“The man follows you around like a love-sick puppy dog. Obviously, after my asshole self stuck my foot in my mouth about this team, I’m not his favorite person. Yet, he came to the guest house and explained what he wanted to try with you and why. From what I can see, the man cares a great deal about you,” Rocker said.
“It scares me,” she confessed.
“When we ran missions, I felt nervous as hell. What if we got ambushed? I glanced at my team and wondered who might not make it back. You ordered the airstrikes, but you became our lifeline. I heard this strong, confident voice in my ear, telling me to get my ass moving. You always watched our six. Sometimes, things got dark, and you became the only light to guide us home,” Rocker said quietly. “Ty has your six. As your brother, I want to put you in a bubble to protect you. He refuses to let you live in one. If that doesn’t tell you what kind of man he is, I don’t knowwhat to tell you.”
“He owns and operates a restaurant and a ranch. I don’t want to become a burden. He takes his time to describe everything to me. Even Ice takes time. Ty works hard, and it’s not fair to ask him to take me on, too.”
“Doesn’t he get a say? After all, it’s his life. And if I ever hear you call yourself a burden again, I’ll be so far up your ass, you’ll walk funny.”
“The attack turned my world upside down. I felt you pulling me away from the flames when I couldn’t see. It terrified me. Sometimes, I still feel like I’m back there and I can’t see past the smoke,” Scarlett whispered.
“Then you go to therapy. Join the groups with the other veterans, pick up the phone, and call me and Sledge. Confide in your partner. Ty has seen and done it. He’ll understand. What do you plan to do about this interview with Leo?”
“I don’t know. My parents expect me to return home. When you brought me here, staying never occurred to me. I like it here, but I don’t want a pity job. I loved my old one,” Scarlett said sadly.
“You won’t know what Leo plans to offer you if you don’t speak with him. You saved four kids. No one feels sorry for you. They’re in awe,” Rocker explained. “Ty has you pegged. You’ve lost your self-confidence. If you have the courage it took to run into a burning building, find enough to bring yourself through the fire.”
“Leo wants us to come to the facility,” Ty interrupted.
“Did they catch Jeremy?” she asked.
“Yeah. He claims he stayed at home with Ben all night,” Ty said, angrily. “Ben even vouched for him.”
“What about me identifying him as the one who attacked me?” Scarlett said in dismay.
“The police reasoned the scent Jeremy uses can be purchased at the local drugstore. You didn’t see him attackyou,” he broke the news gently. “Leo’s incensed and wants to speak with you. He invited Rocker to attend, too.”
Scarlett felt Rocker squeeze her hand. She put the lid on her water and nodded. “Hopefully, Leo has a plan.”
“I’ll clean this up and then head over,” Rocker offered.
“Thanks,” Ty said as he helped Scarlett mount Hank and mounted behind her. “Don’t let this discourage you. We’ll find a way to prove he did it,” he said vehemently.
“Hank, take us home,” she commanded. The horse began to trot. Scarlett leaned against Ty, considering Rocker’s advice. Jeremy deserved to pay for killing Debbie. She refused to let him get away with tormenting her new friends in the town.
Sometimes, the only way to extinguish a fire is to drop a bomb and deprive it of oxygen. Maybe Jeremy needed a taste of his own medicine.
CHAPTER 31
Shadow metthem at the door. “We’re meeting in the kitchen.” Scarlett with Ice led the two men into the kitchen.
“Thank you for joining us, Scarlett,” Leo said as Ty pulled back a chair for her and sat beside her, leaving Rocker to sit at the end of the table with Patch.
“As you know, the officers went to speak with Jeremy. He claims he stayed home all evening, and Ben backed him up. Knight watched the house with Michael. Ben remained in the barn, and they watched Jeremy enter the house, and he never came out,” Leo paraphrased. “Can you run us through the night again? We want to see if we missed anything,” Leo asked.
“Ty left the house. When I heard someone enter the kitchen, I believed Sledge had returned home. He called me ten minutes prior and asked if I needed anything. Ice growled and shielded me, giving me a warning. I almost made it to my room when he grabbed me and choked me,” Scarlett repeated.
“When did you recognize Jeremy’s cologne?” Knight asked.
“When I entered the hallway and made it almost to the kitchen,” she recalled.
“When you and Patch went into town and sat with the rubberneckers gazing at the building, did you smell anyone else wearing the same scent as him?” Shadow asked.
She shook her head. “We went for the sole purpose of my identifying the scent among the crowd. I only smelled it on Jeremy.”
“Ragu ran to the drugstore. We purchased every type of cologne they stock. My men will spread out through the building, and I want you to tell me when you smell it,” Leo ordered.
“Wait a damn minute,” Rocker protested. “She’s not some scent-sniffing dog.”
