Page 26 of Drag You Down (Bloody Desires #2)

GAbrIEL

D om stares at me through the bars of the jail cell. Anybody else would be intimidated, but a steely gaze isn’t going to scare me.

I sit up straighter on the uncomfortable cot and stare right back.

“I should let you spend another day in here,” Dom says with a shake of his head. “What the fuck were you thinking?”

“My boy was walking all alone on the bridge,” I say calmly.

I have to stay calm, because if I let Dom or anyone else know how murderous I’m feeling, I won’t get out of here easily. They’ve already kept me locked up overnight. The police department has even denied me a phone call to my lawyer.

I’ll sue the department, of course, but my real revenge will come with more agony. I’d spent my night daydreaming about how I’d rend the flesh from all their bones, listening to their screams and begging.

O’Connor will get the worst of it. I’d imagined him pleading for forgiveness. I’ll cut his tongue out first so he can only scream incoherently, then pluck out his eyes one by one.

Levi will cling to my side and sigh happily at the beautiful carnage.

“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 being tortured by 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 out right 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 actually going 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 get inside. 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?”

Her eyes widen, and she tries to slam the door shut but I get my foot between the door and the frame.

“Tell me where your brother is right now, or so help me, the entire building is going down,” I threaten. “I’ll send you all to the depths of Hell, and the only company you’ll have is the screams of the fallen souls you condemn.”

The sister’s lip wibbles, and she shakes her head. “I don’t… He’s probably still taking penance.”

Penance .

My lip curls in disgust. “With Zachariah?” I look over my shoulder toward Apartment 302.

“No. In the… in the dark room,” she says softly. “But God’s light will keep him safe from all demons. Including you .”

That small hint of defiance makes me laugh. “I’m the one who’s going to save him from all of you.”

The dark room, though.

I remember Levi’s panic attack, the one that led me to taking him home with me.

I go back to the stairs and rush down, not caring that the sister will go tattle on Zachariah about all of this. Let him try to stop me. I’ll claim it was self-defense.

I stop short at the basement door.

It’s locked with a heavy padlock to prevent anyone from opening it.

Rage has me pounding on the door, despite how useless the action is.

Fuck.

“I’m coming, Levi,” I shout, pulling out my wallet so I can get the lockpicks I have hidden inside.

Everybody thinks padlocks are near impassible, but the truth is, there is no unpickable lock. This one takes me less than five minutes to undo. I hear footsteps upstairs, but nobody comes down to confront me.

I toss the unlocked padlock to the side and open the door, hitting the light switch for the flimsy bulb.

“Levi!” I shout as I barrel down the stairs.

The dank stench is still heavy in the air, and as I get to the base of the stairs, I recognize another acrid smell.

My boy has pissed himself.

He lifts his head, and I see the tracks of tears on his only half-present expression.

He looks like he’s been through hell.

I approach him, bending down to scoop him into my arms, only to notice that he’s cuffed to the chair.

I let out a frustrated growl and grip the top of the chair. “Keep still,” I say.

Levi says nothing.

I kick the bar holding the cuffs as hard as I can. Two kicks, and it snaps. The handcuffs slide free.

“My boy,” I whisper, taking Levi’s hands and kissing them both gently. “I’m so sorry this happened to you.”

Levi blinks blearily up at me, and the usual fire in his eyes is missing. He looks lost, distant, but he whispers, “You came. To my God, I called; my cry came to his ears. ” He lets out a choked laugh. “Maybe you really are an angel in disguise.”

“Oh, my lamb,” I say, and the rage I feel for Zachariah boils over. It’s raging hot, a hatred in my veins that I haven’t felt this strongly in a long time.

Not since I left the people who called themselves my family.

I put my arms around his body and lift him up bridal style. Levi clings to me, burying his head against my shoulder.

“I’m filthy,” he says through soft sobs.

It’s true. His jeans are damp, and they smell, but I don’t give a fuck. I kiss the side of his head.

“We’ll get you cleaned up,” I say gently. “You’re my boy, Levi. I’ll take good care of you.”

“Is this what it means for you to be my Daddy?” he asks, sniffling. I can see him trying to gather himself — trying, and failing, and he buries his face against my chest.

“Yes,” I say. “A Daddy cares for his boy. He makes sure he gets everything he needs. He… he loves him and cherishes him.”

Can a person like me feel love?

I don’t know, but I do know that I will never, ever let him out of my sight again.

I carry Levi up the stairs, each step creaking under our weight. Levi trembles in my arms and clings even tighter to me.

Zachariah Carpenter and Levi’s sister are both standing at the top of the stairs.

