His eyes closed.
My fingers went numb. “Twenty-eight thousand dollars?”
“It wasn’t that much at first.”
I laughed once, and it came out wrong. “That helps.”
“I was winning. I was up, Nadia. I swear to God, I was up, and then they changed the game.”
“Don’t blame the game. Your mouth got you here. Your hands signed something. Your feet walked into that place.”
His shoulders folded in. “I know.”
“Do you? Because Gennady said the balance doubles in three days.”
Petya’s head snapped up. “He said what?”
“He said three days or the balance doubles. He said you go with his men if you can’t cover it.”
“No.” Petya shook his head too hard. “No, that’s not what they said.”
“What did they say?”
“That I had until Friday.”
“Today is Tuesday.”
“I know.”
“Friday is three days.”
“I know!” His voice cracked, and he turned toward the window, pressing his fist against his lips.
For a moment, I saw the part of Petya that still believed he could stand between me and the wreckage if he hid the wreckage fast enough. He was too proud to ask. He was too reckless to stop. He was twenty now. Old enough to sign markers. Still young enough to believe panic could be outrun if he lied fast enough.
I wanted to hug him.
I wanted to shake him until his teeth rattled.
I pulled out the chair and sat before my knees gave out. “Show me everything.”
He hesitated.
“Petya, don’t make me ask twice.”
He went to the counter and lifted the loose panel behind the microwave. From behind it, he pulled a folded paper and a small envelope. He laid them in front of me as if they might bite.
The paper was a marker with numbers written too cleanly. The envelope held cash. Not much.
I counted it twice because the first number was too insulting.
“Four hundred and sixty dollars,” I said.
“I was going to add tonight’s delivery money.”
“You lost your delivery job last week.”
He looked at the floor.
