"Were they?" She looks up. Those hazel eyes are wet but she's not crying. Not letting herself. "Look at me. I'm nobody. I work in accounting. I'm nothing special. Why would you risk yourself for—"
"Stop." The word comes out like a command. Military-sharp. She flinches and I force myself to breathe. "You're not nothing. And whether you're special or not doesn't matter. You're a person who said no. That's enough."
"That's not how the world works."
"It's how my world works."
We're staring at each other now. Three feet of space between us that feels like three inches. I should look away. Should finish eating. Should remember that getting involved in her problems is the last thing I need.
But she's looking at me like I just said something impossible. Like the idea that someone would help her without wanting something in return is foreign.
"Thank you," she whispers. "For dinner. For everything."
"You made dinner."
"You know what I mean."
Yeah. I do.
I go back to eating because it's easier than examining whatever the hell is happening in my chest. The chicken really is perfect. The kind of meal that tastes like someone gave a damn.
"This Castellano," I say after a while. "How dangerous is he really?"
Nora sets her fork down. "Very. He owns half the businesses in my hometown. Has connections everywhere. Police, judges, politicians. People who cross him disappear."
"Disappear how?"
"Just disappear. One day they're there, the next they're gone. No body. No investigation. Nothing."
Great. So not just rich and connected. Actually dangerous.
"And he wants you back."
"He wants what he paid for." The bitterness in her voice could strip paint. "My parents took his money. Made promises. As far as he's concerned, I'm his property."
"You're not property."
"Try telling him that."
I set my own plate down. Lean forward with my elbows on my knees. "Those men will come back. Probably with more friends. Your apartment isn't safe."
"I know. That's why I was going to leave."
"Running won't fix this. You said it yourself. They found you once. They'll find you again."
"So, what do I do?" Her voice cracks. "I can't fight him. Can't hide forever. Can't—"
"You stay here."
The words are out before I can stop them.
Nora stares at me. "What?"
What the fuck am I doing?
"You stay here," I repeat, committed now. "My apartment. They probably know which unit is yours. They don't know mine. Gives us time to figure out a real plan."
"I can't… That's not… You don't even know me."