“Let go of him, now,” Zachariah says.

I look from him to the sister. Her face is pale, her eyes wide.

“I will not allow you to abuse him any longer,” I say harshly. “You’re going down, Zachariah, Joshua, whatever name you go by. I will not allow your wicked deeds to go unpunished.”

Levi doesn’t look at him. His fingers tighten on my shirt as he clings to me. He’s turned to me for salvation, for hope, and the anger within me flares as I stare at the con man who’s brought such pain to my little lamb.

“Levi,” the sister says. “That man is the Devil. Get away from him. Come back to us.”

I bare my teeth at her. “The Devil? The Devil is your precious Zachariah. ‘ Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves .’”

“He’s—” Levi begins, but one glance at Zachariah’s furious face halts his words in their tracks. His trembling only gets worse.

“Levi is mine,” I say to them. “You can no longer beat him down. You cannot break his beautiful soul. And mark my words, Joshua. When I’m through with you, you will wish it had been God’s vengeance rained down upon you.”

Levi is whispering something, but I can’t make out the words beyond a plea for mercy .

Zachariah has done nothing to deserve mercy. Not even my lamb can convince me to spare this man’s life.

“Get out of here,” Zachariah spits. “And Levi? Know that you aren’t welcome here. We cast you out. To Hell with you.”

The sister turns to stare at Zachariah in shock. “What? No! Levi isn’t?—”

I ignore them and walk out of the building. Their petty squabbling means nothing to me.

The important part is Levi.

I kiss the side of his head again. “Can you stand, my lamb? I need to call a cab for us.”

“I’m… I’m filthy. I need…” He blinks several times, but it doesn’t stop the tears from rolling down his cheeks. “Eve? Eve, come with us,” he pleads, squirming in my arms.

I set him down, and while he leans heavily against me, he stays upright. He needs water, and food, and the sort of care this con man can never provide for my boy.

I look back at the apartment building door. Zachariah and Eve are still arguing on the other side of the glass door.

Eve looks at us. She sees Levi reaching out for her, but instead of coming out to meet us, she averts her gaze and goes to the stairs.

“Eve!” Levi cries out. He takes a step toward the building, but I take his arm firmly in my hand.

“You need to be taken care of,” I say gently. “Eve has made her choice. She could have pulled you out of that Hell at any time, but she chose not to.”

“She doesn’t know what she’s doing,” Levi says desperately. “She doesn’t understand.”

But my lamb finally does.

I use the rideshare app to call a car, and I hold Levi close to me while he sobs against my chest.

“It’s all right, little lamb. I’ve got you,” I say, kissing the top of his head.

His shirt feels sticky, and I recognize the scent of blood underneath the urine. More penance.

“I’ll take such good care of you,” I promise.

“But Eve,” he whispers. He doesn’t fight me, though, instead clinging tightly to me. “She can’t stay there. I have to take care of her .”

“We’ll come back for her,” I lie smoothly. “But it’s like airplane oxygen masks. You need to save yourself first before you can save others.”

I don’t think he believes me, not really, but he nods right as the black sedan pulls up in front of us.

I lead him to the car, opening the back door for him. With one last glance behind him at the building, he lets me help him inside.

“Gabriel?” the driver asks.

I nod and follow Levi inside.

The driver inhales sharply. “Uh, what the fuck is that smell?”

Levi recoils and tries to get out again, but I block his path.

“There’s a two-hundred-dollar tip in it for you if you drive us to where we need to go without any further commentary,” I say to the driver.

The driver glances at me with a grimace, but he nods.

“Gabriel,” Levi whispers, and the shame in his expression makes me want to turn around and rip Zachariah limb from limb for making him look so despondent. “Maybe I should?—”

Whatever he’s about to say about going back, I don’t want to hear it. I kiss him instead, hard and fierce. “No, you shouldn’t,” I tell him. “I’m going to take care of you now.”

“But I have nothing,” he says, swallowing hard. “Not even…” His voice catches on a sob. “Not even clean clothes.”

“I have clothes. You’ll never have to want for anything ever again.” I pull him against me, giving him the warmth I know he needs.

The warmth I need.

My desire to violently tear Zachariah apart is still there, still strong, but for once, another emotion supersedes the violence.

The desire to take care of somebody.

Levi will always come first.

But I know my lamb.

He wants the same things I do.

I kiss his lips gently and smile at him. “I’m going to make you so happy, Levi.”

He exhales slowly, but he nods. “I know, Daddy.”

My smile widens. “My beautiful lamb.”

I will give him the world.