Page 32 of No Stone Unturned

It was such an absurd statement, he laughed. “To the Dark Ages?”

Cardinal Lazo was not a man used to being mocked, which made it all the more pleasant to watch him seethe. “I would advise caution, my son. You and your loved ones are more vulnerable than you think.”

Mention of his family made his response all the more ominous. Slash leaned forward, making sure he crossed into the cardinal’s personal space. “Was that a threat, Your Eminence?”

“Of course not.” The cardinal pressed a hand to his chest in mock disbelief that Slash had suggested such a thing. But he also moved back a bit in his seat, indicating Slash’s message had been received. “It was a promise. I have asked you for a simple request in the name of the church. That’s all. After all, an exposed truth must stand on its own merits.”

Move and countermove. He had to make his next step carefully. “Well, if you want me to acknowledge my father, I’m afraid you’re going to have to tell me who is he is.”

“Really?” The cardinal regarded him with interest. “You want to play it this way? Come now. You’ve always known, haven’t you? You’ve been his secret for far too long.”

Time to signal an end to the conversation. Slash stood, reaching for his duffel. “We’re done here. I’m not playing your game anymore. Take me out of the equation.”

“Father Emilio Armando,” Lazo spat out, watching Slash for any hint of reaction.

Slash almost laughed, but caught himself. He’d suspected, but now he knew.Thatwas endgame. Father Armando had become Lazo’s greatest threat to the papacy, and Lazo was looking for a way to neutralize or even remove him from contention. Father Armando was close to the current pope, was popular and widely viewed as a priest of the people, and was rapidly becoming known as the conscience of the church for his forward-thinking social initiatives and work with the poor and disenfranchised. No wonder Lazo was worried.

So, Lazo’s goal was to use Slash against Father Armando. But Lazo wasn’t stupid. He knew Slash would never willingly agree to do something like this unless he had irrefutable proof of parentage or a way of extracting Slash’s cooperation. Now, he just had to figure out which one it was.

He turned around slowly and regarded the cardinal. “Emilio Armando is my father? Says who?”

“Says me. And says you.”

He seemed unusually confident Slash would agree, which made him wary. He hadn’t lied to Lazo. He had no idea who his biological parents were. He’d often wondered, and sometimes wished he knew, but he hadn’t ever really considered Father Armando a contender for his father. Too many things didn’t make sense with that scenario. Regardless, he hated that it had been Lazo to shove that possibility front and center.

Lazo suddenly laughed. “Wait. He didn’t tell you? Well, this is certainly an interesting development. I’d assumed he had. After all, you’ve maintained a close relationship all these years.”

Slash masked the disgust, but couldn’t keep the derision from his voice. “We’re close friends, so now you assume he’s my father?”

“Not assume. Know. I have evidence.”

Now came the moment of truth. Would it be blackmail or proof? His stomach clenched, but he responded calmly. “Such as?”

“I’m afraid I cannot reveal that. Sanctity of the confessional and all that, of course.” Lazo couldn’t quite keep the smirk from his face.

Anger coiled even tighter in Slash’s gut, but he kept his expression neutral as he needled for more information. “Come now, Cardinal. Did you really expect me to play your little game? You summon me to Italy by threatening my family, then insist I make a statement about Father Armando being my biological father? Apparently you haven’t read enough of my file. It isn’t wise to piss me off.”

Lazo’s nostrils flared. “I know exactly who you are. You are a man without conscience, without regret. You want people to think you’ve turned your life around, but I know better. Men like you are irredeemable. So, I’d suggest you carefully consider how you answer me. I’m a powerful man with a long reach. You help me, your family stays protected. Cross me, and I promise nothing.”

So, there it was—blackmail. Cold and ugly. Slash leaned forward, his tone matching the cardinal’s. “Let me make one thing perfectly clear, Cardinal. Stay away from my family. You get one warning, and that’s only as a professional courtesy. You touch them,anyof them, and you’ll never see me coming.”

“Howdareyou speak to me like that.” Fury rolled off Lazo, but not fear. He still believed himself to be untouchable. “Are you aware of who I am?”

“A man who is so weak he has to resort to blackmailing former Vatican employees.”

“Oh, please.” Lazo waved a hand dismissively. “You think I care about your insults? We both know I’m going to be the next pope. The question is whose side will you choose? I will do whatever it takes to protect the church from this destructive path the current pope is leading us down, so I advise you to consider your words carefully. I’m in a position to help you in ways you can’t imagine. And all I need from you is a simple acknowledgment that he’s your father.”

“Or what? You come after me and my family?”

Lazo spread his hands in a gesture of pretend noncommittal. “Or things from your past, including the Congo, may inadvertently come to light. Things that could change your life for the worse.”

There it was. Lazo thought he held an ace in the hole with the Congo operation. While it wasn’t an ace, it was still a high card, and Slash had to be careful how he handled this. Without knowing exactly how much Lazo knew about the operation, the safest way to play was to assume he knew it all.

“I thought you wanted to protect the church,” he finally said.

“I do, and I will.”

“Revealing the details of that operation would help the church exactly how?” He paused, curious how Lazo would respond. “We both know I was acting as an agent of the church.”

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