Leo frowned and rubbed his hand along his jawline.
“What about the community center?” Scarlett suggested. “Did anyone have issues with something there?”
“Good thinking, Sparky,” Ty encouraged her.
“I’ll check into it,” Bear said, jotting down his notes.
“Since the fire started on Ty’s side of the center, you might want to investigate his restaurant, too,” she added.
“How do you know?” Leo asked.
“I recall smelling Jeremy as he approached me. I didn’t smell the smoke until I walked closer to the bakery. I ranaround to the back and got Edie out first. I didn’t feel the heat of the flame until I reached Debbie’s apartment. If it started near the bakery, I wouldn’t have had time to get the kids out or Barb.”
“Where did you encounter Jeremy before the fire?” Leo asked.
“I planned to make it to the grocery store, but changed my mind. I turned around and caught his scent at the corner,” Scarlett informed them.
“Michael and one of my new employees, Archer, will stake out Jeremy’s house until 1500. Saint and Knight will take the next shift. I want to know when the old man farts,” Leo ordered.
“May I add something?” Scarlett asked.
“You have the floor,” Leo said, waiting for her.
“Did Sledge see Jeremy’s face? He rushed him. I know Sledge enough to know his moves. I didn’t see him, but Sledge should’ve identified him when he assessed the risk of putting me into danger.”
“Sledge doesn’t recall much of the attack except hearing you scream and bursting through the door,” Taco said.
“Since we’re this close, may I visit him?” she asked.
“Taco and Shadow will follow you over and will tail you until you reach home,” Leo said, dismissing them. “I’ll stop by in the morning. I’m on kid patrol tonight. Derrick has kept my wife awake two nights in a row, and she needs sleep before she tries to neuter me a second time.”
The men laughed as they dismantled.
“Thank you for coming, Scarlett. Have you considered my offer to come in for an interview?” Leo asked.
“What exactly am I interviewing for? I’m limited in my job skills at the moment, but I don’t need a pity job, sir,” she said.
“I respect your choice,” Leo said. “I don’t give out pity jobs. You’ve recently returned from Iraq. Bear didn’t spend his time there. The government has requested my services in the private sector. Since I’ve heard your map memory can’t be beat, I’d like you to sit in on the meetings and alert me to any risks in the area. We assume all jobs pose some, but I want first-hand knowledge, not some computer geek’s skills behind a desk. Once I see how you work, I’ll have you partner with Bear and Whiskey. He handles new employee training and contracts. Local ones will go through him, and overseas ones will be assigned to you with a risk assessment and data on the area.”
Scarlett licked her lips as anticipation ran through her. It seemed like the next best thing to analyzing the territories her teams entered. “I’ll take you up on the interview. I’m still a patient at the hospital, and I don’t know when I’ll get released.”
“Patch will stop by and speak with you on Monday. We hired him while he still attended meetings. Marcus came to us the same way. If I’m willing to hire you, I’ll wait for you to get your head on straight. We don’t risk anyone,” Leo informed her.
“Thank you,” Scarlett said as she reached for Ice’s harness and left with Ty and Rocker.
Ten minutes later, she entered Sledge’s room.
Kim stood in surprise and walked across the room. Scarlett inhaled her perfume as she neared. “Scarlett, I can’t thank you enough for saving his ass again. I swear, I’m taking him home and putting him in a cage,” she said, hugging her.
“He saved my ass, too,” Scarlett whispered. “I wanted to see him myself. Does he feel up to visitors?”
“I’m staring right at you and feeling all kinds of jealous. You’ve got to hug my wife before I do. She seems happier seeing you than me. When she first saw me, she leaned down in my face and said, ‘I’m kicking your ass.’ Now she’sstanding there hugging you like you did all the work,” Sledge grumbled.
Scarlett grinned. If Sledge felt good enough to bitch, he’d live. “I see he’s whining like a baby as usual,” she teased. “Remember when the bullet grazed his arm and he returned to base? I ran down the hall to see how badly he got hit, and the doctor put a bandage on it. I heard him caterwauling before I made it there. They might as well have given him a wrap with unicorns and pixie dust and a lollipop to match.”
“Hey, it stung like a bitch,” Sledge complained.
“If you think you heard him, try bunking in the same room with him. I almost held him down and put in an IV drip to shut him up,” Rocker added.
