“We’ve just recently become reacquainted,” Ian replied smoothly. “I’m Ian and this is my friend Snow. Who are you?”
“Oh, I’m just your friendly neighborhood bill collector.” In the blink of an eye, the smile disappeared from his face and his hand flashed out toward Max, grabbing a fistful of hair. He jerked Max’s head so hard that it slammed against the edge of the booth. “And this little whore owes me money. A lot of it. He’s been dodging me for a week now, and I ain’t havin’ it anymore.”
“No, please, Carter! I’ll get your money. I swear. Just another day!”
“I’ll pay it,” Ian practically shouted. Max instantly shut up and this Carter looked over at Ian, his eyes narrowing. “Whatever he owes, I’ll pay it.”
“No!” Max shouted back.
“He owes five grand,” Carter said slowly, still not taking his eyes off Ian as if he didn’t trust him.
Under the table, he could feel Snow squeezing his knee, trying to get him to stop talking. Ian knew he was putting himself in danger with this guy—probably Max’s drug dealer—but Ian didn’t care. If he didn’t do something, this asshole was going to hurt Max. Good chance he was going to kill him. Ian couldn’t let that happen.
“Fine. I’ll pay it. Just let him go.”
Before Carter could react, Max jerked his hair free with a little cry of pain and shoved Carter backward into the main counter that stretched the length of the restaurant. “I don’t need your help! I don’t need anyone. You’re not paying for shit!”
Max launched to his feet and ran out of the restaurant, disappearing onto the street and out of view.
Ian turned his attention to Carter, who had picked himself up and was straightening his own shirt and jacket. He looked down at Ian with a sneer and clicked his tongue once.
“Looks like your old friend don’t want your help. Wants to be on his own.” He snorted. “You run into him before I do, you work harder to convince him to take your money. If he don’t and I find him, it ain’t gonna end pretty.”
It was on the tip of Ian’s tongue to offer to pay him right now on the spot, whether Max wanted him to or not, but he swallowed the words. He had a feeling this bastard would take Ian’s money and then still harass Max into paying him another five thousand. The only way to save Max’s life was to get him away from Carter completely, but there was nothing he could do if Max wasn’t going to let him help.
Carter sauntered out of the restaurant and Ian sunk down in the booth, shoving his untouched food back. Snow’s arm draped over his shoulders and pulled him in closer.
“What am I supposed to do? He won’t let me help.”
“Ian…he wants you dead,” Snow said. He sounded like he thought Ian had lost his mind. And maybe he had, but he didn’t care if Max hated him. Max needed help.
“I don’t believe that,” Ian said stubbornly.
“He attacked you in your home.”
“He knocked me out,” Ian corrected. “We both know it would have taken him only another few seconds to kill me if he really wanted me dead.”
Snow sighed. “Ian…”
“I don’t care. He’s fought too long and hard to survive. He can’t die like this. Not when I’ve just found him. He deserves a shot at something better.”
Snow placed a kiss to the top of his head. “I know. I don’t disagree with you. How about we swing by Ward’s and talk to Rowe? Pick his brain a little.”
“What little there is to pick,” Ian muttered, but he couldn’t deny he was at least starting to feel a glimmer of hope, thanks to Snow.
“His brain might be little, but it’s packed with decades of devious knowledge.”
“Thank God he’s on our side.”
And with a bit of work and convincing, Ian was going to get that devious brain on Max’s side. He was going to save him. It wasn’t too late.Chapter NineteenIan sat behind his desk, pretending to look over some notes and contracts James had left him about the new restaurant, but his mind wasn’t on it. He and Snow had met with Rowe, Noah, and Gidget for a couple of hours, brainstorming how they could possibly locate Max as well as try to uncover more information about this Carter guy. When Ian left with Snow to return to Rialto, there hadn’t been a lot of good progress or answers. Gidget was going to get Cole digging around on Carter while she tried to find more information on Max. It wasn’t much, but it was the best they could manage on the limited information they had.
Just as the restaurant was closing for the night, Max called, asking to meet at midnight after everyone had gone home. Hope had blossomed in Ian’s chest, and he eagerly agreed to the meeting. It was probably too much to believe that one okay meal had changed Max’s mind about letting Ian help, but Ian thought it was likely that Max was more scared of being killed by Carter. Didn’t matter. Ian would take what he could get.