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“Not here.” Jonah scanned the fire scene from his position next to Ken’s body. He had no idea why icy fingers crawled up the back of his neck, but he’d heed the internal warning. “Let’s go somewhere else to talk.”

Noelle cocked her head to the side and studied him. “You think your mystery suspect is lurking?”

He ran his fingers through his hair, not bothering to smooth down the mess he made. “Honestly?”

“Of course.”

“I have no idea. But I can’t shake that creepy feeling of someone watching.”

“Okay. I won’t question your gut.” She gestured down the street. “Why don’t we grab a quick bite to eat at Ricky’s Café around the corner. You look like you could use something to settle that stomach.”

He grimaced. The thought of food made him want to hurl. “Maybe a ginger ale and some toast.”

Noelle scowled. “That bad?”

“It’s not great.” He had to be careful or the woman would toss him in her car and head straight to the nearest hospital. “But it’s manageable.”

“You’ll tell me if it gets worse?” She pinned him with a glare.

“Promise.” And he would. He might not like a trip to the emergency department, but he wasn’t stupid. Head injuries weren’t something to mess around with.

She nodded. “Then let’s go.”

Jonah took a step and swayed.

Noelle’s hand shot out and grabbed his arm. “Easy there, cowboy.”

He snorted. “As if. I’m a city boy through and through.”

A chuckle escaped her lips. “Leave it to you to take me literally.”

“Full disclosure, that’s all.” He shrugged and took a few more steps. “I think I’m good now.”

“Seems like it,” Noelle responded, but she never let go of his arm while they walked in silence to Ricky’s.

He appreciated her support—literally. His legs hadn’t felt this wobbly since the one and only time he’d gone bungee jumping. He used to thrive on the intensity of the emergency department, but now he coveted the relaxed atmosphere of the morgue. At least he didn’t face life-and-death situations anymore.

The last hour had proved his craving for adrenaline rushes had disappeared. He supposed that’s what happened when you couldn’t save the woman you loved more than life itself. A lot of good being the top ER doctor in the region had done. He’d failed his wife Cara in the worst possible way.

They strode from the residential street and turned onto the business-lined main street.

Pedestrians hurried down the sidewalk, rushing to get who knew where. Cars zipped by as the tail end of rush hour faded. Life went on.

The events of the day caught up with him, and his pace slowed. Either Noelle didn’t notice, or she chose not to say anything.

Jonah’s scrapes and cuts burned, and his head pounded from the exertion. He wanted to laugh. Since when had two blocks become exercise?

The sight of the small diner next to Belinda’s Bookstore made him want to cheer. The window’s red script lettering, Ricky’s Café, called to him. Jonah hated to admit how badly his injuries were affecting him, but sitting down had become his goal.

Noelle opened the door to the café. The bell dinged, and she gestured for him to enter.

He plodded to a booth next to the window and dropped his aching body onto the seat. He rested his head on the cushioned back and closed his eyes. His mind blocked out the noises around him. The murmur of voices in the eating establishment faded.

How could Ken be dead? A lump sat like a boulder in his throat. What a waste.

“Jonah?” Noelle’s subtle Southern drawl shook him from this musing.

By sheer will, he opened his eyes and stared into the brightest blue irises he’d ever seen. How had he not noticed the fascinating color before? He tilted his head and studied her. Her blonde hair that parted on the side fell over one side of her face. Jonah’s fingers itched to touch it, to see if it was as silky as it appeared.

“Did you hear me?”

He blinked. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“That’s what I thought.” She tucked the stray strand of hair behind her ear. “What just ran through that head of yours?”

No way he’d admit his wayward thoughts. She was way too important to confess his sudden attraction. Sudden? Liar. “Not important.”

A glass of water sat on the table in front of him. Condensation dribbled down the mason jar that held the ice-cold drink. When had the waitress come by? Man, he needed to get his head in the game.

“By the way, I ordered for you.”

His gaze jerked to hers. “What?”

Noelle chuckled. “You were a bit out of it. I figured I’d give you time to pull yourself together and not disturb you for a minute or two.”

“Thanks, I think.” Jonah slumped in his seat. He’d always struggled with the inability to stay focused due to attention deficit disorder. In fact, he had no idea how he’d made it through medical school. But his current state zoomed off the charts even for him.

