Page 73 of No Escape

Slash looked duly chastised. “No, Mama. It just seemed like too good an opportunity to pass up.”

“Your prank did not involve just your brother. You will apologize to Vittoria.”

“Of course.” Slash turned to Vittoria, who had a huge smile on her face. She seemed to be enjoying every minute of this. He bowed slightly to her. “Ti prego perdonami,Vittoria.”

“Sei perdonato,” she said and then noisily kissed both of his cheeks. “You, too, Lexi.” She hugged me and gave me kisses, too. “But both of you put the statue back before bedtime,si? There won’t be room for Gio, me, my stomach, and the Virgin Mary in the bed.”

There was more laughter, and everyone started filing out of the room.

“Stefan, please wait a moment,” Juliette said. “I need to speak with you about something. Seeing the statue of the Virgin Mary reminded me of it, and I’d almost forgotten all about it. It involves Father Rainaldi and something he told me many years ago.”

Stefan froze midstep, and to my surprise, so did Gio. Puzzled, I glanced over at Slash, but he, too, had paused in motion.

It was like Juliette had dropped a bomb in the room.

“Gio?” Vittoria said, tugging on his arm impatiently when he didn’t move. “Come on.”

He murmured something to her in Italian, and she shrugged and left the room, leaving Juliette, Stefan, Gio, Slash, and me. Gio’s expression had paled considerably.

Juliette looked at Slash and Gio in exasperation. “Are you two Stefan?”

Slash smiled easily. “Mama, we all remember Father Rainaldi, and seeing as how he passed decades ago, we’re curious as to what he might have said about Stefan all these years later.”

“Si,” Gio said with a forced smile, slapping a friendly arm around Stefan’s shoulder. “What did the father have to say about Stefan?”

The room fell silent, and I realized something was going on that I had no idea about. But I was an extra wheel. My cheeks heated for not realizing it earlier. “Ah, I’m sorry. I’ll leave now.”

Juliette tore her gaze away from her boys and glanced my way. “Lexi, please stay. You’re family now.”

As uncomfortable as it was, a part of me was secretly glad I could stay, because I wasdyingto find out what was going on. I perched on a corner of the bed and tried not to look too interested in the situation.

“Many years ago, Father Rainaldi pulled me aside and told me when our family gathered for the first wedding of one of you boys, Stefan would have an important announcement to confess to me that involved the Virgin Mary. Seeing the statue just reminded me of that conversation.”

“Oh…really?” Stefan said, looking increasingly uncomfortable and oddly…guilty.

“Father Rainaldi said the confession would be necessary for your soul, but he was quite insistent I wait until at least one of you was married. Romeo, you are the first to marry—although not yet in the church. Gio’s wedding is in a few days, so I believe we are close enough for that confession.”

Stefan visibly winced, while Gio shuffled his feet. My usually unflappable husband rubbed his stubbled chin, a pained expression on his face. Fascinated, I abandoned all pretense of not listening and leaned forward, not wanting to miss a single word.

“Juliette?”

We all turned to look at the open door. Oscar stood in the doorway trying and failing, to straighten his tie. “Dinner is served. Can whatever this is wait until after we eat?”

Juliette gave Stefan a pointed look. “We will resume this conversation after dinner. I look forward to it.”

She swept out of the room like a queen, linking arms with Oscar.

As soon as she was gone, Gio sat on the edge of the bed next to me, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Damn,” he said. “After all these years, it’s coming back to haunt me.”

“Hauntus,” Stefan corrected and then pointed a finger at Slash. “And it’sallyour and Lexi’s fault.”

Chapter Thirty-Two

Lexi Carmichael

Slash held up two hands in a stopping motion. “Whoa. How is it our fault?”

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