"I've tried okay! My credit is not letting me get anything and it's not that serious. As long as I pay them every month, they said they'd stay away," he assured and I rolled my eyes. As if these kind of people were trustworthy.
"Then you need to tell Maya. Mason, I hate lying to her, and she is going to feel so hurt if she finds out that you didn't trust her to tell her. This puts me in an impossible position both with my wife and both our recoveries. Lies do NOT end well," I pinched my hands at him and the door swung open with Maya standing there. My eyes immediately meeting the intensity of her hers. "Maya."
"What lies?" She asked. I gulped not knowing how much of that she'd heard, or who had messaged her to come over. 
"Nothing Mai, happy birthday!" He smiled and tried to walk over for a hug, but Maya held her hand up.
"Carina. Can you leave me with Mason? I need to talk to my brother," she said seriously.
His hands fell in my peripheral and when I looked at Mason next to me, he was swallowing to moisten his dry throat. Maya looked upset, angry. "Bambina—"
"Carina, I'm not going to ask you twice. Leave me with my brother," she urged and I felt stuck. Maya never spoke to me that way in front of other people. 
"What's up? Why are you kicking her out, am I in trouble or something?" He laughed, the nerves evident in its shakiness. He dug his hands into his front pockets obviously looking for something to fiddle with.
"Fine. You want to do this in front of her?" She stepped forward and he stood taller. "A friend of yours stopped by my house today. Told me to give you this." She pulled out a little blue box and gave it to Mason who looked terrified as he took it. 
My heart was in my throat as he opened it to the little card located in its center. His eyes darted to me and then to Maya, "Who- Who came to your door?"
"You fucking tell me Mason! Why is a bald man dressed in black coming to my house to deliver mom's address!? What are you involved in!?" She yelled and he stepped back putting his head down to look over the note. His eyes bouncing back and forth as if trying to figure out a way to explain or understand who it was.
"Okay, Maya—" I tried to calm her down, but she held her finger up at me and it stopped me in my tracks. I hadn't seen Maya this upset since the night she broke up with me. She was a step away from lashing out. So I took a step back and held my tongue.
"I— he's nobody," Mason shrugged off, "He won't bother any of you again I promise. I- I'll make sure of it."
"I don't care. You're going to tell me what the hell this is about. What if he had come by and found Carina? What if he came here instead? What if he found you!?" She raised her voice again and I closed my eyes and turned to her brother. 
"Just tell her," I said and he widened his eyes at Maya.
"YOU KNEW ABOUT THIS!" She raised her voice and I jumped back.
"She— Maya don't yell at her. This is my issue and I'm going to fix it!" He tried to get her attention back as I stood there dumbfounded by her reaction. 
Her eyes watered and everything in me froze, "You knew?"
I reached for her and she stepped out of reach and turned to Mason, "One of you better freaking tell me right now," she spoke through her teeth.
"Mason, please tell her," My voice shook. Nothing about this was going to end well and I was fighting back the tears her tone caused.
He closed his eyes tightly, "I borrowed $5,000 two years ago and now I owe a loan shark $7,000, and it's taking me a bit longer than I thought it would so he is a little impatient. Wants me to start pushing things for him until I pay the money off."