Page 16 of No Escape

“Gio,” Slash said with a smile on his face. He said something in Italian to his brother, and Gio laughed.

“What did you say?” I asked.

“I told him love looks good on him,” Slash said. “And it does.”

I’d met Gio briefly several months ago when he’d helped Slash save me from a Chinese hacker. I remember being shocked the first time I saw him, because he was so handsome. Even though they weren’t biologically related, Gio looked like a slightly shorter version of Slash, with dark, wavy hair, brown eyes, and an extremely attractive smile. However, unlike Slash, who was quiet and reserved, Gio seemed to be constantly joking and had a great sense of humor. He was also incredibly charming and flirtatious.

Gio lifted my hand to his lips, keeping his eyes on me the entire time. “Lexi,bella, we meet again,” he said in accented English. His voice was velvety and had that same hint of sexiness that I liked whenever Slash’s English pronunciation slipped back into Italian. “What a joy it is to welcome you to our family.”

“Congratulations on your forthcoming nuptials,” I said, hoping that was an appropriate response to his declaration. I wasn’t sure it was, because he laughed and pulled me toward him, kissing me noisily on each cheek.

“You’re such a delight. Please, I wish to introduce you both to my beautiful fiancée, Vittoria.”

Vittoria was, indeed, beautiful. Long, glossy black hair swept to one side in perfectly formed ringlets, heart-shaped lips, and stunning brown eyes with long eyelashes. She wore a glittering off-white dress with only one sleeve and an uneven hem, which was likely supposed to be a fashion statement, but my desire for symmetry made me wince. Slash had told me she was seven months along, but the baby bump was barely noticeable because of the flowing material.

Slash gently kissed Vittoria on each cheek and murmured something to her in Italian before she turned to me. I stood awkwardly, not knowing whether it was up to me to shake her hand or if I had to do the cheek-kissing thing that seemed the norm in Italy. Maybe I had to wait for her to make the first move. Why the heck hadn’t I studied that part of the etiquette book before we’d left?

“Hello, Lexi,” she said in a throaty voice, giving me a dazzling smile.

Thank goodness, she’d broken the ice first. “Hi, Vittoria. It’s so nice to meet you.” I thrust out my hand, and she shook it. I wasn’t sure if that was proper etiquette, but it worked. We didn’t have a chance to speak further, because we were mobbed by Stefan, Slash’s older brother, and Tito Blickensderfer, a longtime friend of Slash’s and, more recently, mine.

Tito, a former member of the Swiss Guard, had met Slash when they were working at the Vatican. I’d first met Tito when I was in Rome helping Slash’s uncle with a hacking problem, and we’d become friends right away, which was unusual for me. I’d seen him only once since then, when he, Gio, and Slash had saved my life in Papua New Guinea. Tito was also good friends with Gio, and he was in the wedding party. Knowing Tito would be here made me feel better. At least I had someone other than Slash and my parents to talk to if things went downhill socially for me—something that was a real possibility.

“Hey, Tito,” I said, wincing as he smashed me in a giant hug. He was a muscular guy, and even though he’d recently left the Swiss Guard, he still had his brown hair buzzed in a military haircut. “It’s great to see you again.”

He slung an easy arm around my shoulders. “Likewise. Thanks for the opportunity to play in a rich man’s castle. I heard you had a little excitement at the airport.”

“Yeah, Santa Claus gone bad. I’m sure Slash will fill you in on all the details.”

He laughed. “You two have all the fun.”

Before I could respond, Slash spotted Tito and they started grinning and slapping each other on the back, talking to each other in German. I suddenly faced Slash’s older brother, Stefan, alone.

“Lexi, what a pleasure to finally meet you,” Stefan said. Like Gio and Slash, Stefan had the same dark hair, chiseled jaw, and smoky brown eyes. Even if they weren’t biologically related, they were a trio of seriously good-looking men.

Stefan lifted my hand to his mouth and kissed it. “I’ve been waiting to meet the woman who has completely captured my brother’s heart. I hope we’re able to find some time to talk this weekend. I’ve heard so much about you, and I’m looking forward to getting to know you better.”

I grimaced inwardly. I had no idea what Slash had said about me, but I worried whatever it was, I wouldn’t be able to live up to it.

After that, the faces, cheek kisses, and hugs became a blur. Stefan introduced me to his girlfriend, Alessa Thorne, a pretty, blonde woman in a black cocktail dress with a British accent. We chatted for a minute before Father Emilio Armando, a Vatican cardinal and the man Slash considered a second father, stepped forward to give me a kiss on each cheek. He was dressed in a black cassock with red trim and buttons, in what I presumed was casual wear for a cardinal. His eyes twinkled happily when he saw my shocked expression.

“Surprise!” he said.

It may not have been appropriate protocol when dealing with an important Catholic cardinal, but I threw my arms around him in a big hug. The gesture was unusual for me, but Father Armando was special.

“What are you doing here?” As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I blushed. When I’d made the reservations, we were told only twelve guests were permitted. After consulting with Gio, we’d whittled down the guest list to just the wedding party and my folks when Vittoria’s parents weren’t able to make it until the actual wedding. Although I was genuinely glad Emilio was here, it also meant we had thirteen guests. I hoped that was okay with Mr. Zachetti, because there wasn’t much I could do about it at this point.

“I’ll tell you later.” He grinned but didn’t offer any further explanation, and he moved on to talk with Stefan.

I’d come to the end of my rope in terms of social overload when I found myself face-to-face with a pretty woman in a dark-green gown. Her long, dark hair had been braided and hung down her back. Even without introduction, I knew at once she was Slash’s adopted mother, Juliette. She looked much kinder in person than in my dream.

“Lexi, at last,” she said softly. “How wonderful to meet you.”

Slash somehow materialized at my side, slipping his arm around my waist, and leaning forward to kiss the woman on both of her cheeks. “Mama, I’d like you to meet my Lexi.”

Chapter Nine

Lexi Carmichael

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