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Wren’s features slackened a little, disbelief clear in her eyes as they pinged back and forth between Josie and Noah.

Josie’s stomach churned. To her husband she said, “What exactly did you use as one of your two truths?”

Noah tugged at the collar of his T-shirt, exposing his collarbone and well-muscled shoulder until a puckered scar came into view.

Oh, shit, thought Josie. She sent a murderous look in Noah’s direction, the unspoken question loud and clear between them. Why in the world would you tell Wren about that?

She noted his careless half-shrug.

Wren’s head swiveled slowly toward Josie. “You shot him?”

Unable to push any words out just then, Josie simply nodded.

“But it—it…” Wren stammered. “It was an accident, right?”

Drake chuckled. “Josie doesn’t have those kinds of accidents, kid.”

“You shot him on purpose?” There was a note of accusation in Wren’s voice, a momentary wild look in her eyes. She leaned toward Noah almost protectively.

Josie’s heart warmed to see it even as she wanted to kick her husband’s ass for opening this can of worms.

“An epic beginning to an epic love story,” Drake said, clearly enjoying himself.

Wren poked Noah’s arm with her index finger. “You married her after that?”

Noah’s eyes filled with adoration as they settled on Josie. He answered Wren’s question without looking away. “She had a good reason.”

“A good reason?” Wren practically shrieked.

Josie took a deep breath, trying to put together the words in a way that would explain what had happened without scarring Wren for life. “Several years ago, I discovered that some of my colleagues were corrupt. I was trying to figure out how to bring them to justice but there was an innocent girl caught up in everything. She was in a holding cell at our station. I felt that I needed to get her out of there and hide her until I knew the corrupt men were put away and she would be safe.”

“I was in charge of the holding cells that night,” Noah said.

“I didn’t know if I could trust him and I didn’t have time to figure it out. I just needed to get that girl out of there.”

“So you shot him?” Wren said, her voice a low, incredulous whisper.

“There was a little more to it than that,” Josie said even though, truthfully, there wasn’t. In a world where men routinely hurt young girls without a single consequence, Josie had chosen to shoot first and ask questions later, her career be damned. She’d put the welfare of a damaged girl over the possibility that Noah might not be involved in a sex trafficking ring.

She regretted shooting him, but she’d never regret ensuring that girl’s safety.

“Noah was just doing his job,” Josie added. She stopped herself from reciting the rest of the monologue she gave whenever the subject came up.

It was a well-placed shot.

I didn’t shoot to kill.

The bullet was a .22 caliber.

I still feel horribly guilty.

Wren turned to Noah. “And you just forgave her? Just like that?”

Drake snorted. “Please. This guy was in love with her since they were in high school. She’s three years older than him, by the way, so he was just a puny little freshman lusting after a big, bad senior. She could have kicked his ass then, too. She wouldn’t have even needed a firearm.”

“Stop talking,” Josie barked. “Right now.”

Noah hooked a thumb toward Josie. “She didn’t even know who I was until I joined the police department.”