Page 76 of Drag You Down
“Your boy…” Dom lets out an exasperated sigh. “The one who voluntarily left your condo? So you tracked him down. But he didn’t stick around.”
“He was scared. The traffic cop intimidated him,” I say, clenching my fists. “I need to find him again. He’s probably going back to the cult?—”
“Cult?” Dom interrupts. “What are you talking about?”
“Zachariah Carpenter? Joshua Baker?” Impatience threatens to make me snap at him. “He’s running a cult here. My boy is beingtorturedby that fucker. And since none of you are doing anything about it, I have to save him myself!”
My voice is ragged.
Loud.
I’m losing control.
Dom’s lips thin in disapproval. “It’s not that we’re doing nothing. And you aren’t law enforcement, Gabe. If you’re really concerned, I’ll send somebody to the address to check it out.”
“So you can do nothing again?” I demand. “Just let me pay my bail, Dom. I’ll throw in extra for you if you get me outright now. I’m the only one who can save Levi.”
“Just for that, I’m tempted to let you rot even longer,” Dom grouses. “The shock I felt when I heard you’d been arrested yesterday, Jesus.”
Did he know about this yesterday? Was he letting me sit here to teach me a lesson? I glare at him, and Dom recoils and takes a step back.
“If you’re the reason my lamb suffers for even one extra minute—” I threaten. “I won’t forgive you.”
Dom shakes his head. “Christ. You know, people at the club warn others about you sometimes. I always thought they misunderstood you, but I’m starting to think they were right.” He holds up a set of keys. “I’m going to release you. Go pay your fucking fine, and be damn glad the department isn’t actuallygoing to press those traffic obstruction charges. And remember that you’ve got a shit-ton of money, but the NBPD isn’t without power.”
I get up and cross the few steps to the cell gate. I wait impatiently while Dom unlocks the door and opens it up.
I try to walk past Dom, but he grabs my arm. “Hey. I’m doing this for you as a friend. But you’re not convincing me that it’s a good idea.”
The only thing stopping me from punching him is the knowledge that Levi is in trouble. I know he is. A man like Zachariah Carpenter won’t let a beautiful lamb like Levi get away with wandering away from the flock.
“I’m just worried,” I say, forcing my voice to be mild. “He’s being taken advantage of.”
Dom lets go of me and shakes his head again. “Fine. But if the boy rejects you, let it go. I’ll investigate that guy, but we gotta do it through legal channels.”
“Okay. Thank you.” The words feel bitter on my tongue, but it wouldn’t be smart to piss off my contact in the force.
I hurry to the front desk to pay whatever stupid fine they want. The clerk seems to think it’s a large number, but it’s barely a fraction of what I make in a month.
Only once I’ve paid does she hand me my phone. I have multiple missed calls and texts from work, and I send a text explaining that a family emergency came up as I walk out of the building.
My car is in an impound lot somewhere, and there’s no time to go pick it up. I hail a cab and have the driver drop me off four blocks away from the apartment.
Closer would be better, but depending on what I end up doing, I want fewer witnesses regarding my whereabouts.
The apartment building is still dirty and innocuous. The door is locked, but it’s easy enough to use the key I’d cloned to getinside. I take the stairs up two at a time to the third floor and pound on Levi’s door.
“Levi! Open up!” I shout, not caring who might hear.
I keep pounding on the door until, finally, it opens a crack. The chain is on the door, and a petite woman peeks out. Levi’s sister.
“Who are you?” she hisses. “Go away. This place isn’t for you.”
“I want to see Levi,” I say, pushing against the door. “Tell me where he is.”
She shakes her head. “No. If you don’t leave right now, I’m calling the police.”
That makes me grin. “Yeah? With your cell phone? Or the landline you don’t have?”
