Page 6 of Masked

Noahstaredinthemirror and straightened his stark black tie. Black was his go-to color, so getting dressed today was no different from any other day.

Except it was.

The coroner released Elise’s body, and today was her funeral. It would be a closed casket service, and friends had talked him out of seeing her body because of the gruesome nature of her death. She wasn’t supposed to die before him. She was supposed to get bored and leave the way most women with their arrangement did. But after two years, Elise had shown no signs of wanting to leave. They loved each other in every way possible. That didn’t stop him from believing she would leave one day. He just never expected it to be like this.

His phone buzzed on the dresser, and he picked it up.

Parker:Is it OK if I bring Reva to the funeral?

Noah’s relationship with his son was strained and had been since the divorce. Even though Parker didn’t share his blood, he still thought of him as his son and even adopted the boy and his two siblings after his birth father died tragically. The marriage to their mother, Melinda, had been a mistake. They were about as different as two people can be. But he loved her kids as his own, and all three of them still used his last name even though they weren’t as close as he would like. Mandy, the middle child, would be getting married in a little less than a year. He was invited to the wedding, but so far, she hadn’t asked him to walk her down the aisle. Noah wasn’t sure how he felt about that. He didn’t feel entitled; it was her wedding after all. But he could picture himself in that role.

He read the text again and thought of Reva Calhoun. She’d been there the night the police told him about Elise. Gorgeous but uncomfortable in her own skin even though she was brilliant and had a spunky side. Not the kind of girl Patrick usually went for. But that might be good for him.

Noah:Bring her. I appreciate her being here the other night.

It was kind of her to want to come. Something told him Patrick wouldn’t have even attended the funeral if his new girlfriend didn’t insist. But it meant he would have all three of his children in the same room with him for the first time in nearly a decade. He was grateful for that, despite the reason for them coming together.

He clutched the locket Elise wore as a collar and tucked it in his pocket. “Miss you too much, princess.” His voice cracked, and he hated the sound of it in the empty bedroom.

On the front steps of his house, he waited for the car to be brought around. His phone rang, and he scowled when he recognized the number.

“Noah. We could use you in Poland next week.”

“Seriously, Jared? I’m burying my girlfriend today, and you’re trying to call me into the field?”

Jared cleared his throat and had the decency to sound remorseful. “You know we wouldn’t ask if it weren’t absolutely necessary. You’re the only one with the skill to negotiate with these people. The president himself is asking for the great Dr. Jasper to lend his profiling expertise.”

Fuck.

“Yeah. OK. Give me the rest of the weekend. I’ll get on a plane Monday.”

Getting back into the field might take his mind off the grief.

After he met Elise, Noah had taken a break from the field and spent most of his time working from D.C. Occasionally, his work for the state department would still take him out of town, but he’d limited his dangerous activities because he enjoyed coming home to Elise on her knees. They were always pushing him to get back to full-time status, though.

In the back of the limo, he thought about what he would say to her parents. They’d never been huge fans of Noah’s. Not that he blamed them. If Mandy brought home a man nearly twice her age, he would look at him skeptically too. That made him a hypocrite, he knew that. But Elise was special. She was a ball of energy, but she wasn’t flighty. She could drink like a fish with her girlfriends, but she never took it too far and always came home to him and his dominance. Maybe it’s because he spoiled her. Spoiling her was his favorite pastime. After he’d completely defiled and used her in the bedroom, he would shower her with whatever she wanted.

“We should bring you in through the back of the church, Dr. Jasper. The press is already pretty heavy despite our best efforts.”

It didn’t surprise Noah that Elise’s funeral garnered media attention. The murder made the news since it was one in a string of gruesome deaths. Plus, the son of a presidential candidate was wrapped up in all of it and his girlfriend Darci had been kidnapped by the murderer. There was little he could do about the press, since Darci would be at the funeral.

His role at the state department was secret, and he wanted it to stay that way. So he didn’t hide from the press, but he didn’t linger when they were around either.

Actively hiding meant they would seek him out and ask more questions than he was prepared to answer.

So he adjusted his tie and shook his head at his driver. “I’ll go in through the front. Let them see me. That should satisfy them. I won’t be making a statement, though.”

The driver scowled but didn’t argue.

At the church, he kept his head down as he climbed the stairs and made his way inside. His expression remained stoic, and he was careful to keep his eyes devoid of emotion.

Inside was another story. The room was thick with emotion that nearly smothered him.

“Noah, I’m so sorry.” Darci Sanders wrapped her arms around him and cried against his chest. He hugged her back and let her cry. Elise had a lot of friends who were hurting today. He needed to be strong for them. If he wanted to, he could fall apart at home.

“It’s not your fault, Darci. I want you to hear me say that.”

She lifted her head and wiped at her eyes. “Thanks, Noah. I can’t stop seeing her like that and I miss her so much.”

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