“He is.” My brow crinkles. “Do you have a question or something?”
“No, no question. Just, um, offering some advice, if it’s relevant at all.”
“Uh, okay.”
“If you need help, or if Vanian does, you can talk to me. About anything.”
My pulse spikes. Have we been acting suspiciously? “What do you mean?”
“Listen, I could be way off, but I have a sixth sense for these things.”
“Whatthings, Balt?”
He glances over his shoulder, making sure we’re alone. “Before this, my life was pretty different. The people I associated with were…” He shrugs. “Outside the mainstream.”
Oh shit. Giuliano’s “he’s in the Mafia” theory might be dead-on.
“I can tell something is going on with Vanian, and now maybe with you. You don’t have to tell me shit, and I won’t say a word to anyone, not even to Deo, but if you get in over your head, you can talk to me.” He exhales slowly. “You can talk to Nonna too.”
I pull my head back. “Nonna?”
“That’s all I’m gonna say. Just know you have people in your corner who understand more than you might realize.” He squeezes my shoulder. “Nonna is pretty eagle-eyed, too.”
“I know.”
He glances around again before leaning in closer. “You guys aren’t as stealthy as you think you are. She’s seen Vanian leave at night a few times.”
Shit. That woman never seems to sleep. “He has insomnia. Driving helps.”
Balt holds his hands up and shrugs. “None of my business. Just sharing information.”
“Nonna told you that? Who else heard it?”
“Just me and Deo. She was worried. Not judging. If something’s going on, you can trust her with it. More than you think.”
“Good to know. Thanks.”
Balt claps my shoulder. “No problem, man. You have an incredible family and they all have your back. Myself included.”
I smile, feeling the tension ease a bit. “Thanks, Balt.”
He winks and walks away, leaving me in my feelings. Just as I finish putting the broom away, the front door opens again and Vanian steps inside. He looks incredible dressed in nice slacks and a tailored shirt. It’s been surprisingly comfortable blending our lives together, but there’s a growing knot of worry inside me about the day he decides he has to go back to Chicago. Sure, we’re only a few hours away from each other, but that’s going to be pretty jarring after spending so much time together over the last several weeks. Those first months of college without seeing him every day were brutal.
“Hey, gorgeous,” he says as he reaches me. “You ready for our night out?”
I nod. “I am.” We both know we’re not going on a simple date. We’re going to a bar in La Crosse where we’ve lured our victim. He thinks he’s meeting someone with connections to young kids. A shiver moves down my back even thinking about such disgusting intentions. Alex, trusting asshole that he is, is so desperate to get his hands on a child that he fell straight into Vanian’s trap, all conducted via apps I didn’t know existed. I wish I still didn’t.
“Did you see Balt on your way in?”
Vanian nods. “Yeah. He said something cryptic to me.”
“What did he say?”
“He said to stay safe and that if we ever need help, don’t hesitate to ask.”
I take his hand in mine and walk us toward the front door. “He came in to chat with me.” As we step outside, I glance back at the house, knowing Brogan is still inside, taking pictures of one of our newly redecorated guest rooms upstairs.
“And?” Vanian says. “What happened?”
