"Nonna, please. If you're going to sell me the house, let me pay what it's worth."

Venn sat next to Mrs. Lane in her dining room. He was trying very hard to convince her to let him give her the actual value of the house. She had wanted to just give him the house, but it would be easier to have some kind of monetary exchange.

"I have the money for it. I'm not broke."

Mrs. Lane clicked her tongue. "No, no. Ten pence! I won't be taking nearly all of your money, little Piranha. Just ten pence."

Venn gestured around them. "This place is worth more than ten pence. Come on, Nonna. I've been setting aside most of what Reed paid me since I started working with him."

"I don't care if you have a million pounds. I won't take anything more than ten pence."

The two sat there in silence, each trying to out stubborn the other. Venn resisted the temptation to take one of the chocolate mint brownies sitting on a plate near his hand. He wouldn't have one until he had convinced Mrs. Lane to let him buy the house how he wanted.

Venn opened his mouth to speak. Faster than his brain could register, Mrs. Lane grabbed one of the brownies and shoved it in his mouth. The surprised noise he made was muffled. He brought up a hand to catch the brownie before it could fall.

"Ten pence. Or you don't take the brownies home with you."

Venn swallowed the chunk of brownie in his mouth. He thought about refusing again, but he didn't want to disappoint her. Besides... Mrs. Lane made the best chocolate mint brownies and Giovanni had never tasted them.

Venn sighed loudly. "Congratulations. You've convinced Venn to bend to your will." He took another bite of his brownie.

Mrs. Lane grinned. "Well we can't have you living in Reed's house. Reed doesn't need to hear that."

Venn almost asked for her to clarify, then realized what she meant. He choked on his brownie, his face turning the color of tomatoes. Mrs. Lane laughed.