Save Her Lose Us (Evangeline and Soren) novel Chapter 290

Finn smiled. "Nothing much. The food here is excellent. I asked the owner if he'd consider coming to work for the Lockridges. I offered him a seven-figure salary 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 glanced 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 you last month!"

The young man tapped the pipe against the owner's chest and grinned. "That little bit of cash doesn't last 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 to come 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.

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 glances, then erupted in laughter. 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?"