Page 33 of Bazooka
“What has gotten into you?” I said, looking at him incredulously. “You’re not exactly a normal person, but when I left you, you seemed like a semi-reasonable human being. Now you’re acting like a fucking maniac.”
“Was she with you?”
I frowned in confusion. “Who?”
“That blonde slut. Was she with you?”
I had no clue what he was talking about. “What blonde slut?”
“Patricia,” Luz replied, mimicking her voice. “Hey, Levi… how are you, Levi… you’re so funny, Levi. She made me sick. And you… you were pathetic. Laughing at her jokes as if she were Ricky Gervais. And she’s not even funny!”
I blinked in disbelief. “You’ve finally lost your damn mind, haven’t you?”
“Was she with you last night?”
“You need a psychiatrist, Luz.”
“Answer the damn question!” Luz exclaimed. “Was she with you or not?”
I saw red.
“You know what?” I said through my teeth. “Get the fuck out of my apartment. Take your things and get out! I won’t tolerate your yelling at me in my own home.”
“It’s not your home. It’s a rental!” Luz screamed. “And I wouldn’t stay here if I were dying.”
He marched past me and slammed the front door shut behind him, while I shook my head in frustration. I wasn’t happy with how I handled things, but I was sleep-deprived and still pissed off because of that bribe thing. Not to mention that Luz’s ability to rile me up was unprecedented. No one ever made me lose it like this, but he… he was just fucking insane. And barefoot. And it was raining outside. Oh, fuck it!
I ran out of the apartment and down the stairs, catching up with Luz in the lobby.
“Wait,” I said, hurrying after him. “I’ll give you a ride home.”
“I would rather crawl,” he bit out.
He was going to drive me to an early grave. I was sure of it.
When I reached him, I grabbed him by the waist and threw him over my shoulder. He kicked and screamed, probably waking up half the neighborhood, as I carried him to my car. I deposited him in the back seat and locked the door, then I drove him to his apartment.
During the ride, we were both silent. I regretted this entire fucking nightmare even before we left our street, but I couldn’t afford to back out. He would take it as a sign of weakness, so… no. Besides, he was getting what he deserved.
I glanced at him in the rearview mirror, only to see him staring out the window. His face was impassive, but the way he was biting his nail spoke of his distress. If he’d apologized to me then, I would have turned the car around and driven him back to my place, but he remained silent.
He got out of the car even before I turned off the engine, which further pissed me off. Still, I hurried after him and followed him into the building.
“Which floor?” I said as he limped down the hall, making me feel even worse.
“Fuck off.”
Ground floor, obviously. He was unlocking the door to his apartment when I touched his arm, making him look at me.
“Let me in first.”
I didn’t know if it was a habit because of the years spent on the police force or just a gut feeling. He wanted to refuse, but something in my eyes must have stopped him, and he yielded. He stepped to the side as I and pulled out my gun and openedthe door a fraction. Again, pure habit. Then I heard a sound neither of us made, and it came from his apartment.
When I saw the panic in his gaze, I brought my index finger to my mouth, motioning for him to stay quiet. I slowly pushed the door open, hiding behind the wall. I peeked inside and scanned the darkened room, only to see a large shadow standing by the open window. In the blink of an eye, the intruder was gone. I heard him running down the fire escape stairs, and I would have chased him, but I didn’t dare leave Luz alone. Someone else could still be in the apartment. I pushed Luz behind me until he was hidden behind my back and motioned for him to follow me. I flicked the light on, pointing my gun towards the hall that led to two more rooms. First, I checked the small bathroom, which turned out to be empty. I left Luz there and told him to lock the door behind me while I checked the rest of the apartment. When I was certain we were alone, I knocked on the bathroom door, and Luz let me in, as pale as a sheet.
I dragged my hand down my face. “Are you okay?”
He nodded, but he didn’t look okay.
