Alec sat back in his seat and dropped his hand over the side of the chair, only to feel the gun that was secured inside of his boot. The feel of it was a reassurance, even if it ticked off Izzy and occasionally made Alec feel like Alex from Wizards of Waverly Place, who always hid her wand in her boot. And even if the gun hadn't reassured Alec of his safety, the twelve burly guards he'd hired should be.
Guzmán was late. Only about four minutes late, but it still pissed Alec off. A late client was a sketchy client and a sketchy client meant police involvement.
Alec did not want police involvement.
Besides, he wanted to get home. Max was out shopping with Clary and every second he wasn't with them they were in danger. The police had a picture of Max's face on file; if they saw him walking around, they'd take him in for questioning.
The door opened and the man of the hour stepped in. Alec put his hands on the table in front of him.
The man was about fifty, with curly dark hair and olive skin. His eyes were nearly black, though they were the kind that probably looked warm in the sunlight.
"About time."
Guzmán stepped inside, flanked by two guards. He ignored Alec's remark and instead sent Alec a quick, almost apologetic, smile. "Lex Light, pleased to meet you."
Alec grinned at the use of his pseudonym. "And I, you."
Guzmán settled in the chair right across from Alec. Neither of them paid attention to any of the guards, who were hardly anything more than shadows on the walls.
"Alright, tell me what this is all about," Alec said, leaning back. Guzmán smiled and it was a charismatic smile, not a creepy one. He was kind of like an old grandpa you can't help but relax around.
"I want you to help me," he said honestly.
Alec raised an eyebrow.
"I understand that you have contacts all throughout New York." Alec wiggled in his seat a little; he was proud. New York was a huge state and he practically ran the cocaine business in it. "And in parts of Chicago." Alec's friend Lily ran the business in Chicago, though sometimes he'd drop by.
"Yes."
"Well, I'd like to extend my business into New York," Guzmán said. "The tunnel you're building will help to accommodate a lot more cocaine and I can sell it to you at a much lower price than what Raphael Santiago sells it to you at."
The tunnel Alec was building crossed the border from Mexico to America. It was pretty cool and it would definitely help increase business. It was almost done, except the workers were being assholes and going on strike. Alec hoped Jace took care of that little issue.
"How much less?" Alec tried not to sound too excited.
Guzmán shrugged. "Enough for Jordan to send me straight to you. He said you would be interested." Alec trusted Jordan's judgement.
"And Jordan explained my deal with Raphael?"
"Yeah, he did," Guzmán said. "Where Raphael's at, there's law enforcement prowling the country; it's dangerous for him and he overprices his product because of it. It's easier for me."
Alec grinned and plopped his head into one elbow. "Keep talking," he said good-naturedly. "I'm listening."
Max glanced at the black sweatshirt that would probably dangle down to his knees. $34.99. Max stared mournfully at his $12.56. Alec would've loved the sweatshirt. If only he had enough money. But he wanted to buy his sibling's Christmas gifts with his own money, and the work he did over the summer selling lemonade and dog walking could only get him so far.
Sighing, Max turned away from the clothing aisle and padded away to find Clary. He spotted her in the aisle that had a lot of markers and paints. Boring.
Max turned away, intent on finding something for his big brother. He already found Izzy a nail polish that he knew she'd like and he found the most perfect t-shirt for Jace that said immature: word boring people use to describe fun people. Max thought it was funny.
But Alec was hard to buy for! He only liked bland stuff. Like coffee and the color black. Not fun at all!
Max sighed and turned to find Clary again-but she wasn't there. Frowning, Max looked around. Where was she?
He weaved in and out of aisles, a little bubble of panic in his chest. Where was Clary? She just disappeared! A horrible thought crossed Max's mind: What if she forgot me?
That was it. She had. Max would have to go find her outside. Max went over to a register and placed his stuff up on the conveyor belt. The lady smiled at him.
"Where's your mom, hun?"
Max hated it when people assumed he had parents. "I don't have a mom."
Her smile faltered. "Where's your dad, then?"
Well, Max couldn't go around saying he wasn't living with his parents; then he'd get tossed back into the foster system. Besides, Alec and Jace were like dads to him. Just... more weird. "Outside waiting."
The lady nodded and Max handed her the bills that were crumpled up in his hands. She took the money and gave him back his change. Max grabbed his stuff and walked back outside.
Figures that Clary would forget him. He didn't completely like Clary. Clary was cool when she took him to get books and she was a nice person, but she put his family in danger. Lately Jace had been talking more and more about leaving the family business because of her-and then what? No more Jace? Max was sure he'd cry if that happened.
"Mrow."
Max stopped dead in his tracks at the sound and almost crashed into the man walking behind him. Max turned his head towards the sound and peered into the alley.
A tiny kitten with gray stripes and fluffy ears was rummaging in a pile of leaves at the back of the alley. The poor thing was all skin and bones.
"Hi kitty," Max said. He creeped towards the cat. "You look a little lonely."
The kitten froze at the sight of him and Max used the opportunity to scoop him up.
