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He stiffened, but I knew he was too smart not to have considered it. “I have no idea. But until we can rule it out, we keep it on the table for my sake as well as Father Armando’s.” He glanced at me. “What was your impression of Father Armando, anyway? Did you like him?”

I leaned back against the seat. This was a delicate question and required a delicate answer. “You know I’m not the kind of person who gets warm, fuzzy feelings after meeting people only once, but the truth is, I did like him. I think he has a lot of regret for what happened to you. He wants to help, but instead he feels like he keeps hurting you. That’s got to be tough on both of you.”

Slash didn’t respond. Instead, he programmed the GPS, then slid his hand behind my seat, putting the car in Reverse. Apparently we wouldn’t be discussing the issue any further. I wondered if they could ever get past whatever Lazo had shoved between them.

I waited until we pulled out onto the road before I spoke again. “Slash, even if we find Manuel de Rosa, it could be a dead end, or he might not be willing to talk to us. There’s a chance he might not be alive. We could be chasing a ghost here. We may never find out who your father is.”

Slash’s eyes were hidden behind his sunglasses, but his mouth tightened. “I know. But ghost or not, we keep hunting.”

Chapter Thirty-Four

Lexi

“Don’t look.” Slash took his hand off the steering wheel to pat my knee.

“Closing my eyes doesn’t help,” I protested. “My imagination is worse than the road.”

“Then keep your eyes focused ahead. I promise to keep you safe, okay? We’ll get to Salerno in one piece.”

Slash drove carefully along the winding road barely large enough to fit two cars. He filled me in on the history of Salerno as we drove, perhaps to take my mind off the scary cliffs hugging the side of the route.

“How soon until we get there?” I looked to my right where there was no guard rail—just one long drop. I gulped and snapped my gaze back to the road in front of me.

“Not too much longer.”

True to his word, we safely made it to Salerno, but I wasn’t so sure about my stomach. As we entered the town, we were met with more banners picturing the saints stretched across buildings and streets. Souvenir stands were selling tea towels, keychains and mugs with their images, and posters of the two were plastered on buildings, street signs and houses. You couldn’t turn your head without seeing them.

“Wow.” I glanced around in surprise. “I had no idea how big a deal this sainthood thing is.”

“It’s a big deal, especially when one of the saints happens to be from your city.”

“Yes, of course, the Savior of Salerno. A hometown boy makes it big.”

“Exactly.”

We drove up a winding street until we reached a stunning white building built right into the cliffs.

“Holy cow,” I said. “That’s the hotel? The building inside the cliff? I’ve never seen anything like that.”

“It’s the HotelLa Lucertola. It has a stunning view, so I knew you’d appreciate it.” He smiled as he parked the car and cut the ignition. “And, in addition to the view, it’s only a two-minute walk to the beach.”

My step faltered. “The beach? But... I, ah, didn’t bring my bathing suit.”

He chuckled. “You can swim topless here,cara. Everyone does.”

“What?”

The chuckle turned into a full-throated laugh. “Mio Dio. Don’t look so worried. Unfortunately, we don’t currently have swimming on the agenda, although if you change your mind about the topless part, I could be persuaded.”

Still grinning at the horrified expression on my face, he grabbed my hand and tucked it into his elbow as we entered the hotel. I waited in a chair in the lobby with our bags while he registered us. He retrieved me once he had the keys.

“What name did you register us under?” I asked in a low voice.

“Mr. and Mrs. Allegretti.”

“Allegretti? What if someone speaks Italian to me?”

“You’re my American wife. No worries.”