Carl's reaction was immediate. His eyes bulged as he sputtered into his cup of coffee.
"Ten grand? A week? Are you insane?"
Jake's forced grin faltered, and Abel could see the wheels turning in his head as he tried to figure out how to play this.
Since first meeting him, Jake had struck him as the guy who thought he could talk his way out of anything—always slick, always with an angle.
"You're out of your mind, man," Jake finally said, laughing nervously. "We don't make that kind of money."
Abel leaned back in his chair, completely unfazed. "Maybe you should find a way to make it, then. Because that is the only way I'm risking my ass."
Carl looked like he wanted to say something, but Jake shot him a look that kept him quiet.
Abel could feel the tension building between them, and honestly, it was kind of amusing.
