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“Whenever you’re ready.” His hand brushed down my hair. “Technically, I already feel as if our life together has begun.”

“I feel that way, too, Slash.” That warm swell of contentment filled me again. “I’m not going to lie. I’m still nervous about the wedding—whatever we decide to do—but I’m not scared about the marriage. After this, I know together we can handle anything that life throws at us.”

“Truer words have never been spoken.” He murmured something in Italian.

“What did you say?” I asked.

“I said you’re the only one for me. You always have been.” He stood again, pulling me to my feet, gently touching his forehead to mine. “And yet, why do I get the feeling you still want to tell me something?”

Wow. He did know me well. “Because I just made a decision. I know it’s going to sound crazy, but given the fact the most important moments of my life seem to be happening near the ocean, I want to honeymoon near it. Are you okay with that?”

He leaned back and searched my expression, as if he didn’t believe me. After a moment, he brushed my hair aside and whispered into my ear, “As long as you’re there,cara, I can’t think of a better place to be.”

Chapter Sixty-One

Cardinal Emilio Armando

The hour was late in Italy, but it was early evening in America when Emilio picked up the phone and made the call. The phone rang several times before it was answered.

“Hello?” a female voice answered.

“It’s Emilio,” he said in English. “You’ve seen the news, I presume?”

“I have.” She paused. “It brings back a lot of memories. I always knew he was a saint. Now it’s official.”

“Yes, it is. I also wanted you to let you know that Nicolo has been told Cristian is his father.”

There was a long silence. “I see. What does he know about me?”

“Not much. Only that you brought him to the church in San Mauro, and you couldn’t keep him. He also knows that, aside from the church, you were the greatest love of Cristian’s life. I told him the truth about his father without betraying my vows to you. He deserved to know.”

He was afraid she’d be angry, but instead she sighed. “Perhaps he did. He looks so much like Cristian, it takes my breath away.”

“It is a bit unnerving how alike they are. He’s even more like his father on the inside. Brilliant, complicated, fearless, compassionate and prone to feelings of guilt.”

“Yet he chose computers over the church,” she said. “That fascinates me. Perhaps there is more of me in him than I realized.”

“He chose both,” he corrected. “But unlike Cristian, he felt the greater opportunity for protecting others lay elsewhere. I am sure if he knew your role in facilitating that move, he would be grateful.”

The photo of Cristian on the wall above the candlelit shrine caught his eye. Although his friend’s face was serious, it seemed as though his eyes were smiling, benevolent and always watching. “Nicolo is his own man. A good man. He’s found the love of his life. His fiancée suits him well, and is an excellent match. They’re quite the couple when it comes to saving people. When you have a moment, check out the online newspaper in Salerno. You’ll enjoy seeing what he’s been up to in Italy.”

“I’m at my desk,” she said. “Give me a moment.”

While he waited for her connect with the local Salerno news, he heard another phone ring in the background before it was silenced. He wondered how her research was going, and reminded himself to ask, as the pope would expect a report.

“I found it,” she said. “He and his fiancée saved a crowd of paradegoers and children during a city-wide celebration of the saints? Oh, yes, he’s truly his father’s son.”

She fell quiet, presumably reading further. “They are calling them the Second Saviors of Salerno? Oh my God, the irony is indescribable. It’s like Cristian is up there in heaven, orchestrating this entire thing.”

“Yes, it would have pleased him greatly,” Emilio said. “And yet, Nicolo is your son, too. You’ve spent your entire life working to save millions of people in the poorest countries around the world. None of us should be surprised at Nicolo’s passion for helping others. Which reminds me, how has the project been progressing? The pope’s blessing and offer of assistance remains, if we can help.”

He heard a thump and wondered if she had closed her laptop. “The vested interests that stand to lose a lot of money if we are successful are actively raising new obstacles and objections,” she said. “But we are so close to being allowed to prove our claims. I’m deeply grateful for the church’s offer. We’re going to need all the advocates possible to counter the misleading fearmongering we will face. My biggest fear is our opposition will stoop to use any avenue to discredit our work or intentions. That surely includes trying to dig up dirt on the project leadership that they can spin and twist to sabotage decades of development. They are not being passive about it—it’s an active threat. Several of our staff have reported that they are under occasional surveillance and they suspect that their cars and homes have been quietly searched. I have security cameras all over the place here and at the research center, using multiple monitoring services. Our IT security team reports regular attempts to break into our digital data archives, we believe to either delete or corrupt our work or introduce erroneous test data. We are backing up our data daily and to separate locations, being as cautious as possible. It is quite unsettling to say the least. I change my email password almost daily these days and still am very careful of what I communicate electronically.”

“Be careful, we are praying for you. The world needs what you are developing.”

“Thank you, Emilio. I appreciate that. We are concerned, but very determined. The potential is too great.”

“I agree. There’s one more thing, you need to know, however. If Nicolo ever wants to find you, he will leave no stone unturned in doing it. He’s an extraordinarily gifted man, aided by an equally talented and courageous woman. Nothing will stop them.”