It was the first time Derek had spoken since Carl walked up the stairs.

“Shut up, Derek,” Jake spat back.

Carl took half a step forward, his face hard.

“Do not threaten my tenants in my building, Jake,” Carl said.

“Your building?” Jake laughed, but the sound was thin and forced.

“We’ve been running this place for months while you sat in your room,” Jake said.

“You’ve been stealing from it,” Carl said. “And that ends today.”

I looked at the blue seal on the document Vance held.

It looked very official. It looked very permanent.

The confidence I had spent weeks building up began to leak out of me.

If they froze the operating accounts, I couldn’t pay the lawyer I had on retainer.

I couldn’t pay the contractors Jake had hired to remodel the top-floor unit.

Everything was slipping away, right back into Carl’s quiet, scarred hands.

“You think you’re so smart, Carl,” I said, my voice trembling slightly.

I tried to mask the fear with anger.

“I’m just taking back what belongs to me,” Carl said.