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Chapter Thirty

Lexi Carmichael

When I got back to the room, Slash was already there. “We did it!” I said, jumping into his arms and nearly knocking him over onto the bed. “I survived the pool, although barely. What about you?”

He dropped me onto the bed and sat down next to me. “We successfully completed our challenge as well. Your parents were incredible. They played an integral role in solving our puzzles, and most were complex. I couldn’t have done it without them. I’m beyond impressed. After the challenge, your dad pulled me aside. He said I’d done a great job leading the team through the puzzle. He also apologized for insinuating I would hurt you. It all seemed quite genuine and not like your mother had forced him to say it. I was actually at a loss for words.”

“Even my mother couldn’t force my dad to say something if he didn’t want to. That’s great, Slash. Wonderful progress. And while we’re speaking about our parents, yours are totally the bomb. I mean it. Oscar found the first walkway, and your mom solved the one critical obstacle I couldn’t by telling me an old Aesop’s fable. Tito saved me from falling into the pool, and Stefan and Vittoria came through with solutions and answers when I needed them. They wereallinvaluable partners.”

He smiled, twirling a piece of my hair around his finger. “I can’t wait to hear all the details.”

“Likewise, but first I really need a shower to get the scent of chlorine off me.”

After the shower, I put on a simple dark-green dress that I’d bought online a couple of weeks ago. It was the first time I’d tried it on, so I hoped it fit okay. The length was right, just a little past my knees, which wasn’t always a given, since I’m tall. It had a modest slit along the right leg to give my legs some more mobility. The belt around the middle fit perfectly and highlighted my high waist. I put on a pair of low-heeled black pumps and the diamond studs Slash had given me. My brown hair hung loose around my shoulders, although I preferred it in a ponytail. Makeup was not my thing, but I swiped on some mascara, lipstick, and a little cream blush. That was as good as it was going to get.

After Slash got out of the shower, he dressed in navy slacks with a light-blue shirt and no tie. He looked and smelled amazing, as usual.

“We still have fifty minutes until dinner,” I said as he enfolded me in a hug. “What do you want to do?”

“Sit by the fire and drink wine,” he said. “And get caught up on all the details of your challenge.”

He placed his suit jacket over the back of one of the chairs in front of the fireplace. He added a few pieces of wood to the fire and lit it. “Let me go see what wine I can find for us. I’ll be right back.”

I sank into the chair, relaxing and watching the sparks dance on the wood. After a few minutes I heard a soft knock at the door. I opened it, expecting to see Slash with a bottle of wine, but instead, Mia and Alessa stood there, giggling and looking guilty.

“Lexi, have you thought about our offer?” Mia said.

I looked at them, wide-eyed. “Ah… I haven’t.”

At that moment, Slash appeared in the hallway holding a bottle of wine. “Hello, ladies. What’s up?”

Alessa smiled sweetly at him. “Hi, Slash. We’d like to borrow Lexi for a little girl time before dinner, but I can see we’re interrupting something.”

Slash shrugged. “The wine can wait. If Lexi wants to go with you, I’m fine with that.”

He probably thought he was encouraging family interaction. I wanted to correct him, but I couldn’t see a way to gracefully extract myself from the situation. So, girl time it was.

“Okay, but just for a few minutes,” I finally said. “I don’t want to be late for dinner.”

Slash smiled, stepping past me, giving me a pat on the shoulder. “Have fun,” he said before disappearing into the room. Ireallywished I could follow him.

“Come on, Lexi, we want to show you something,” Mia said, tugging on my arm.

I followed them down the hallway. They both wore long-sleeved mini dresses, Alessa in a red one and Mia in electric blue, both with ridiculously high heels. It looked like a dangerous combination to me, but they seemed unaware of the potential risk and walked on them like they were pros.

I followed them down the marble steps, holding onto the banister, and we exited the front of the castle. I had no idea what was happening. It was cool and I wished I had a sweater. The girls led me to the left of the castle, where a small oval courtyard had been tucked away. Several marble benches, flowers, and bushes surrounded a pretty fountain with flowing water and a three-foot statue of a woman.

“Do you know who that is?” Alessa said when we all arrived at the statue.

Dusk was falling, so the lights from the front barely reached the area, but I took a closer look. “It looks like the Virgin Mary.”

Mia pumped her fist and turned to Alessa. “See, I told you she’d recognize her. It’s all up the hill from here.”

“It’s downhill,” I corrected. “Mia, I know you’re trying to sound like an American teenager, but trust me, most teenagers don’t speak exclusively in slang phrases.” I looked to Alessa for some backup, but she’d averted her gaze and was, wisely, staying out of this.

Mia’s expression immediately fell, and I felt terrible for even mentioning it. “Are you being a wet bedspread about my attempts to improve my language skills, Lexi?”

“No. I’mnotbeing a wet bedspread… I mean, a wet blanket.” I tried to backtrack, realizing I’d hurt her feelings. “I think it’s great that you’re trying, Mia. Soon, you’ll be a pro.”