“How’s the head?” Noelle took a sip of her iced tea.

He came close to brushing off her question, but they’d made a pact over the summer, when he’d monitored her concussion, to be honest about injuries.

“My head is throbbing, and I don’t expect that to heal overnight.” He shrugged. “That’s not unexpected after a bomb went off that close and sent me flying. The cuts and scrapes on my hands, knees, and cheek sting, but in a few days, I won’t know they’re there. Now, the bruise on my thigh—that might take a little longer.”

She raised a brow and smirked.

Jonah gently shook his head. “Too much honesty?”

She lowered her glass to the table. “No, not at all. I expected that I’d have to pry the truth from you.”

“You almost did.” He raised a shoulder.

Hands full of plates and bowls, the waitress bustled to their table. She placed steaming bowls of chicken noodle soup and fresh individual loaves of bread in front of them. Steam rose from the food, carrying the mouthwatering aroma with it. “Anything else?”

“No. I think we’re good.” The waitress ambled away and Noelle picked up her spoon. “Eat.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The corner of his mouth lifted, but he couldn’t muster a full smile.

She rolled her eyes, then pointed her spoon at his bowl and took a mouthful of her own. “Mmm. I just love Ricky’s chicken noodle. I wonder what he puts in it to make it so flavorful.”

“Oregano.” Jonah scooped another spoonful into his mouth.

“Excuse me?” She scrunched her nose in the cutest way.

“Oregano. I overhead him one day grumping at his new cook, saying he’d skimped on the oregano.”

Noelle ducked her head, and her gaze shifted from one end of the café to the other. “Your secret is safe with me.”

He laughed at her ridiculousness, then put his fingers against his forehead. “Stop being a doofus. You’re making my head throb.”

“Admit it. Even though it hurt, you needed the laugh.”

She wasn’t wrong. The day held a heaviness that threatened to smother him. His time with her had lifted the heavy blanket of confusion. “You know me well.”

Her shoulder lifted and fell. “Enough, I guess.”

The truth of her statement hung between them. They’d paved the way to a great relationship, but both had untold secrets lingering in the background, neither of them willing to reveal the darkness of the past.

They sat in silence until their meals disappeared.

What was it about chicken noodle soup that had a healing effect—whether physical or emotional?

“I needed that.” Jonah wiped his mouth and dropped his napkin on the table. He stretched his back, relieving the ache settling deep in his muscles.

Noelle neatly stacked her plate and bowl, then his, and moved them to the side. She clasped her hands and rested them on the table. “Are you ready to tell me what’s going on? Or are we going to sit here and pretend nothing’s wrong?”

That was the problem. He had no idea what he’d stepped into. “Well, there was this bomb.” He gave her a cheesy grin that lacked enthusiasm.

She glared at him with her classic you’re an idiot look.

“Okay, fine. I had finished my last autopsy for the day and went to my office to work on the report.” Jonah ran his finger around the mouth of his glass and released a long breath. “Ken called and told me he wanted to speak with me. That he needed my help.”

“Did he tell you exactly what it was about?”

“I’ll say,” Jonah mumbled under his breath. He shuffled through his options. He planned to keep his promise to Ken and stay quiet, wait until he had proof before he told the detectives. But he couldn’t do this alone. Mind made up, he steeled his spine. He had to tell Noelle. He rested his elbows on the table. “Ken dropped the proverbial bombshell that he’d falsified autopsy reports.”

Noelle’s eyes widened. “As in plural?”

Jonah nodded. “He said he had the original reports and wanted me to reexamine the cases.”

“What did you tell him?” She flattened her palms on the table and leaned forward.

“Not much. I was trying to get my mind wrapped around what he’d said. He invited me over to discuss it.” Jonah rubbed his temple. “And you saw what happened. I never spoke with him again.” Jonah stared out the window, wondering, not for the first time, whether he could have stopped Ken’s attacker if he’d been on time.

“Don’t.”

He scrunched his forehead. “What?”

“At the risk of sounding like a broken record, you had no way of knowing. If you’d arrived on time, you’d probably be dead right along with Ken.”

Her insight into his mind was spooky. He folded his arms over his chest. “So, now you’re a mind reader?”

