Looking almost as pissed as Lucky felt, the other man raked a hand through his dark, wavy hair. “They know what caused it?”
“Arson.” Those fists at his sides grew tight once more. “Detective Knox said there were reports of a chemical smell coming from that corner of the building shortly before the fire broke out. Knox also said the fire marshal can all but confirm the fire started either in or around El’s apartment.”
“Damn.” Archer shook his head in disbelief. To Ellie, he told her, “Cassie fought like tooth and nail to come, but I talked her into staying put. I almost lost her to one psychopath already.” A haunted look left him frowning. “No offense, but I couldn’t risk her being anywhere near a scene like this.”
Understanding gave a tiny lift to the corners of Ellie’s kissable mouth. “I don’t blame you. I wouldn’t want her here, either.” She glanced back up at her building and then to the growing crowd gathering on the sidewalks and street. “Some arsonists like to watch the show after the fact. Killers, too.”
Yeah, they sure as hell did.
Following her lead, both he and Archer scanned the crowd for anyone who may appear out of place. No one jumped out at him, but it wasn’t as if he expected the prick to give himself up by waiving.
Cameras. You need to check the cameras.
He’d have to wait until they got to his place to access everything, but Lucky abandoned the crowd to begin studying the nearby buildings. Taking a mental inventory, he spotted several security cams mounted high on a few of the businesses positioned between where they stood and Ellie’s building.
“What are you looking at?” She craned her neck to follow his line of sight.
“Cameras.” He noticed another one. “As soon as I get to my computer, I’ll—”
“Oh, shit!” Ellie’s wide eyes flew to up to his as her hand grabbed one of his arms. “Your laptop and tablet.” Her mind seemed to race. “And the clothes you brought with you the other day…” She looked back up at the towering flames.
“It’s okay.” He covered her hand with his and gave it a reassuring pat. “I have backups for all of my electronics. They’re all programmed to sync any new data in real-time, so anything I’ve worked on is safe. As for my clothes…” Lucky shrugged. “It was a few days’ worth of outfits I kept in my go-bag. Nothing to stress over. Really.”
Not when they had much more important things to be worried about. Like finding the fucker who set fire to Ellie’s home.
“Oh, good.” Relief poured over her, visibly easing the tension in her neck and shoulders. “That’s good.”
Lucky let his hand linger on hers a moment longer before he returned it to his side and faced Archer. “We’re parked right over there.” He pointed to his car. “Let’s get the things Cassie sent so I can get her the hell out of here.”
If the person who set the blazewasstill lurking around, he didn’t want Ellie within a ten mile radius of this place. He sure as hell didn’t want her standing out in the open like this.
“Wait, what things?” A confused Ellie looked at first to him before landing her focus on Archer.
“Cass sent some clothes and stuff.” His expression softened. “Just to get you by.”
“Oh.” She slid a sideways glance toward the fire and back to Archer. “That was really sweet.” A quick check of her watch. “It’s late. I’ll call her in the morning to thank her.”
Archer grinned. “I’m sure she’ll be glad to hear from you.”
“Come on.” Lucky rested a guiding hand against Ellie’s lower back as they began to move.
With his head on a constant swivel, he kept his eyes peeled for the first sign of a threat while keeping her as close to her as he could while they walked. Splitting off, Archer began a half-jog down the street to retrieve the donated items from his vehicle.
A moment later, he was back with a small, wheeled suitcase and a large, overnight tote.
“Thank you both so much.” Ellie took the offered tote from the other man’s hand. “Tell Cassie I will be sure to clean and return everything as soon as I can.”
“No rush.” Archer placed the suitcase inside the trunk Lucky had already opened. “Actually, here.” He kept the trunk lid open and glanced down at the tote still hanging from Ellie’s hands. “You wanna just put that back here, too?”
“Sure.” She covered the few feet to the back of the car and carefully dropped the tote inside. “Thanks.”
Archer shut the lid and blew out a breath. “It goes without saying, but you two need anything…no matter what time it is—”
“Thanks, Arch.” Ellie wrapped her arms around the man’s center and gave him a squeeze. “And please make sure Cassie knows I’m okay.”
“I will, El.” His teammate hugged her back. “Be safe, and…” Letting his lips curve a bit, he jutted his chin in Lucky’sdirection. “Don’t let this guy give you any grief. He does, you call me.”
“Bite me.” Lucky gave the other man the finger before his focus returned to El. “You ready?”