Chapter 64: You Shouldn't Have Said That

[Chapter 64: You Shouldn't Have Said That]

After breakfast, it was eight twenty in the morning.

The doorbell rang right on time.

Ian went to open the door and found a scruffy blonde kid standing there. He had a big nose ring and wore a black jacket covered in buttons, with tattoos on his neck and deep dark circles under his eyes.

Seeing Ian, he swayed a bit and laughed, "Man, I haven't seen you in ages! You've been ignoring my calls."

"I've been busy with work," Ian replied, keeping the door slightly ajar.

He looked at Burnell, "What do you want?"

Burnell looked back at Ian with a puzzled expression, "You've changed, Ian. You're not the same guy anymore."

Ian shrugged, "We all grow up. Now, I just want to focus on my dad's business."

The blonde kid chuckled, "Yeah, you've made quite a bit of money recently. The Los Angeles Herald has been in the spotlight. I heard you even bought a website. That must've cost a lot. You're a big boss now, Ian!"

Ian raised an eyebrow, "That doesn't concern you, Burnell."

"Maybe not," Burnell said with a fierce look, "but I need some cash!"

"How much?" Ian asked.

"Ten grand. I know you can come up with it."

Ian crossed his arms and leaned on the door frame, "Give me a reason."

Burnell leaned closer and whispered, "Remember that girl named Yara?"

Ian looked at him puzzled, shaking his head, "I don't remember."

Burnell laughed, "The one with two pigtails, looking like a little bird."

Ian blinked, finally recalling a vague memory. Last year, he and Burnell had met a girl who might have been named Yara, or something close to it, but her voice was definitely strange and memorable.

Did his past self really do that?

That had nothing to do with him!

Wait, he suddenly realized, "That girl was your setup!"

Burnell shook his head, still chuckling, "I was just messing with you. Why should I let it go?"

"Fuck! You are such a bastard, Burnell!" Ian gritted his teeth, shocked that his past self had left him such a mess?

He pointed at Burnell, "Don't think you can leverage this against me, Burnell, you're in this too!"

"But I'm broke!" Burnell shrugged with indifference. "I don't mind going to jail, but you can't. Ian, you're my good friend. You can't just use me and then toss me aside."

"Use you?" Ian retorted angrily, "You took me to gamble and lost!"

"But you had fun, right? The point of gambling isn't just to win, it's about having fun." Burnell replied with feigned seriousness, "I brought you joy; you can't just ditch me after hitting it big. Otherwise, we both go to jail! I'm sure of that!"

Looking at Burnell's serious expression, Ian was speechless.

He considered it and replied, "I need time to prepare."

"How long?"

"A day."

"Wow, maybe you can give me more than just ten grand! Eight PM, I'll be at the site in the outskirts of Frey. I've got you, Ian Carr, this secret of yours is mine for the taking!" With that, Burnell burst into laughter and left.

Watching him leave, Ian shook his head gently, "You shouldn't have said that, buddy."

...

By dusk, Ian reached a construction site on the outskirts of Los Angeles.

They were building a high-rise, and there was no work being done at night, just an unfinished skyscraper surrounded by walls.

As Ian looked around for a way in, he saw a shed with a gap. Burnell popped his head out, whispering, "This way, Ian!"

He followed Burnell inside, stepping cautiously through the site until they reached an open area.

Burnell stood in front of a row of steel pipes, asking, "Did you bring the money?"

Ian ignored him, looking toward the unfinished building instead, then he asked, "Is someone in there, one of your friends?"

Burnell seemed surprised, wondering how Ian knew.

After a moment, he shrugged, "I owe him money. I told him you would help me."

Ian sighed and shook his head gently, "You always do this, Burnell. That means my business might not just be known to one person; others can come after me too."

Burnell reassured him with a laugh, "Don't worry, he won't spill. "

Ian scoffed, "So you admit he knows... that's bad. Does anyone else know?"

Burnell, clearly not the brightest, mumble, "I'm not sure if he told anyone else. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything. Hey, did you bring the cash?"

Ian smirked and yelled, "It's not just you who knows, so why should I give you the money? That guy could come to me too asking for cash."

As expected, two figures emerged from within.

One was a girl with two braids, the same one named Yara or something like that. She wore a tight black leather outfit with heavy makeup, her eyes shadowy and standing there smoking with her arms crossed, chewing gum.

The other was a huge brute in construction worker gear, holding a steel pipe.

The brute shouted, "You're right, Ian Carr. Just a moment ago, I was thinking, why not come straight to you for the money instead of going through that punk?"

"Fuck!" Burnell interjected, shouting, "Bartram, you can't do this, he's my friend! I'll pay you back that five hundred once I get the money."

The brute laughed coldly, "What I need now is a hundred grand!"

Burnell stomped his feet angrily, "Damn! Damn! Damn! Bartram, you are overstepping! This is just not right!"

The brute glared at Ian.

Ian coolly replied, "Did you tell anyone else? I'm worried a fourth person might come asking for money."

Bartram shook his head, "No, I'm not as stupid as Burnell."

Ian smiled, "Well, that makes it easier. You see, now three people know my secret. You all can come after me for cash, and I can't come up with three hundred grand. So what now?"

The three of them exchanged glances.

The girl, Yara, said, "I just want my cut. Whatever you split among yourselves, I want a third, or else I won't testify."

Burnell shouted, "The money is mine! Bartram, I can give you a thousand!"

The brute shook his head, "Nope, this is my turf. I call the shots. I'll give you five hundred, minus what you owe me, and we're square."

"You bastard!" Burnell squeaked.

Ian took off his sunglasses and looked at Burnell, chuckling mildly, "If I were you, I'd fight him to the death."

*****

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