“Pssh. You, my dear friend, aren’t that hard to figure out.”

Now it was his turn to raise an eyebrow.

She chuckled. “Jonah, you’re an incredible doctor. Even though you choose not to use your talents in that capacity anymore, there’s no way you’d stand by and let someone get hurt. It’s ingrained in you to do whatever’s in your power to fix people.”

“Yeah, maybe.” He gripped the edge of the table to ground himself.

“There’s no maybe to it.” Noelle covered his hand with hers. “You’ve got a big heart, Doctor Jonah Harris.”

Her words sank in and lit the dark places within him. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“You do that.” Her gaze held his.

“And being a broken record might not be a bad thing. I might need to hear that I couldn’t have stopped this more than once.”

“I can do that. And I’ll help you look into Ken’s claims.”

“I appreciate your willingness. I don’t see how I have much of a choice. It was Ken’s last request.”

Jonah’s phone rang. He fished it out of his pocket and answered. “Doctor Harris.”

“Doc. It’s Matt.”

“Hey, man. What can I do for you?” He mouthed Matt to Noelle and she nodded.

“I’d like to get your statement about the explosion, if you’re up to it. I can wait a bit longer if you need me to, but I need it soon.”

“It’s fine. Noelle and I are at Ricky’s Café. We’re finished. It won’t take long to walk back. We’ll head your way in a few minutes. Does that sound okay to you?”

“Great. Thanks, Doc. See you soon.” Matt hung up.

“I’m guessing he wants to grill you,” Noelle said with a wicked look.

“Ha. Ha. Very funny.”

She rolled her eyes and scooted from the booth. “Come on, Doc.”

He couldn’t keep the silly grin off his face. Unlike the others in his life, Noelle rarely called him Doc. She reserved it for teasing moments or those times when they worked on the same case in a professional capacity.

Hands on the seat, Jonah pushed up to slide from the bench and groaned. His muscles had stiffened.

Noelle grabbed the check. “I’ll go pay while you try to get your body moving again.”

“Thanks. I’ll meet you outside.” I hope.

He heard her chuckle as she walked away.

“Okay, Jonah. You can do this.” Great. Now he was talking to himself. He took a deep breath and hauled himself from the booth.

With a quick wave at Ricky through the kitchen server window, Jonah pushed open the diner door and stepped into the warm Savannah air.

Dirty brown puffy tendrils snaked in the sky and lingered in the air—evidence of destruction from Ken’s house a couple blocks away.

Jonah stood at the curb and arched his back, stretching out the kinks.

A car horn blared, and an engine revved.

He flipped his attention to the noise. He squinted, processing what he saw.

His eyes widened, but his feet refused to move.

A black SUV headed straight for him.

* * *

“Jonah!” Noelle sprinted toward him. A black monster of an SUV jumped the curb and aimed itself at them. Her arm wrapped his waist, and her momentum sent them into the middle of the street. She pulled him to herself, twisted, and braced for the impact of the road.

She hit the pavement—hard—taking Jonah’s body weight. The impact knocked the wind from her.

Tires screeched. An engine revved. And a vehicle sped away.

Black dots danced behind her eyelids. “Jonah?” The lack of oxygen stole her ability to speak.

A car door slammed and shoes hit the blacktop. Noelle prayed no one hit them, because all she could focus on was getting air into her lungs.

Jonah rolled from her grip, easing the pressure. “Elle, are you okay?” His hand cupped her cheek.

She forced her eyes open.

“Cough.”

What in the world? How to breathe had escaped her, and he wanted her to cough?

“Do it.” His tone held a no-argument edge to it.

She coughed. Or at least tried.

“Again.”

This time when she coughed, her lungs filled with air. She took in a couple of shallow breaths, then a deeper one. Noelle remained on the ground, letting the precious oxygen work through her system. “Thanks.”

Jonah’s smile melted her heart. “You’re welcome.”

She’d never realized how handsome he was. His short-cut beard begged for her to touch it, and his chocolate-brown eyes did funny things to her insides. And why was she noticing this now? Okay, so maybe she’d thought about it before, but for the love of everything, they’d almost died. She pushed aside the inappropriate response.

