After finishing his wine, the man in the bathrobe stood up and disappeared from the frame.
Zephyr took flight again.
He returned to the previous window. Inside, a dim wall lamp had been turned on, just bright enough to make out the scene.
A man with medium-length hair was tied to a wooden stool, his mouth sealed with black duct tape.
The man in the bathrobe walked over, grabbed the other man’s hair, and a sinister smile appeared on his face. "Levi Brooks, your place is really comfortable. I like it a lot."
The man named Levi Brooks glared at him resentfully.
"Want to say something?" The man in the bathrobe ripped off the tape. "Go ahead."
Levi Brooks grimaced in pain and cursed viciously, "Gregory Dawson, you’re a fucking piece of shit! Untie me, now!"
Gregory Dawson didn’t get angry. Instead, he burst into a crazed laugh. "You’re right, I am a piece of shit. And why am I a piece of shit...? It’s all because you people forced me to be!"
"What did I ever force you to do?" Levi demanded, incensed.
"I just asked you to let me stay for a few days!" Gregory’s expression instantly turned savage. "Was that so hard?"
"Why should I let you stay?" Levi’s brow furrowed tightly, finding the idea ridiculous. "I have nothing to do with you!"
"Who says we have nothing to do with each other?" Gregory leaned in close, patting his face. "Levi Brooks, who are you kidding?"
Levi looked baffled. "What on earth are you talking about?"
"We’re brothers, Levi." Gregory gave a sinister laugh.
"I’m no brother of yours."
"Is that so? Did they never tell you about the time your dad got drunk, came to my house, and slept with my mom?"
Levi found it utterly baffling. "Are you insane?"
Gregory said coldly, "We’re half-brothers. What’s wrong with me staying at your place for a few days?"
Levi didn’t say a word, finding the whole thing absurd.
’My father’s a teetotaler. How could he possibly get drunk?’
"You don’t believe me?" Gregory threw his head back and laughed, then quickly turned serious again. "If you don’t believe me, why don’t you call your dad and ask?"
An idea occurred to Levi, and he nodded. "Fine. Untie me, and I’ll call and get to the bottom of this."
"Sure," Gregory agreed, then roared, "Do you take me for a fucking idiot?"
Zephyr’s small body trembled, startled by the sudden shout.
’That scared me to death!’
"No need to ask." Gregory cracked his neck, his tone dripping with mockery. "It doesn’t matter if you believe me or not. The point is, I like it here, and I’m not leaving."
The color drained from Levi’s face, and his heart sank.
After a few seconds, he took a deep breath and spoke in a calmer voice, "Gregory Dawson, if you insist on staying, then I agree. But can you untie me first? I haven’t eaten all day."
"Oh, you’re hungry?" Gregory put on a concerned expression.
Levi nodded. "I’m very hungry. Just let me get something to eat. And my cat needs to eat, too."