Minutes later, Lucky was pulling into his apartment complex. Located just east of the Denny Triangle, the Aristol Apartment Building rose high above the city lights. The high-end complex was gated with a security guard posted at its entrance twenty-four-seven.
Between that and the guards working the front desk and the structure’s sleek, modern design, Lucky was sold on the place within the first five minutes of his tour. And since he was who he was—and he worked for who he worked for—the building’s owner had given him one hell of a discount on rent. He’d alsogiven Lucky permission to…enhancethe security system within his own apartment.
He pulled onto the paved driveway and slowed the car to a stop at the gate. Rolling his window down, he greeted the man standing guard.
“Hey, Charlie.” Lucky smiled at the graying man.
A retired SPD narcotics officer, Charles Doss was tall, muscular, and tatted from shoulders to wrists. Lucky only knew that last part about him because the short-sleeved uniform shirt he often wore revealed the man’s intricate ink.
“Mr. Lucas.” Charlie’s salt-n-pepper beard lifted with his usual, friendly smile. “How are you this fine evening?”
“I’m doing well,” he lied. “Thank you.”
Because…what else was he going to say?
“Glad to hear it.” Charlie pressed a button on the control panel inside his small booth. Two seconds later, the large, rod iron gate began to open.
“Have a wonderful rest of your night,” Charlie offered.
“You, too.” Lucky smiled. He pressed his foot to the accelerator and slowly rolled his Challenger through the open gate.
“You livehere?”
Ellie’s surprised tone had him sparing her a quick glance as he drove.
“For about nine months now, yeah.” He tipped his head in a single nod.
“Wow.” Her blue eyes were wide as they stared up at the massive structure. “It looks…expensive.”
“It’s not cheap, that’s for sure.” He pulled his car into the building’s attached parking garage. “But it’s the most secure and up-to-date apartment complex in the city. And given what I do—”
“Security is important,” she finished for him. “No, I get it. That’s why I chose the building I live…er…livedin. Between its location, modern amenities, and high-end security system, I figured it was the best choice all around.” Her shoulders fell with a disheartened sigh. “Of course, had I known how easy it would be for some maniac just to waltz right in and burn the place down, I probably would’ve continued with my search.”
Despite the truth in her statement, Lucky felt his lips curving upward. “Glad to see you still have your sense of humor.” He pulled the car into his designated spot.
“Well, I’ve lost pretty much everything else,” she muttered low. “Figure I’d better hang on to what’s left.”
Beneath the oozing sarcasm was an ocean of pain and something more. Fear, perhaps? Possibly anger? After what she’d been through, he wouldn’t blame her for feeling all those things and more.
“Arch was right,” Lucky referred to his teammate’s statement back at the scene. “We’re going to find the son of a bitch.”
“You still think it’s Harvey, don’t you?” Those blue eyes turned his way.
“I don’t know who’s after you, El,” he answered truthfully. “But no matter who it is, we will find him…and we will stop him.”
His use of the pronoun was based on years of experience, and the knowledge of how these kinds of people worked. Statistically speaking, when dealing with a female offender, the attacks are typically less violent.
Slashed tires. Vandalism. Poison.
Someone shooting into a crowd of people and then burning half a fucking building down…that screamed the work of a man. Given that—and the facts of the case as they knew them up to this point—Harvey was at the very tip top of his suspect list.
“Come on.” Lucky pushed the button to pop open his trunk. “Let’s get you inside. I have two full bathrooms and a tankless water heater, so we can both hit the shower when we get inside.”
“Is that your way of saying I smell bad?” Ellie opened her door and climbed out of the car.
Bad?
“Hell no, you don’t smell bad.” He exited the vehicle and shut the door behind him. When they met at the back of the car, Lucky met her trepid gaze. Stepping closer to where she stood, he lowered his voice before asking her, “You want to know the truth?”