“Hey! Are you two all right? That SUV came out of nowhere and veered onto the sidewalk. It aimed right at you.” One of the drivers had left his car and now stood beside her and Jonah.

Another driver hurried toward them. “I called 911.”

Noelle pushed to a seated position. “I think I better call Matt and Decia.” She pulled her phone from her pocket, praying the fall hadn’t damaged it.

“What do you say we get out of the middle of the street, huh?” Jonah crouched beside her.

“Nah, I like the possibility of getting run over.” She rolled her eyes, and he chuckled. Refusing to add to the pain of his injuries, she stood without his help and dialed Decia’s number.

“Detective Slaton.”

“Hey, Decia. It’s Noelle. We have a situation.” Noelle scanned the small crowd around them as she and Jonah made their way to the sidewalk.

“What happened?”

“Let’s just say you’ll want to come down to Ricky’s Café. And bring Matt with you.” She had no desire to air her concerns about the driver of the SUV targeting Jonah and her suspicion of why. But the detectives had to know. At least part of it.

When Noelle didn’t elaborate, Decia sighed. “Hang tight. We’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“We aren’t going anywhere.” Noelle hung up, stuffed the phone into her pocket, and faced Jonah.

“Are you okay?” Jonah placed his hand on the small of her back.

The warmth of his touch made her want things she couldn’t have. A relationship. A future. What was wrong with her? They’d almost died. She shoved away the absurd thoughts.

“Mostly.” She wouldn’t lie about her scrapes and bruises, but overall, no serious injuries.

The crease between his eyes, which marred his features, concerned Noelle. “Your head is killing you, isn’t it?”

He grimaced. “That obvious?”

“To me.” She’d spent a lot of time with Jonah and had learned his expressions. “Did I hurt you when I tackled you?”

He let out a humorless laugh. “I’m just happy to be alive.” He lowered his voice. “I owe you a huge thank you for saving my life.”

“Jonah. You don’t owe me anything.” Shocked at the emotion clogging her throat, she swallowed. “Please, answer my question. Did I hurt you?”

His fingers brushed her upper arm where her hidden scars lay. She fought the instinct to jerk away. The white lines had no feelings of pain, but his touch brought back memories of how she’d gotten them. A time in her life she’d like to forget, but the experience had been so horrible it would stay with her forever.

He narrowed his gaze and studied her before he spoke. “A few more bruises, but you protected my head. That’s the important thing. I’d prefer not to have scrambled eggs for a brain.”

“Good. I’m glad.” She squirmed under his scrutinizing stare. Maybe she hadn’t hidden her reaction as well as she’d thought.

Blue lights strobed around them, and officers worked to control the small crowd that had gathered.

“Noelle. Jonah.” A woman called out.

Noelle turned to the familiar voice. Decia and Matt strode toward her and Jonah. “Uh-oh, here comes Mom and Dad.”

Jonah choked on his laugh.

Stressful situations always had her sarcastic side making its presence known—something she’d developed out of desperation as a teen during the worst time of her life. Being abducted by a serial killer did not-so-funny things to a person.

She tugged on her shirt sleeves, making sure to keep the proof of her nightmare hidden, and returned her attention to the two detectives closing the distance.

A patrol officer headed in their direction, but Matt held up his badge and dismissed the young man. Once Matt stood in front of them, he looked them over head to toe. “What happened?”

Noelle opened her stance and crossed her arms. “Someone tried to run Jonah over.”

Jonah grimaced.

Okay, so maybe she should’ve toned down her response, but now that the shock had worn off, her irritation had taken over. No one messed with one of her friends—especially Jonah. He’d stayed by her side while she recovered from her concussion last summer. But more than anything, he’d witnessed her obsession with the cold cases and never—not once—told her she should let it go.

“Accident?” Decia placed her hands on her hips, matching Noelle’s intensity.

“Of course.”

“I don’t think so.” Jonah and Noelle responded on top of each other.

Noelle met Jonah’s gaze. “That SUV did not ‘accidently’ rev its engine and then jump the curb.” She used air quotes around the word accidently.

Jonah tilted his head. “Why would someone try to kill me?”

She raised a brow. The confused expression on his face had her biting the inside of her cheek to hide a smile. “Don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten our conversation.”

