Lindsey and Alex looked at each other and laughed. The last time they had met, there had been a lot going on, but now they were relatively relaxed.
"So you've finally found time to come and see me," Alex teased her. Lindsey was like a little sister to him, so it was really good to see her.
"Well, we're both in Baltimore," she said, shrugging. "And I've been wanting to come and see you for ages."
"I'll be here for you anytime you need me," he said. "How is everyone back in Washington, D.C.?"
"Oh, they're all busy," Lindsey replied. "They want to emulate your success."
"They wouldn't if they knew what my life was really like," Alex said with a laugh, pouring Lindsey a cup of coffee and handing it to her. "But I'm sure they'll do fine. You're obviously doing okay for yourself. I can't believe you're running a club. How's business?"
Lindsey took a sip of her coffee and said, "Honestly? It's so-so. I have an investor supporting me, but I think I might be better off working with you." She looked at him. "Why don't you help me?"
"I'm amazed you would even consider it," Alex said softly. It wasn't easy to make it on your own. He knew that. He had worked as a security guard, so he knew how hard life could be.
Lindsey was quiet for a while, and then she said, "I heard you went to the Wheeler's house."
"How do you know about that?" Alex asked, frowning. "It seems I've underestimated you again. It's complicated, and it doesn't have anything to do with your business, so why are you asking?"
"Look Alex, I know Baltimore," she said. "And I've heard that the Wheeler family is tough to deal with, so I'm worried when you deal with them. I'm always going to come and check if you're okay."
She bit her lip. "From what I know, Jack is a dangerous guy, so you need to be careful around him. In fact, the world is a dangerous place right now. Look at everything you've achieved. I just don't want you to put all of that at risk."
Alex smiled and said, "You're right, but I just can't help myself. I'm not going to run from all the excitement and the danger. I want to stay and fight for as long as possible. There aren't many people around who can beat me."
"You're good all right," Lindsey said with a laugh. "I've known that for a long time. But I'm still amazed Jack let this go so easily."
"Jack is a bully, a thief, and a fool," Alex said dismissively. "I went to his house to save the lives of the Welsh family after he had kidnapped them. He's one of Riley's lackeys, so it served as a warning to him, too. But I didn't fight Jack. It was his cousin, Yvonne, who dealt with him."
"So, Jack and Riley are in it together?" Lindsey asked. "That Riley is bad news. He certainly had me fooled for a while. I can't believe I almost fell in love with him."
Riley had wanted to annex Lindsey's small bar, but then he had seemed to be more interested in taking control of Lindsey. It made her nervous just thinking about it.
Lindsey had grown up a lot since then, but without her family around to advise her, she hadn't been able to see Riley's true intentions.
"Yes," Alex said. "Riley has people everywhere, so we need to keep our eyes open and our ears to the ground. He has something evil in mind for us, but I'm not going to let him get away with it." He sighed. "With Jack in a wheelchair, and with the rest of the Wheeler family in chaos, Riley is bound to be furious."
"Especially if Yvonne is trying to take control," Lindsey pointed out. "At least if the Wheelers fight against each other, they are less likely to be fighting you. But you still need to be careful. Jack's crazy, and after such a big loss, who knows what he might do? He still has a lot of power, so don't underestimate him."
Alex listened to Lindsey with puzzled interest. Sometimes she seemed to know more than he did about everything that was happening.
"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing," he said, chuckling. "Let me ask you, Lindsey, what do you think is going on with Yvonne and Jack? They are obviously in opposition to each other. Why aren't they united as a family?"
"Ah, you really don't know about them, do you?" Lindsey said. "Their family has a firm foothold in Baltimore, not because of their physical strength, but by their ability to sell information."
She leaned forward. "The Wheeler family have been engaged in intelligence gathering for nearly a hundred years," she explained. "They have their own special contacts and channels. Although many of these have been discovered and shut down by the authorities, they still have a lot of power in this city."
She told Alex everything she knew without any reservations.
"You went to see them," she said. "Why do you think Yvonne treated you so respectfully? Besides your amazing performance, there's another important reason. They have a comprehensive understanding of your background. If they want to know about someone, then they will make it their business to know more about them than anyone else. Practically any information is available for the right price."
"But not everything?" Alex asked.
"They have all the information," Lindsey explained. "But they never sell information about national security. That strategy has kept them in business for a long time, and many people envy them. Many families want to make use of their talents and their resources. The ability to control them and their networks would be a powerful addition to any family."
She shrugged. "But the Wheelers know the danger of taking sides, so they always regard themselves as neutral. They recognize money, but not people. They don't have any alliances that might arouse suspicion in the wider world. Over the years, they've played all sides, but some families want them to choose. So, they've tried to infiltrate the Wheelers, hoping to gain control over them. I think that's what Ferdinand and Riley have been doing."