Page 109 of No Escape

I turned around in his arms, placing my hands on his chest so I could face him. His dark hair brushed the shoulders of his tuxedo and framed his strong jaw, hinting at danger and passion. I smiled up at him. “You did it, Slash. You got the money for the orphanage, for the pope. So many people were depending on you, and once again, you came through.” I knew how important it had been for him to secure the money for the orphanage, not only because it was named after his biological father, but because he’d once been an orphan himself. Even more, it was his way to give back and make amends for his past. A step toward forgiving himself.

He lightly traced a fingertip along the curve of my cheek. “No,cara, we did it. All of us. My family, your family,ourfamily. Our wonderful, beautiful family.”

I reached up, linking our fingers together, and he pressed a kiss against them. “We’re pretty lucky, aren’t we?”

“We are. And to think I started life with no family, really. Then to end up with Mama, Father Armando, Gio, Stefan, Oscar, and, most importantly, you… I am truly blessed. Now I have the most incredible set of in-laws, brothers- and sisters-in-law, and friends I never imagined myself having just a few years ago.Mio Dio, I am a lucky man.”

I stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the nose. “Then let’s do this, lucky man.”

He grinned and took my hand, and together we headed for the dining room. When we arrived, Oscar and Juliette met us and happily hugged and kissed us. It was strange, but I felt no awkwardness, no discomfort, just genuine acceptance and warmth from my new mother- and father-in-law. I’d learned, as is true with any relationship, there were always going to be hiccups, mishaps, laughs, and genuine affection when dealing with family members, even with those who weren’t originally mine. Now they’d become mine…all of them. Strangely, especially for me, I didn’t mind. Instead, like Slash, I felt remarkably blessed to be a part of this wonderful, wacky, amazing family.

Oscar looked dashing in his tuxedo and red bow tie, which was slightly askew, apparently because he kept tugging on it. Juliette caught him pulling on it once and whispered to him about it. He promised to stop, but I caught him doing it again a few minutes later, and I couldn’t help but smile.

Juliette looked beautiful in a dark-blue gown with a belt, her dark hair piled on her head with lovely ringlets framing her face. She had such an approachable and soothing presence about her that I could easily imagine how Slash had fallen in love with her as a little boy. My mom had taken to her as well. She adjusted Juliette’s necklace while the two of them keep chatting like they were best friends. Maybe they already were.

“Have you seen the gamemaster, Mama?” Slash asked his mother, putting an arm around her shoulders with obvious affection.

“I have not,” Juliette answered. “In fact, I haven’t seen any of the staff other than Chiara and Ciro, who are serving champagne.” She held up a gorgeous crystal champagne flute as evidence. “I don’t know where he is.”

“How are we going to give him our answer to the challenge?” Mom asked.

Slash shrugged. “We’ll have to assume he’ll show up shortly for it.”

We chatted for a few more minutes before Juliette happily linked her arm through mine and started telling me a story about when Slash was eight years old and dismantled her barely functioning blender, fixing it so it worked perfectly for another five years. I couldn’t help but laugh.

Oscar and Slash brought us more champagne, and we spoke for a while with Father Armando before he left to speak with my parents. He wore a happy, satisfied smile I could only attribute to the fact we’d won the gentleman’s agreement. Tito, Stefan, and Alessa joined us shortly thereafter, and we speculated on whom our mysterious guest would be.

Gio and Vittoria, the happy couple, made a dramatic entrance a few minutes after we did. Gio looked ready for a photo shoot for a men’s magazine with his perfect hair, smile, and scruffy cheeks. Vittoria looked like a Roman goddess in a toga-style dress of ivory that draped gracefully over her shoulder, dipping into a deep open back. Golden jewelry sparkled at her ears, throat, and arms. They were an impossibly gorgeous couple.

My parents were the last to arrive, smiling happily and greeting everyone with hugs and air kisses. As I watched them—reallywatched them—together, it hit me how well suited they were to each other. Perhaps finding my own love had helped me see them in a different light.

Especially my mother. There was so much more to her than I’d ever realized. Smarts, kindness, a competitive spirit, and a logical mind. How had I not seen those qualities in her before? I wasn’t the best at reading people, but my own mother? Had her efforts to shape me into a girly girl made me dismiss and ignore everything else about her? What kind of daughter did that make me?

Mom made a beeline straight for me and enfolded me in a hug. “My God, you look amazing, Lexi. I’ve never seen you dressed so beautifully. You’re just glowing. I can’t believe it, but my little girl has grown up and come into her own. Married—sort of—accomplished and taking care of business. I’m so proud of you.”

I swallowed back the lump in my throat and hugged her back. “You look beautiful, too, Mom. You always do. I want to apologize that I never acknowledged how smart you are and how you’ve accomplished so many important things through your charity work and social networks. You’re an incredible woman and a great role model. I’m sorry I’ve never let you know that.”

She threw back her head and laughed,reallylaughed, her eyes sparkling. “And you thought the only thing I ever passed down to you was my long legs.” She gave me a conspiratorial wink and lowered her voice. “So, now you know. But let’s keep it our little secret, okay?”

A bell chimed, and we all turned toward the front of the table, from where the sound had come. Lorenzo stood there, looking sharp in a tuxedo and white gloves.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s my sincere pleasure to welcome you to the final official gathering of your visit to Castrum Augustus. I hope that your time spent here was engaging, interesting, and, above all, fun.”

“It was the best,” Gio called out. “Grazie mille!”

“Hear, hear,” Dad said, raising his champagne flute. “The most fun I’ve had in years.”

Everyone called out their agreement, and Lorenzo tipped his head at us. “I’m grateful to hear that, and I know my benefactor, the owner of the castle and the mastermind behind all of the challenges, puzzles, and escape rooms contained here within, would agree with me. However, I will let him tell you that himself, as Mr. Zachetti has decided to join you for dinner this evening and will be making an appearance shortly.”

What?

My eyes widened as I turned toward Slash. The reclusive Dante Zachetti was making an appearance at our farewell dinner? How cool was that?

Slash raised an eyebrow back at me, seemingly calm, but I knew hehadto be intrigued to meet the man with whom he’d just matched wits.

A moment later, Brando Porizio, our gamemaster, walked into the room. Gone were the hippie tie-dyed shirts and wrinkled pants. Instead, he was dressed in a fitted tuxedo, his long gray hair slicked back and tucked behind his ears.

“Congratulations to all of you. You’ve reached the final moment of the challenges presented to you at Castrum Augustus,” he said. “You’ve done what no one before you ever has done before—solved every challenge so far. I eagerly await your answer to the final challenge. Who will provide me with the two names I require?”

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