"I'm gonna keep you."
Max trotted out of the alley, happy with his new friend. He didn't even notice the man who stopped in his tracks at the sight of him.
"Max?! Hey, bud, what're you doing by yourself? And you're not even wearing a coat! -is that a cat?"
Max turned toward the familiar voice and grinned at the sight of Magnus Bane in bright purple skinny jeans and yellow shirt t-shirt, with purple jewelry hanging from his neck and wrists and glinting on his fingers. He was very sparkly.
It had been two days since Magnus was hanging out in the extra apartment #2 on Sherman Street. That apartment was the address on the legal documents. Extra apartment #1 was where blocks of cocaine were dropped off, and apartment #3 was home.
"Hey, Magnus!" Max greeted. "I was abandoned and left for dead." He glanced down at the kitten, feeling a sudden kinship with him. "So was he."
Magnus didn't look nearly as devastated as Max expected. "You were abandoned? By whom?"
"Clary. She left me. I dunno who left the kitty."
Magnus' originally amused expression changed until he looked halfway between concerned and mad. "Why don't you hop in the car and we can talk for a second?"
Magnus was a police officer. He was sort of a stranger. There was no reason to trust him.
"Sure!"
But he was cool, so whatever.
He followed Magnus to his car and hopped in the backseat. "Is it okay if I take you to my house?" Magnus asked. "I don't really want to get held hostage at your place again."
Held hostage?
Maybe Magnus was an enemy.
"Uh. Okay."
"So why did Clary abandon you?"
"Well, I think she just forgot about me," Max said. "Sometimes people do, with more important stuff to focus on."
"Oh please. What could be more important that you?"
Max shrugged. "Not getting arrested, I guess."
Magnus scoffed and smiled his happy smile. "Yeah right. I've seen the way your big brother and sister act around you. They'd get arrested for you in a second."
Maybe. Max wasn't really sure. He hoped his siblings didn't get arrested for him. He didn't want them to go to jail.
A few minutes later they pulled up by an apartment building and walked up to Magnus' apartment. Max put the kitten down and he scampered off.
Max plopped his butt down next to Magnus. "Can you call Alec?" Magnus asked.
Max's nose scrunched up. "You mean Lex?"
Magnus laughed. "I know that's a fake name."
Mhmm. Riight.
"I'm not allowed to call Lex," Max said. "People can track phones."
And besides, Alex would be busy talking to another special guy in the business. And after that he'd help the smugglers unload the trucks that Jordan sent from Mexico into extra apartment #1 and get the cocaine ready for distribution. So no luck there.
Magnus sighed. "Alright, I'll drive you home, bud. But I'm not coming in. I can't stand to be around Jace again."
That made Max smile. "Jace is funny."
"Mhmm, yeah right. Dude hates me."
Max shrugged. He understood why Jace didn't like Magnus. "You're a cop and that makes you dangerous to Al-Lex. Jace wants to protect Lex."
Something changed in Magnus' expression. "Hey, bud, can I ask you a few questions about Alec."
"Nope."
Magnus gave a surprised laugh. "Home come?"
"I don't know anybody named Alec."
An eyeroll. "Okay. Okay. Lex. Can I ask you about Lex."
"What about him?"
"Just-where is he right now?"
Ugh, no. He'd have to lie. Max hated lying. "A friend's house."
"Alec has friends?"
"I'm gonna tell him you said that."
"No! No-that's not what I...no. I mean, he's a drug dealer." He was actually a drug lord. "I didn't think drug dealers had friends."
"They do. The people who deal for Alec are all pretty normal people."
"So his name is Alec."
Dang! Max tried not to facepalm. He ruined everything!
Magnus seemed to notice the forlorn look on his face. "Hey, it's not problem. I told you, I already knew his name, don't be sad Max."
"I'm not." Max crossed his arms across his chest.
"Okay, don't pout. C'mon, lil' dude, let's get you home." Magnus stood up and grabbed his coat. Max scowled when he realized he forgot his coat with Clary. "And you can take one of my coats."
Max stared at Magnus' bright yellow jacket with faux fur around the hood. "Thanks, but I'm okay."
Magnus rolled his eyes and walked into a different room. He came back a second later with a big black sweatshirt. When Max pulled it on it fell to his knees.
"I got it from my friend Ragnor," Magnus explained. He shared a secret smile with Max. "If you don't tell him I took it, I'll let you keep it."
Max giggled. "You gotta deal."
Magnus walked Max inside and waited from a safe distance as he peeped into his apartment. "Izzy's home," Max said. He ran over and gave Magnus a heart-warming hug. "Thanks, Magnus."
"No problem, bud."
Max opened the door fully and slipped into his apartment. Magnus smiled when he heard Izzy's cries of joy. Then-"Clary was waiting for you at Walmart for hours! When you get separated in a store, never leave! Maxwell, you're grounded for life! You scared us all! You little precious idiot!"
Magnus walked away with a smile on his face-and he didn't regret his decision not to bring Max in for questioning.