Torch (Unbreakable Bonds 3)

“I wish I knew,” he mumbled.

“This is not the first fire you’ve dealt with recently.”

Rowe shook his head. She was referring to The Warehouse fire three nights ago. This one was decidedly less dangerous than the first. Was it possible that this was something entirely different? Could it have been just a break in and the burglar started the fire by accident?

“The department didn’t get a call from your company on this one. Lynton called us. What’s going on with your security system?”

“My people are checking on it,” he said without really thinking about it.

He paused near the end of the driveway where it opened into a circle before the lavish house. A tall fountain surrounded by a low stone wall stood empty in the center of the circle. His hands on his hips, he slowly surveyed the scene. The ambulance was preparing to leave and the firemen were rolling up their last hose. There was a white van off to the side of the house near the back with “Artfully Decadent” written on the side. The catering company had been checked out by Ward Security in the past and was popular for lavish parties. Only thirty minutes had passed between Thomas’s call to Rowe and their arrival. The couple along with the other party prep staff had gotten out safe and the house fire was out. That meant that the arsonist was either a complete idiot when it came to starting fires, or it wasn’t intended to consume the entire house as well as the occupants. It was meant for something else.

“Are you done with the Lyntons, Detective?”

Rowe was vaguely aware that Natalie had stiffened beside him. “Your Ranger senses tingling?”

Noah snorted behind him and Rowe fought the urge to roll his eyes. “Maybe. Can you spare someone for a possible escort?”

“Yes.”

“Let me get the Lyntons out of here and you see if you can speed along the fire department and the catering company.”

“Rowe…” Natalie growled in warning.

“It might be nothing. Worst-case scenario, we got people out of here a little earlier on Saturday night.”

Rowe hurried over to where Andrei was standing beside the driver’s side door of a shiny hunter green Jaguar. His usual button-down shirt and suit jacket were missing. Now stained with soot and sweat, his dirty T-shirt clung to his muscular chest, but it wasn’t nearly as eye-catching as the leather jackass rig with the glock nestled under his left arm or the large white bandage wrapped around his left forearm. A cold wind swept through, rattling the dead leaves still clinging to the trees. Somehow, Andrei didn’t shiver, but then Rowe figured the man was still running on adrenaline.

“Rowe!” Thomas demanded, half leaning out the window of his car.

“Thomas, are you and Marilyn okay?” Rowe countered, cutting off what was likely to be an angry and justified diatribe.

“Yes. Yes, we’re okay.” He reached over and patted his wife’s hand. “Andrei here was hurt a bit.”

“Just a little scrape,” Andrei interjected, trying to play down the injury.

“He was saving Snickers and Puddles,” Marilyn chimed in. She leaned over her husband so that she could see Rowe. Clutched in her lap was an extremely large and fluffy cat, while a second one pawed at the back window closest to Andrei.

Rowe reluctantly tucked all that away for a later date when he could spend many minutes teasing and tormenting Andrei over the fact that he had to hunt down some cats for a client while trying to get them out of a burning building. Right now, they had more important things to worry about.

“Thomas, do you have someplace safe to stay tonight?”

The older man nodded. “We have reservations downtown—”

“Good. I’m going to have a cop follow you and check everything out.”

“You don’t think someone…”

“Honestly, no.” Rowe stopped and heavily sighed. He wasn’t about to tell Thomas that he and his wife were likely targets only as an attempt to ruin Rowe, or worse, kill Andrei to get at Lucas. “But I just want to be cautious tonight while I do some digging. I’ll be in contact tomorrow.”

“You send Andrei home and let Lucas take care of him,” Marilyn admonished, leaning across her husband again. “He’s been through enough tonight.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Rowe backpedaled, smirking briefly at Andrei, before he caught Natalie’s eye. The detective was already nodding and shouting for a cop to follow the Lyntons.

“What’s going on?” Andrei demanded as the Lyntons pulled away, followed by the catering van.

“Why were you here tonight?” Rowe asked.

“I was doing a security walk-through. They’re having a party tomorrow and I was making some notes on the placement of the added security for the event as well as notes on some new surveillance cameras.”

“Who knew you were going to be here tonight?”

Andrei shrugged. “Lucas, Gidget.” He paused, frowning at Rowe. “Troy in accounting, I think. I’m not sure. I don’t normally announce my schedule.”