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A twinge of alarm ran through me. “Take him down...how?”

Slash typed some commands on the keyboard. “I’m not going to kill him, if that’s what you’re worried about. Although I will admit it crossed my mind more than once. I have a plan, one that came to me while we were in Sperlonga. But it means I need to get into his system, so a hack on the Vatican is in order. If something goes wrong, the pope will protect me.”

“Hacking into the Vatican,” I repeated. “I had this same discussion with Elvis a few days ago.” I sat on the edge of the bed, crossed my arms. “How are we going to hack in to the Vatican? Your experience building the system notwithstanding, you don’t happen to have a handy backdoor into the system, do you?”

“Unfortunately, I do not. It will take work and time, but with your help, we’ll do it.”

“I have no doubt about that, but can we discuss the elephant in the room first?”

He typed something and turned the chair around to face me, his keen eyes assessing me. “I’m listening.”

I shifted on my feet. “I don’t want to play devil’s advocate here, for a number of reasons, but what if you being here is exactly what the pope wanted all along? We assumed Lazo summoned you, and maybe he was the one who sent the note and the statue. But what role do you think the pope has in all of this? You’re a very powerful weapon, Slash, and he knows that. I want to make sureyouunderstand what you’re doing and why, even if you’ve been told what to do by the most powerful religious man in the world.”

His astonishment was genuine. “You’d challenge the pope on my behalf?”

Sometimes, I just didn’t get men. Okay, I pretty muchneverunderstood them. How could he be surprised? Of course, I’d challenge anyone who threatened him. I’m his fiancée, and it was logical that I’d stand up for the man I loved. That’s what I was doing in Italy in the first place.

“If I think he doesn’t have your best interests at heart, I would,” I said. “I’m sorry if that upset you.”

“Upset me?” He reached out and hauled me from the bed into his arms. “Could I possibly love you more?” He framed my face with his hands and gave me a long, lingering kiss. “God, how I adore you.”

I pulled back, studied him. “Don’t change the subject. It’s a serious question, Slash. Do you trust the pope?”

“I know it’s a serious question,cara.” He rubbed my jawline with his thumbs. “And it’s a fair one, too. I trust the pope implicitly. Not just because he’s my pope, but because I personally know him to be a man of honor and integrity. I can’t say the same about Cardinal Lazo.”

“I agree with that. So long as you’re sure about it.”

“I am.”

“Fine. Then what’s the plan?”

He dropped his hands, returned to the desk chair. “I’m going to hack into Lazo’s work computer. I need to know what he’s plotting against Father Armando and the pope. I’ve already been inside his private computer and had a look at his financials. He’s socked away money he shouldn’t, and he’s taking donations from questionable people, but it’s not enough to hang him. I need a smoking gun, for lack of a better analogy.”

“Getting into the Vatican network will take some time,” I reminded him. “We both know that from firsthand experience.”

“I know.” He stretched his arms over his head and rolled his neck. “Which is why we need to start as soon as possible. I’ll be lucky to get in within forty-eight hours. Seventy-two hours is probably a closer bet, and that’s with me having built and secured the Vatican network from the ground up.”

I considered for a moment. “You know, that actually gives me an idea. This past year I’ve learned over and over again that people are the weakest link in cybersecurity. How about we go at this in a two-pronged attack? You on the Vatican hack and me elsewhere. We can see who gets there first.”

Slash looked at me curiously. “You have my full attention,cara. What do you have in mind?”

Taking a deep breath, I told him.

Chapter Fifty-Two

Father Julian Koenhein

Julian Koenhein loved Rome. He loved his job. He had his calling to the priesthood at fourteen years old and had never looked back. As the second eldest of seven children, he came from a hard-working Catholic family. His life growing up in Germany revolved around the church from a young age, and he remembered well the catechism, church services, and was enthralled by the mystery and magic of the mass. Unlike most children, who couldn’t sit still or fidgeted during the service, he would have spent all day in church, fascinated by the stained glass windows, the breathtaking paintings on the walls, the cavernous ceilings and the smell of incense. He had always felt at home in the church—his safe harbor.

Thankfully, his parents didn’t stop him from pursuing his passion. He was an average student, not particularly good-looking, awkward and horribly nearsighted. His parents hadn’t been able to afford new glasses, so he’d inherited a beat-up pair from his older brother, Karl. Maybe he was a little too quiet, more of a follower than a leader, but he’d pursued his passion with a devoted single-mindedness. Hadn’t his fierce commitment to the church and his work behind the scenes gotten him transferred to the Vatican, his lifelong dream?

Then why did he feel like it was all going wrong?

He’d always been a good team player. He’d always done as he was asked, usually going above and beyond the required duties. He loved the church, but he wasn’t naive, and he knew violence was sometimes necessary to preserve peace and further the expansion of the church. There were, of course, the crusaders, but there was also the dark history of the Spanish Inquisition. Sometimes progress required sacrifice. For twenty-seven years he’d been unfailingly loyal to Lazo.

But now he wondered.

Deep in thought, he walked along the street to his small apartment, going through the small neighborhood park. He was admiring some of the colorful summer blooms when he collided with someone walking in the opposite direction. Books scattered everywhere and a young blonde woman fell backward onto her bottom.