Chapter 13 · The Signature

"Sign it and you're not my problem anymore, sweetheart. You're everyone's problem." Sal's voice came out low, close, like he wanted only me to hear it, but the whole table went quiet enough that everyone did.

The pen felt heavier than it should. Gold cap, Luca's initials engraved on the clip, the kind of pen that costs more than my rent. My hand hovered an inch above the signature line. Luca's knee pressed harder against mine under the table, not moving, just there, a wall of heat through two layers of fabric.

"Don't listen to him," Luca said, not even looking at Sal. He was looking at me. "You listen to me."

"That's the problem," Sal snapped. "Everybody at this table already knows who she listens to. Question is whether she knows what that costs."

I set the pen down flat on the paper without pressing. My fingers weren't shaking. I made sure of that. "What's it cost, Sal? Spell it out. You love spelling things out for me."

His jaw worked.