Page 29 of Hunting Justice

She wanted to cry and scream in rage at the same time. But this wasn’t about her. She had to do something to get his mind off what had happened. “In all the time we’ve spent together, I don’t think I’ve ever asked why you wanted to become a doctor and why the emergency department.”

Jonah sat motionless long enough she thought he wouldn’t answer. Then he sighed. “My sister.”

“You’ve told me about her, but why did she make you choose medicine as your degree?” A two-word answer from the man who loved to talk told all she needed to know. Getting him out of his funk wasn’t going to be easy.

His shoulders drooped. “When I was six, my parents told me to watch my little sister.”

“That’s a bit young to babysit, isn’t it?”

He continued to gaze out the window, but at least he was talking.

“No, nothing like that. Mom and Dad asked me to keep an eye on her while they fixed dinner. She was around three at the time and had a habit of climbing on everything.” He ran a hand over his face. “I was distracted with my Legos. She scaled the bookshelf next to the fireplace and called out for me to look. She’d climbed too high for me to reach. I yelled for my mom, but Wendy reached for the next shelf. Before I could tell her to stop, she fell. Her head hit the brick hearth.”

“Oh, Jonah.” Noelle’s heart ached for the little boy who’d watched his sister get hurt. “Was she all right?”

“She had an inch-long gash, which to a child seemed like four inches. And like a typical head wound, it bled like crazy. But it was her motionless body that scared me the most.”

“What happened next?”

“The ambulance came and transported her to the hospital. She had a concussion and required stitches. Mom and Dad never blamed me. But I had nightmares for weeks.”

“I can understand that.” Noelle turned into the EGA courtyard lot and put her car into Park. She shifted to face him. “You have to know it wasn’t your fault. You were only six.”

“I know that now. But then…let’s just say I felt guilty for years.” He leaned back and closed his eyes for a moment, then he met her gaze and gave her a sad smile. “It was then and there that I decided I’d never be helpless again. I wanted to be a doctor so that the next time something bad happened, I’d know what to do.”

“I’d say you succeeded in knowing what to do. According to the word on the street, you were the best ER doctor on the east coast—and throughout the US, if my sources are correct—until you gave it all up. And that’s saying something.”

“Yeah.” Jonah turned away from her and stared out the window again. “I’m not all that great.”

He’d never opened up to her about why he’d taken a different path in his career. The few times she’d asked, he’d said he’d needed a change and then switched topics. She’d never pressed him to divulge the reason, but the pain in his expression made her want to pry. If only to know how to wipe away the sadness from his life.

For now, she let his comment go. “I’ve called Alana and Juliette. Just so you know, I told them about Ken.”

He jerked to face her.

She held up her hand to halt his disapproval. “They won’t disclose the information until we’re ready, but they’re my team. I trust them with my life and yours. Bottom line, we need their help.”

He studied her for a moment, then nodded. “If you say we need the others, I believe you.”

Noelle released the breath she’d held, having been uncertain how Jonah would react. She laced her fingers with his. “Thank you.”

“That’s my line. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” He squeezed her hand.

In the whole time she’d known Jonah, she hadn’t witnessed the vulnerability in him that she did at this moment. Noelle glanced at their entwined hands. When had her heart gotten involved? She had to tamp down those thoughts and remember a relationship beyond friendship would never happen. Not with Jonah—not with anyone.

Besides, she had a job to do and had no intention of letting her feelings cause her to lose focus. But with no idea who was behind the attacks or why, protecting him became a challenge.

She wouldn’t—couldn’t—let him down.

SIX

THURSDAY, 7:00 P.M.

Jonah stepped from Noelle’s vehicle, careful not to jostle his aching body. He stared at the walkway to her immaculate light-gray one-story bungalow in a residential area of Savannah, wondering if he had the energy to make it into the house. The attack had aggravated his previous injuries and added more to the list. Those would heal. It was the fear that had dug its teeth in and refused to let go.

For the past two hours, he’d only heard half of what the EGA ladies had discussed, but he’d gotten the gist of their decision. Whether he wanted it or not—which deep down, he did—he had a bodyguard twenty-four seven. And the most determined women on the planet digging into Ken’s crime. The whole situation added a layer of helplessness to his already sour mood.

Noelle rounded the car. “I’d like to get you inside as soon as possible.” She made a quick scan of the neighborhood. “I’m ninety-nine percent positive that no one followed us, but I’ll feel better once you’re tucked inside.”