I’d lost my father, my best friend, all because David couldn’t keep his stupid cock in his pants.
“I’m going home,” I whispered brokenly.
“I’ll come,” Foster said, starting to let me go, but I shook my head.
“No,” I stopped him when he would’ve followed. “Downy can take me. In fact, I’ll go see grandpa. We’ll spend some time together. You can come get me when you’re done.”
With that, I walked out of the door, stopping when my feet hit the popcorn bucket.
On a whim, I bent down and launched the bucket at David’s head, and the cardboard bounced off before landing unceremoniously on the floor.
Snickers followed.
He looked down at his feet, avoiding eye contact, and only serving to make me even madder.
“Coward,” I muttered as I stormed out of the room, and then quickly walked down the hallway.
“Slow down, Blake. I’m full. You don’t want me to throw up my popcorn, do you?” Downy teased as he caught up with me.
I tossed him a look over my shoulder that spoke volumes about everything I was feeling, and he grinned.
The fucker grinned.
“You’re horrible. I don’t know how your woman puts up with you,” I sighed, walking out the backdoor and straight to Downy’s truck.
“Memphis loves me. She puts up with anything as long as I’m happy,” Downy laughed.
“Whatever. Just take me to my pop’s place,” I ordered sullenly.
“What about your dog?” He asked.
I shrugged. “Foster can get Molder. Now just go.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said with a smile in his voice. “Anything for you.”
It was all fun and games, too…that is until we got to my dad’s house.
The first thing that made me realize something was wrong was the fact that the garage door wasn’t open.
Usually at this time of day my grandfather was out working on his car he had in the garage.
Yet the garage wasn’t open, and the blinds were pulled.
Hell, even the blackout curtains were down.
“Something’s wrong,” I whispered as Downy pulled his truck into the driveway.
“What?” He asked, putting the truck into reverse and backing out of the driveway.
He pulled four houses down and stopped in front of Mrs. Peseta’s place.
“I don’t know. But there’s usually activity going on. My grandfather gets up at six A.M. And doesn’t close the curtains until he’s ready to go to bed. Either there’s something wrong with him, or…I don’t know…something.”
Downy pulled his phone out and made a call.
“I need a couple of blue and white’s at 222 Sheffield. Come in priority two. Park next to my truck- a white Chevy,” Downy said into his radio.
Like Foster, he had it under his dash. It must be a cop thing.
I waited and waited some more for Downy to get out and check it out, but he never did.
He just watched and listened.
“You’re not going to go check it out?” I asked finally.
He glanced at me. “Not yet. I’ll wait until I have someone on you before I go. I’m not leaving you by yourself.”
“But…”
He stopped my next argument with just a glance of his eyes.
“Not going to happen.”
My heard ached as I looked behind me, wondering if my grandfather was alright.
God, please let him be okay. I can’t lose him, too.Chapter 26I know it’s hard to admit that you’re wrong, but I can survive without oral sex…can you?
-Blake to Foster
Foster
Miller and Nico rode with me, while Luke, Michael, and Bennett followed closely behind.
“Tell me the layout of the house,” Luke asked through the radio.
We’d switched to a confidential channel, so I felt safe telling them everything I knew.
“Three bedrooms. One large open living room and kitchen. Laundry room that leads to the garage. Back porch. Two bathrooms. One off the living room, and one in the master,” I informed them. “Grandfather’s room is the very back bedroom on the right. It has an entrance to the outside by a sliding glass door.”
I finished the last sentence as we took the last turn that led up to Downy’s truck.
We’d gone the back way so we didn’t have to pass the house, therefore not drawing any undue attention to us as we came.
When we got out, I grabbed Downy’s bag from the backseat and tossed it in his direction. Which he promptly caught and started to dress in his gear.
“Did you hear all that, Downy?” Luke asked as we walked up.
He nodded, turning to acknowledge his best friend and boss. “10-4.”
“Detective O’Keefe’s right there,” I pointed the unmarked car out to Blake. “Stay with him, and don’t leave him, no matter what you hear. Understand?”
She nodded, eyes brimming with tears. “Got it.”
I winked at her, pulled my hood down, and started across the yard behind Luke.
“Wait!” She yelled, making me stop.
I turned on a dime and looked at her.
She ran up to me, gave me a swift kiss on the lips…well, the best she could with a mask covering my face, and started to rush back towards O’Keefe who was just getting out of his car.
“Be safe!” She ordered over her shoulder.
“Be safe, big boy!” Downy jeered, imitating Blake’s voice so well that I had to look at him in surprise.
He laughed and pulled his own mask down before we started to the car.
“Okay,” Luke said. “Downy you take your team to the back. The grandfather’s room. My team’ll take the front.”
I went with Luke since I was on his unofficial team, and covered his back as we moved swiftly up the front steps.
The first thing I saw was the front door propped open.
My stomach plummeted as Luke pushed it open more.
The door swung open into the eerie silence of the living room, not making a single sound as it did.
That’s when I spotted the blood.
And a lot of it.
Luke was the first one to enter, dropping down to one knee the second he entered the door.
Nico went ahead, clearing the room, followed shortly by me, taking his back.
“Clear.”
“Clear.”
Luke and Downy said it at the same time, allowing us both to move.
My eyes were drawn to the blood trail, a smear of it extending from the front door to the kitchen, and then even further to the garage.