elle, look at me."

Her gaze met his.

"I don't want you to hide your scars, but I think you do. That's why I gave you the scrubs top. Change or not—it doesn't bother me one way or the other." He kissed the top of her head. "I'll give you time to decide."

Jonah turned and exited the autopsy room, closing the door behind him.

What had he done? He had no regrets about the beyond amazing kiss. In fact, he felt alive for the first time since Cara's death. But what if he and Noelle couldn't let go of their pasts?

Had he just ruined their friendship?

* * *

Noelle stared at the door. One minute, Jonah had patched up the skin where the bullet had torn through, and the next, he'd leaned in and kissed her. She hadn't kissed a man… She snorted. She hadn't even dated anyone since before her abduction. Jonah had been married, and she had no idea how to do a relationship. The two of them together was all kinds of wrong. Yet she couldn't muster up an ounce of regret.

Knowing she had limited time, she slipped off her bloody shirt and replaced it with the long-sleeve scrubs top that Jonah had found for her.

Tears pricked her eyes at his thoughtfulness…and his words about her scars. No one had touched the healed cuts on her skin except for doctors. Not even her mother had stomached touching her. Jonah had cared more for her—about her—in the last few minutes than anyone in her family ever had.

A knock pulled her from her thoughts.

"Elle, can we come in?" Jonah asked from a small crack in the door.

"I'm good." She tossed the old shirt in the garbage and stood.

The door swung open, and Jonah entered with the two detectives on his heels.

Decia strode to her side. "Doc told us what happened. Are you okay?"

"He did a good job bandaging me up."

"Yeah, well, I still want you on antibiotics." Jonah pointed to the chair. "Sit while we chat. I've asked Bonnie to get us some water bottles and a few snacks. She's also picking up that prescription for you."

Noelle bit her lip to keep from laughing. She hadn't seen Jonah in mother-hen mode since her concussion. "Relax, Jonah. I'm fine."

"You will be once I make sure you have what you need."

Matt's gaze shifted between them, then to Decia, who shrugged. "Okay, then. Doc, have a seat."

Jonah moved his chair beside Noelle's and lowered himself onto it.

"First, we need your statements about the shooting. Then we want to know what you two are not telling us." Decia folded her arms, daring them to contradict her statement.

"No argument here." Jonah placed his hands between his knees and proceeded to give the two detectives a rundown of the events.

Noelle interjected her comments when necessary.

Matt whistled through his teeth. "Someone is not happy with you, Doc."

Jonah's brows rose to his hairline. "Ya think?"

Decia finished writing her notes and tucked the pad of paper and pencil into a pocket of her cargo pants. "Now that we have that out of the way, what's really going on?"

"We planned to bring you into the loop once we had solid proof, but after the cold storage incident and the shooting, I think that idea is long gone." Noelle turned to Jonah. "Do you want to explain, or do you want me to?"

"I've got it." Jonah ran his fingers through his hair, leaving it sticking up in all directions. "I received a call from Ken Dodson on Wednesday late afternoon. He asked me to come visit him after work."

"We know that. That's why you were there when his house blew up." Matt shifted and leaned against the wall. "Tell us what we don't know."

"I'm getting there." Jonah exhaled. "When he called, he told me that he'd falsified autopsy reports and wanted me to review the cases. Set the records straight. Tell the truth. He said he'd kept the original documentation, but he died before he revealed where he kept the files."

"And you think whoever Ken falsified these reports for discovered his conversation with you," Decia stated.

Noelle rested her hand on Jonah's knee. "The hit-and-run was suspect. The attack in the morgue confirmed someone was willing to kill to hide evidence. EGA assumed full-time bodyguard status based on my assumption. I refused to take chances with his life. But it wasn't until the person used Jonah for target practice and we found the bug in Ken's phone that I realized the extent of the trouble Jonah is in."

"I sure wish you had said something earlier." Matt pushed from the wall and paced. "Any idea where Ken hid the files?"

"My guess, they might be in his file cabinet, tucked among other records. That's where I was looking when the gunshot shattered the window. However, we can't go in there and search since it's now a crime scene." Jonah rubbed his temples.

"Matt. Decia. I made a judgment call after the explosion when Jonah told me his conversation with Ken. Ken made Jonah promise not to say anything until he'd reevaluated the cases. I decided to honor that. And without Ken's testimony, or at least his statement and some type of proof, we had no clue what was going on."

"I get it. But from here on out, you communicate anything you uncover." Decia rested her hands on her hips and softened her tone. "Once we have the information, we'll investigate from our end. Ken had to have a reason not to go directly to the police. We do have to write the report, but that could take time, and I don't plan to make a big announcement, so as far as I'm concerned, Ken's secret is safe until we have solid evidence as to what's going on."

"Thanks, Decia." Noelle owed her friend big-time.

Matt squeezed Jonah's shoulder. "Be careful, man. Listen to the ladies."

Noelle stood. She had Matt's support, but she intended to make her commitment clear. "The Elite Guardians are not going to let this maniac hurt him."

Matt studied her for a moment and nodded.

"We'll let you know when the crime techs release Ken's office. Until then, send us all you've got and watch your backs." Decia gave Noelle a quick hug and strode from the room.

After Matt said his goodbyes, Jonah offered his hand to help her up.

She accepted and moved next to him. "Do you need anything from your office?"

"Nope."

"Then let's get out of here and go home."

They strode out the door toward the exit.

Noelle's mind replayed Jonah's kiss. The moment would be etched in her memory forever.

She made a mental to-do list. At the top, after protecting Jonah, she added, Don't get your heart broken by wishing for something you can't have.