Despair washed over his features. “You think?”

She shrugged. “I think it’s a good possibility.”

Arms crossed, Matt stared at them. “Want to tell us what’s going on?”

She waited for Jonah to answer, but he stayed quiet. She had a decision to make, and she needed to make it quick. His earlier words tumbled in her brain.

Decia’s gaze drifted from Jonah to her. “Noelle?”

How she handled this would affect her and Jonah’s relationship. He’d trusted her. The only thing that helped her conscience was the fact that she, along with her coworkers at EGA Savannah, had law enforcement privileges and were experts at investigations. True, her words would stretch the meaning, but Jonah had confided in her.

“Have Jonah give you his statement about the explosion and about the SUV that almost hit him.” She sighed. “As for my statement, I walked out of the café after paying and saw Jonah standing at the curb. An SUV picked up speed and jumped the curb, heading straight for him. I tackled him out of the way, and the vehicle sped off. I did get the license plate number.” She rattled it off, and Matt wrote it down. “The only thing I ask right now is that you investigate the owner of that SUV.”

Decia scowled.

“I know, Decia. But please trust me on this.” She held her friend’s gaze.

The woman seemed to study her, then nodded. “For now.” Decia returned her focus to Jonah. “Doc, you look like you could use a place to sit down. Since there isn’t a great place to wait while we take a few witness statements, why don’t you go back into Ricky’s. After we’re finished up with these folks, we’ll meet you there, and then you can give us your statements.”

Noelle jerked her gaze to Jonah. Why had Decia suggested he sit down? She sucked in a breath. His pallor concerned her, but it was the way he swayed on his feet that sent her heart racing.

She grabbed his elbow. “Come on.” Once inside, she steered him back to the booth they’d vacated a little while ago. She scooted in next to him and leaned in before Decia and Matt finished the witness statements and joined them. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

His gaze dropped to his lap. “About what? That I hurt and I’m ready to drop? That I’m scared you’re right and Ken’s fraudulent actions have put me in the middle of danger?”

“Yes, to all of that.” She gently nudged him. “Jonah, please don’t shut me out.”

“Truth?” His head lifted.

“Always.”

“Elle, you’re amazing. You’ve been through a terrible event in your past. Even though you’ve never told me what happened, and I wish you would, I can tell it was horrible. Yet you’ve pushed through the trauma, and now you’re this amazing bodyguard.” His shoulders drooped. “I don’t want you to see me as weak.”

Her jaw dropped. “I’d never see you that way. You’re Doc. I know that doesn’t explain it.” How did she make him understand? “To your friends, you’re larger than life. You’re not weak. You’re the man that shows up and does whatever it takes to help the people around you. Why do you think Ken called you?”

He shook his head. “I have no idea.”

The man’s lack of confidence shocked her. In all the time they’d spent together, she’d never seen this side of him. “Because Ken knew you’d help without judging him. He knew he could trust you—that you’d keep your promise, and you’d do your best to set the records straight.”

“Maybe.” His dejected tone not only hurt to hear but made her angry on his behalf.

“There is no maybe to it.” She inhaled. “Look, we know all the general things about each other and then some. No, we haven’t shared our deepest, darkest secrets. Like you said to me, I’d like to hear what’s caused you to be down on yourself. But know this: until that happens, I’m here for you.”

After a silent moment, Jonah placed his hand on the table and shifted to face her. “Thank you for not outing Ken. The man is—was—like a father to me. Losing him is like losing a piece of myself. After everything he’s done to help me, I owe it to him to keep my promise and figure it out first. I understand we have to tell Matt and Decia, but I’d like to see what my friend got himself into before I mention it to them. It’s not like Ken’s here to explain or defend himself. And with the bullet-hole evidence, it’s not like they don’t know the explosion was intentional. They’ll continue to investigate.”

“As long as you realize that it’s only temporary.” She squeezed his hand. “We’ll figure this out.”

She had no intention of letting Jonah go this road alone.

He didn’t know it yet, but once she talked with Alana and Juliette, he’d have a personal bodyguard twenty-four seven. He’d become an important part of her life. No way she’d allow anyone to hurt him—ever.

Whoever had tried to kill Jonah had made a big mistake.