Chapter 21 Levi #2
X made a choking sound from across the room. “You most certainly cannot butcher his name like that. He is a distinguished gentleman! Not one of your football bros you meet down at the bar.”
The cat ignored X’s righteous speech and closed his eyes, leaning into my touch so I could scratch him. A deep, satisfied purr rumbled from his chest. I smirked at X. “I think old Harry here has spoken.”
“Traitorous furball.” X shot the feline a dirty look and slumped down on Violet’s couch, amongst the cat paraphernalia.
I sank down next to him, and Violet put the cat on my lap. He gave X a half-hearted hiss before curling up into a ball and falling asleep. I ran my fingers through his kinda mangy fur, then thought better of it. Ew. Harry needed a bath.
I didn’t want to piss him off by being the one to try to wrangle him into the tub though. I quite liked being one of his chosen humans, especially because it was clearly driving X nuts and tormenting X was always fun.
Violet leaned a hip on the kitchen counter. “Did you hear from Dax?”
I wished I had something better to tell her. “I did, but he hasn’t been able to find her anywhere. Guessing you haven’t heard from her either?”
Violet shook her head. “No. I called Francine earlier to see if she’d made contact with her or shown up for her shifts today, but nothing. I’m really worried.”
I was too, but there was little we could do.
We’d checked all the places we thought she might go.
But I hated the way Vi nibbled on her nails.
Hated the creases between her eyebrows and her forehead furrowed in worry.
The police’s suggestion to give it some time because Nyah was an adult and most missing people returned on their own within a couple of days didn’t sit right with me.
I shifted the sleeping cat to the couch and stood so I could pull Violet into my arms.
“This feels like losing Toby all over again,” she whispered into my shirt. “Something is wrong, Levi. She didn’t just walk out the door of her own accord and not come back. She wouldn’t do that to Dax.” She peered up at me. “I think she’s in love with him.”
I slanted my head. “They’ve barely known each other a few weeks.”
“Does that matter?”
“I loved you from the very first moment you threw an egg at my head,” X said.
His words were his usual ridiculousness, but his tone was serious.
Violet smiled at him. “I know. You told me. Multiple times.”
He nodded proudly and reached for the cat, trying to get a stroke in while it was asleep. Without even opening his eyes, Harold shot out a paw, claws bared, and took a swipe at X’s hand.
X muttered something that sounded like a witch’s curse and moved back to the side of the couch Harold permitted him to sit on.
But Violet’s teeth were still sunk into her bottom lip, and she stared out the glass sliding doors leading to her balcony like the dark night beyond might offer up some sort of explanation as to where Nyah was, and who had taken her.
I needed to do something. This couldn’t all be on her shoulders. “We can go find her family.”
She looked up at me. “We’re willingly going to drive into the city and go knock on the door of people we know are involved in a criminal organization?”
“Is that really any worse than that day you stormed a murder club meeting and demanded to become a member?”
She smiled sheepishly. “But I knew you. We don’t know these people. From what Nyah said, they’re dangerous.”
“What’s the alternative?” I asked. “We sit here and wait?”
Her shoulders fell. “I can’t do that. She’s my friend.”
I kissed the top of her head, already knowing that she would agree. “Then we go to the city and find these people and really politely ask if they might have kidnapped their daughter.”
X snorted. “I’m sure that’ll go down well.”
“Tomorrow?” I asked Violet. “It’s already too late tonight. But we can take my bike in the morning. Might even be a nice ride.” Having Violet wrapped around me for a couple of hours and the wind in my face was exactly what I needed right now.
“Dax will want to come too,” Violet said.
“Whip and I will ride with him.” X gingerly nudged a tube of cat treats toward Harold, who was still faking sleep. He let X get the tube right up to his nose before getting to his feet and lifting his tail in X’s direction.
A second later, X’s mouth dropped open. “Did you just deliberately drop a fart at me?” His nose wrinkled, and he waved his hand around. “Oh my God, cat! What is wrong with your bowels?”
The smell reached me. I gagged.
X shot me a look. “Don’t you even think of throwing up!”
But my gagging set off his gagging, and Violet’s face paled, either from the noises X and I were making, or maybe from the way Harold had stunk up an apartment quicker than a stink bomb could.
The keys to my bike were still in my pocket. “I need to get out of here. Come for a ride with me?” I asked Violet. “I want to make sure you’re good on the back of the bike anyway, if we’re going to be doing a long trip tomorrow. You haven’t been on it much lately.”
She quickly followed me toward the door. “Absolutely. Take me anywhere there’s fresh air.” She glanced back at X. “You want to come with us? Your truck is here, right?”
But X shook his head. “You two go. I need Harold to know that even though he smells like rotten eggs, I will not abandon him.”
Harold let out another fart, letting everyone know exactly what he thought about being left in the care of X.
“And if we get back and find you dead on the floor from gas poisoning?” I asked.
X’s expression turned grim. “Just take care of Harold.”
I could tell he really meant it. I clapped him on the shoulder on my way to the door. “You’re an oddly good man, you know that?”
He was still eyeing Harold with wariness, probably just waiting for him to drop another stinker.
“He is going to love me. I have declared it, and so it will be.” He glanced at me, expression full of worry.
“But if you come back and find me facedown, half eaten, I want my obituary to say, ‘Beloved local menace dead at thirty. Cause of death? One resentful hairball and a fart so unholy the wallpaper curled in protest.’”
Violet nodded solemnly, though I could tell she was battling back a laugh. “It’ll be forever known as The Harold Incident.”
X perked up. “I like that.”
I shook my head. “Crack a window. We’ll see you when the stench clears.”