He watched her walk to her RAV4, not taking his eyes off her until the car disappeared down the drive.
When he turned back, the ambulance was pulling away, and one of the two deputy vehicles was leaving.
His team moved toward him, all but Ryan, who was talking to the fire chief.
“How was she?” Joel asked.
“She says she’s fine, but she inhaled some smoke. She seemed more worried about me.” It was ridiculous.She’dinhaled smoke.She’dbeen put in danger coming to seehim.
Ryan came to stand with them.
“What did he say?” Ethan asked.
“A glass bottle filled with gasoline and a rag in the top was thrown through the window.”
Zac cursed. “And the little shit did it at night, so we weren’t all here to chase his ass down.”
Ethan looked at Ward again. The sheriff was standing by his patrol car, still laughing with one of his deputies.
“Ward say anything?” Ethan asked.
Ryan’s jaw visibly clicked. “Said he’d follow a lead. Wouldn’t tell me what that lead was. Then said if he didn’t find the guy, justice would come knockin’.”
“I’m going to talk to Gerome tomorrow.”
Tension filled the air at Ethan’s statement before Zac spoke. “You sure that’s a good idea?”
“No. But I’m not sitting around doing nothing.”
Ryan frowned at him. “Want one of us with you?”
Ethan shook his head. “Two or more will be a threat he’ll report to Daddy. Me and him is simply a conversation.”
“Be careful,” Connor said.
“Always am.”
Maggie was exhausted.And her chest hurt, and thewhat-ifsof the night were sitting on her like an impossible weight.
What if Ethan had been in the room with the fire? What if that personhadn’tgone to the old firehouse with the intention of simply starting a fire? What if they’d gone with the intention of directly hurting him or his team?
She rubbed a hand over her chest, the ache thrumming throughout her body.
When she pulled up in front of Polly’s house, she didn’t immediately get out. Instead, she took a moment to sit and breathe through the millions of emotions inside her. Someone hated Ethan and his team being here enough to set fire to their worksite. Was it Gerome? One of his friends? Someone else?
There were too many unanswered questions.
With a sigh, she forced herself out of the car. Coughing immediately overwhelmed her. The paramedic said she’d be coughing for a while. He’d suggested she could spend the evening in the local hospital to use the oxygen masks, but she couldn’t think of anything worse. So when he’d said it was probably unnecessary, she’d jumped at coming home.
As she stepped inside the apartment, her phone lit up with a text.
Ethan: You get home okay?
Maggie: I did. Have you left?
Ethan: Not yet. But I will. How’s your breathing?
Maggie: Absolutely fine.
