Balotelli-Bale Series Book #4: THE OTHER MAN PART 1

Chapter 53: Favors

"... it's human nature to give and take..."

Marianna's POV
It's a quiet night.

Crickets, an owl... whatever things can be heard... Nate's light  snoring... typical sounds I hear at night. Maddie is sleeping in our bed tonight. She's in between Nate and I. She's drooling all over me and I want to pinch her but I remind myself she's a child and I'll get payback when she's grown up.

I can't fall asleep.

I have tried every trick in the book except the sleeping pill. I'm tempted to, but I don't like pills.

The whole idea of children growing up is that the parents worry less. I'm not worrying less. Nick is a few days away from 30 and I'm worried like that time I chased the car that took him away when he was a baby!

This time, not even Helena can save him. If anything she's pissed.

A gentle knock on the door got me to turn quickly. Lupe peeked in. It's funny how I can see in the dark. My father calls me a cat. That's a random thought.

"Signora. Buongiorno. I'm sorry to wake you." She whispered.

Is it morning? I glanced at the wrist watch on the nightstand. 3am. Good enough. I got out of bed, moving Maddie to drool on Nate. We should both share in the joys of a granddaughter.

I stepped out and closed the door. "What is it?"

"Nicko did not come home."

We know Nick left. Nate even looked for him. We went to every bar we could think of. He wasn't in any. We called his friends and no one had seen him. I'm worried. With the godfather in play and Nick his target, it's bound to get ugly.

"Dio! What is this mess? Have you tried his phone?"

"Yes. It's switched off."

"Switched off?"

"I'll wake Nate."

My idea of waking Nate is snatching the pillow from under him. That wakes him fast. Over the years he has developed a habit of clenching the pillow do that he doesn't lose it to me. I just learned to pull harder. That's what I have done and now he's eyes are narrow slits of frustration.

"What?" He asked.

"Your son didn't come home!" He closed his eyes and gently moved Maddie. He took a second before he sat up. It is so weird how I know what Nick will look like in about 30 years. He will still look so good. "Nathaniel!"

"I'm up. I'm up." He stood up and walked to the bathroom. I can't believe he is showering! I took the time to get dressed quickly.

"The worst case scenario is that he is passed out somewhere from all the drinking. Right?" I asked Nate when he came downstairs.

"Or that he is lying dead in a morgue."

"Why would you say something like that?"

"Because the godfather is at play. It seems he doesn't like our son." He stepped outside and I followed into the crisp cold morning air.

"We should take him to Florence and keep him there. We will watch him like a hawk-" I bumped into him.

He turned slowly. "Or he got arrested. That damn boy!"

He wasn't even listening to me!

"He got arrested? That would mean he confessed!"

"Let's go find out."

Keira's POV
"I'm almost done. Sit still." The nurse instructed me. "It's not broken but it has a nasty bruise."

I'm not a stranger to bruises. This is nothing! What Jason did to me the last time I saw him, now that was bruising. This is a black eye and almost a broken nose. And this time, there's no make up to cover up.