Page 21 of Ride the Lightning
“You can show yourself out so we can both get on with our workday,” Trexler said.
Jonah snatched up his warning along with the summary he’d prepared, got up, and left the room. He passed Tabby’s desk without saying goodbye because his brain was too busy trying to figure out who had betrayed him. Jonah knew damn well Malcolm hadn’t ratted him out to Trexler, and he hadn’t discussed the investigation with anyone else.
The truth hit Jonah with the force of a tornado, and he almost stumbled.
When he returned to his office, Avery was working on Stella. He was so engrossed in his project that he hadn’t realized Jonah returned until he shut the door more forcefully than he’d intended.
Avery jumped, and the pencil he’d been gnawing on fell out of his mouth. “Jonah,” he said, clutching his chest. “You scared the hell out of me.”
“Or are you just jumpy?” Jonah asked.
“I don’t have a reason to be jumpy,” Avery protested.
Jonah stalked across the room until he practically stood over him. “Is that so?”
Avery swallowed hard but didn’t look away from him. “What’s going on?”
“Did you read the document I prepared yesterday before you placed it in the interoffice envelope?” he asked.
“I glanced at it, yes,” Avery admitted, raising his chin defiantly.
“Who’d you tell about it?” Jonah asked.
Avery’s mouth dropped open in shock. “No one. I only delivered it to Desiree since I figured you would need it for the meeting. What’s going on?”
Jonah shoved the insubordination warning at Avery, who looked at it, then gasped.
“Oh no.” Avery pushed back his chair and rose to his feet, glaring at Jonah. “You thinkItold Trexler about your meeting with Malcolm? How could you think I’d betray you like that, Jonah? I know how much you can’t stand the smug bastard.”
Avery’s anger took a little wind out of Jonah’s sails, but he wasn’t willing to dismiss his suspicions altogether. “Okay, maybe you didn’t tell Trexler directly, but you told someone during morning gossip, who told someone else, who—”
“Fuck you, Jonah,” Avery snarled, stepping around him and walking quickly toward the door.
Jonah caught up to him in three strides, bracing his hand against the door to prevent Avery from opening it. “I’m not done talking to you.” Jonah knew he was acting irrationally but couldn’t seem to stop himself.
Avery’s body vibrated. From anger? Or was it from lust pooling in his gut? Jesus. Heat rolled off Avery, making his rain-fresh scent stronger. Jonah had the insane urge to press his nose behind Avery’s ear and inhale deeply.
“Take your hand off the door, Jonah. I don’t want to be near you right now.”
“Avery, I know how much you like to gossip with some of the ladies. Maybe you didn’t mean for this to happen, but—”
Avery threw an elbow, driving it into Jonah’s gut and temporarily cutting off his ability to speak. Avery followed it up by stomping on Jonah’s instep.
“Fuck,” Jonah groaned, limping backward.
Avery spun around and boldly strode toward Jonah, his nostrils flaring as he breathed heavily. “I told you to back off, and you didn’t,” Avery said, jabbing his finger in Jonah’s chest. “Next time, I’ll knee you in the balls.”
For the first time since Jonah left Trexler’s office, he started to second-guess himself. If Avery was lying to him, he was very persuasive. Jonah ran both hands through his hair.
“I told no one about what I read on the report. I didn’t seal the interoffice envelope, so Desiree could’ve read it and told Tabby about it. They’re cousins and probably wouldn’t even view the exchange as gossip. Trexler is always on Tabby’s ass, so she probably told him to score points. So, indirectly, I’m probably responsible, and I am sorry. I wouldn’t intentionally betray your trust, and I’m hurt you think I would.”
Jonah had the strongest urge to pull Avery into his arms, but he couldn’t…wouldn’t. “I’m sorry, Avery. I should’ve known better. I don’t know what’s come over me.”
“You’re not forgiven, Jonah. I need a few minutes to calm down before I can continue working,” he said before spinning around and leaving Jonah’s office.
Jonah walked over to his desk and flopped down in his chair. Snatching up the bag of Bugles, he devoured them in two minutes or less while white-hot rage burned through him. He couldn’t believe Trexler refused to even consider requesting Bo Cahill’s official case file from DeKalb County. Jonah wasn’t buying his pomp and circumstance about protecting the law enforcement officers’ reputation either. Trexler would throw his own mother under a bus if it meant advancing his career. Fuck. Had Jonah approached this the wrong way? He’d gone into the meeting armed with facts when he should’ve gone in there ready to stroke the man’s ego. The thought left a bitter taste in Jonah’s mouth, but his pride could’ve cost him the one chance to give Marla peace of mind.
“Idiot,” Jonah mumbled under his breath.