Chapter 271
Francis thought he had misheard Daniel and glanced at the two young men in the backseat.
Carlisle nodded in confirmation and repeated Daniel’s words, “Gale’s Hair Salon on Whitebox Avenue.
Without asking any more questions, Francis backed his car up before shifting his gear back into drive and speeding off.
At that moment, Daniel’s phone rang with a call from the number earlier.
“Give me the phone,” Carlisle said as he reached for the phone and put the call through.
“Hey there, handsome. I spoke to the first client who booked the young lady and he refuses to let her go. Sorry,” the madam said on the other line.
“What was his price?” Carlisle demanded.
“I told you, this isn’t just about money. The client runs in underworld circles and we can’t afford to cross him,” the madam explained, sounding frustrated.
“Do you know which underworld organization he belongs to?” Carlisle pressed.
“The man’s name is Luke Carlson. Whitebox Avenue is his territory.”
Hearing this, Carlisle probed further, “Carlson. Is he related to lan Carlson?
The madam replied, “Yes. Ian is his older brother.”
“Got it,” Carlisle said, ending the call. He was in deep thought for a moment before he dialed Heath’s number.
“Hey, Mr. Zahn,” Heath greeted.
“Rally up the gang and meet us at Gale’s Hair Salon on Whitebox Avenue, Carlisle instructed.
There was a long silence on Heath’s end.
Whitebox Avenue was Luke’s territory, and until Heath had fully established his forces, he didn’t have the numbers to face the former in conflict.
However, he couldn’t ignore Carlisle’s orders, either. Without Carlisle, Heath and his subordinates would likely starve on the streets.
Having considered his options, Heath said, “We’ll be right over.”
When the call ended, Heath walked up to Wade’s poker table and kicked it over. “Rally up the gang!”
In the car, Francis couldn’t keep his curiosity at bay anymore as he asked, “What are you both up to anyway?”
At first, he thought Carlisle and Daniel were heading to the hair salon to indulge in whatever vice it had to
offer, but it didn’t seem likely.
Carlisle filled him in on the situation, after which Francis felt a newfound sense of admiration for the
former.
The fact that Carlisle was willing to risk his neck and go into a viper’s den just to save his roommate’s girlfriend spoke volumes of his character.
“Carlisle, who did you call earlier?” Daniel asked.
“Heath.”
“Damn, you know Heath, too?” Daniel felt a chill run down his spine. The infamous Prince Heath had been active recently, and anyone who knew anything about the underworld knew of him.
“Yeah, we’re pretty close,” Carlisle said with a nod.
“But Prince Heath’s forces aren’t strong
ugh to take
on Luke and his men!” Daniel countered in
despair. “Also, I don’t think this is worth our effort…”
“What do you mean?” Carlisle rolled his eyes, clearly disagreeing with Daniel.
Daniel explained gravely, “We’re not that close to Shane, and it’s not like we stand to gain anything by being friends with him. I don’t see why we should get into trouble with Luke because of Shane’s girlfriend.”
Carlisle asked, “If you were in Shane’s shoes, do you think I should help you?”
“…” Daniel faltered.
“Do you think you’re worth more than Shane?” Carlisle cut him off brusquely.
“No…” Daniel lowered his head in shame.
His family business had been sold to Carlisle. In addition, his father was Carlisle’s employee now, no longer the chairman who enjoyed the glory of running Xenos Factory.
As things were, Daniel was just the son of a man who reported to Carlisle.
Daniel could very well be of lesser standing than Shane in terms of how close they were to Carlisle.
Carlisle clapped Daniel’s shoulder. “With friends, it’s always quality over quantity. I think of you and Shane as my buddies, and I would help if either of you ever run into problems like this.”
Daniel quietly said, “We should’ve brought Shane alone. He should know how much you’re sacrificing to save his girlfriend’s virtue.”
