Finn smiled. "Nothing much. The food here is excellent. I asked the owner if he''d considering to work for the Lockridges. I offered him a seven-figure sry to be my personal chef."
"What did he say?" Evangeline asked, intrigued.
"He turned me down. Said he values his freedom. He might make less money here, but he''s his own boss, and that brings him peace of mind."
Evangeline nodded. It made sense. There was no such thing as perfect stability. Every gain came with a loss. Besides, she nced at the packed tables. The owner was probably doing just fine for himself.
Just then, a rowdy group of men swaggered toward the stall. The leader, a young man with a metal pipe slung over his shoulder, sauntered up to the owner. His cronies fanned out, surrounding the stall with an air of menace.
The owner''s face went pale. "You''re back already? I just paid youst month!"
The young man tapped the pipe against the owner''s chest and grinned. "That little bit of cash doesn''tst forever. Business is booming tonight, boss. A little extra shouldn''t be a problem, right?"
Reluctantly, the owner gritted his teeth. He was outnumbered. "If I pay you, will you promise not toe back?"
"Of course," the leader said smoothly.
The owner apologized to his remaining customers and went to the cash drawer. As he reached for the money, a man with bleached-blond hair shoved him aside. "Hey, what''s this?" he said, grabbing the entire drawer''s contents. "An envelope full of cash and a check, too. Damn, look at all this!"
"That''s not yours!" the owner cried, lunging for the envelope. The blond man kicked him to the ground before he could get close.
"You''re making all this money and can''t spare a little? Stingy bastard," he spat, handing the cash and envelope to his leader.
Evangeline couldn''t just stand by. She rushed forward and helped the owner to his feet. Her action seemed to embolden some of the other customers, who started to
speak up.
"Hey, you can''t just rob him like that!" one man shouted.
The leader turned to him. "What? You want a piece of this?" He casually thrust the metal pipe into the glowing coals of the grill. When it was red-hot, he pulled it out, blowing sending
on the embers and sparks
flying. "How about we practice?" he said, advancing on the man.
The customer froze, then turned and fled. The leader shot a menacing re at the remaining onlookers, who quickly scattered. Satisfied, he turned to leave.
"My money!" the owner yelled, scrambling to go after him.
Evangeline''s blood was boiling, but she knew she was no match for these men. They looked violent, like they had nothing to lose. Seeing the owner about to chase them, she quickly grabbed his arm.
"Sir, it''s just money. You can earn it back," she said in a low voice. "It''s not worth risking your life."
Tears streamed down the owner''s
.n
face. "But that''s for my son! He was born premature and he''s still in an incubator. My wife almost died. during childbirth. This stall is the only thing paying our medical bilfself
I can''t pay, my son is in danger!" Cóntent
He struggled against her grip, desperate to get his money back.
Evangeline gritted her teeth. She scanned her surroundings, then stepped forward, her voice ringing out before the owner could break free.
"Give him back his money."
The young man turned, his eyes raking over her before a smirk spread across his face. "Well, well. Look what we have here. A pretty little thing trying to be a hero?"
Evangeline took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice steady. "That money is for a medical emergency. You can''t take it. If you need money, I can help you find another way."
The men behind him exchanged nces, then erupted inughter Evangeline hadn''t expected to persuade them, but she had already called the police. The station wasn''t far All she had to do was stall.
To her surprise, the leader gestured for his men to quiet down. He didn''t mock her. Instead, he propped a foot on a stool and asked, "And what kind of help could you offer?"