your family?”
Carter shrugged. “It’s nothing personal. You’re just too successful.”
“Nothing personal?” Louis barked out a laugh. “You’ve tried to kill me twice.”
“You weren’t supposed to die the first time. Bell and Murphy got over- enthusiastic. They always were idiots.”
“If you didn’t want to kill me, what the hell did you want?”
“You to get out of the club scene. You’re too good. We knew you were moving into other areas. We gave you a nudge to move on.”
The ironic thing was that Louis had planned to do exactly that, but obviously not quick enough for the man pointing the gun at him.
But he still had questions. “You came to work for me, to spy on me?”
Carter gave him a smile that made his blood run cold.
“Spy and get training at the same time. You have a reputation for knowing what you’re doing.”
“Use me and then kill me?”
Carter glowered at him. “As I said, we never intended to kill you, but you’ve gotten too close to the truth.”
“And all the others in my club? They were on your payroll too?”
“Everyone has a price,” he sneered. “They needed money. I needed someone else to do the work.”
“What’s your price?” Louis rasped.
“I care about my family,” Carter said.
Carter kept talking about his family. What had Louis missed?
“Is Dan Carter your real name?” he asked.
“Dan is. Carter is my mom’s name. My real name is Daniel Green-Wright.”
Louis furrowed his brow. Green-Wright. He knew the name, but where?
He snapped his fingers. “Sparkle! Your family owned Sparkle.”
The club that had folded the previous year.
“Clever boy,” Carter sneered.
Louis tried to hold back his flinch. No one got to call him ‘boy’ except his Daddy and maybe Graham. Certainly not Carter, who was barely more than a kid himself. He saw Carter’s sneer deepen and knew he hadn’t been successful.
“I really thought you were one of the good guys,” Louis said. “I couldn’t understand why you were involved, who had corrupted you.”
“It’s this baby face, isn’t it?” Carter said with deadly seriousness. “People always underestimate me.”
“Why did you let yourself get arrested?”
“I knew you’d feel sorry for me and bring me back.”
That wasn’t logical to Louis, but he understood one thing; Carter thought he was weak.
Louis stroked Craig’s cheek, feeling the rasp of his bristles under his fingertips. He hated the fact that Craig didn’t move. His Daddy bodyguard saved him from being hurt but Louis couldn’t save them both from being killed.
“I thought you had the drive to be successful,” Louis said. “I could see the potential for you to work through the club and one day be running your own. You could be a successful businessman and instead you’re going to be a murderer. Why?”
Carter’s face twisted into an ugly expression. How could Louis have ever thought him sweet?
“My father came to you for help to save Sparkle, and you turned him down.”
Louis nodded. “I did.”
“At least you admit it,” Carter said grudgingly. “My Pop needed help, and you turned him away.”
“I suggested he get a business loan,” Louis said.
“You could have helped him. You’ve done it with other clubs. That’s why we came to you.”
Louis shook his head. “Not with a loan. I offered training, but I couldn’t help financially. I was expanding my own business at the time. I had to get a loan myself.”
“My Pop said you threw him out the door. We lost everything. The club, our house. You could have helped but you didn’t.”
Green-Wright had lied to save face in front of his family and now his son pointed a gun at Louis.
Louis sighed as he rubbed his temple. What a mess. What a stupid mess.
“I know you’re not going to believe me, but I offered to introduce your father to my business advisor to arrange the loan, and I offered to show him how to run his club.”
“You’re right. I don’t believe you,” Carter snarled.
Louis looked coolly at him. “You worked for me. Look me in the eye and tell me I’m lying.”
Carter stared him straight in the eyes but was the one to look away first.
“You worked for me. Did I ever treat anyone like that?” Louis demanded.
“It doesn’t matter,” Carter muttered. “My Pop needed help.”
“And I offered it. But I couldn’t provide a loan.”
Carter slumped but the gun didn’t waver. “You think you’re better than everyone else. You swan around Seattle like you own it.”
“I’ve worked hard for what I’ve achieved,” Louis said, his voice firm.
He didn’t care what this kid thought about him. He knew he’d put in