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Jacopo got the call from Julian Koenhein at about eight thirty at night when he was at his home residence.

“Your Eminence, he has been spotted at his grandmother’s house in Sperlonga along with his fiancée.”

He flicked the television to mute and sat up straighter on the couch. “Excellent. Do what needs to be done to get that sample. I do not want any excuses or failure this time. Take all precautions and make sure it comes directly from him this time. We can’t waste any more time trying to get it off a glass or a hairbrush. Do I make myself clear?”

“Perfectly. I’m putting together a foolproof plan as we speak.”

“Just get it done with extreme haste. I don’t know how much more time we have. The pope is looking more frail with every passing day. The future of the church is in our hands. We cannot fail.”

“I’ll take care of it, Your Eminence. I’ll contact you the moment we have anything.”

Jacopo hung up the phone, leaning back on the cushions and resting his feet on an ottoman. Everything was falling into place. The coalition had been formed and cemented, the pope’s health was rapidly declining, and his biggest threat was about to be neutralized. All he needed was that DNA to seal the deal. He had no doubt Slash was Armando’s son and he’d prove it with or without Slash’s permission. He wasn’t about to let anyone, especially a man as damaged as Viper, stand in the way of his crowning moment.

He was going to lead the Catholic Church into the new age.

Chapter Forty-Five

Lexi

When I woke in the morning, I felt something heavy on my stomach area. Light streamed in from the window; I’d forgotten to close the curtains. I blinked several times and reached down, feeling around until I picked up the object.

It was a potato.

I turned it over in my hand. A small, ordinary, brown potato.

“Why is there a potato in my bed?” I asked no one in particular.

When I sat up, I spotted Principessa in one corner of the bedroom, licking a paw and staring at me.

“Did you put a potato in my bed?” I wagged the potato at her. “Because that’s just weird.”

The cat tossed her tail and exited the room with a huffy glance at me.

Sighing, I set the potato on the dresser and got dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. I was going to cook in jeans, but I was out of sundresses, skirts and cool blouses. I needed to do laundry badly.

I was fastening my jeans, which seemed a bit tight, when Slash walked into the room. He pulled me into his arms and nuzzled my neck. “I missed you last night, but I fell asleep faster than I expected.”

“Me, too.” I looked down and noticed he’d replaced the larger bandages around his hand with slightly thinner ones. “How are your hands?”

“Better. Nonna had some smaller bandages that give me a bit better flexibility. Check your hands after you shower and see if these will work better for you, too.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out my engagement ring. “Then you’ll be able to wear this again.” He set it on the sewing table.

I took it from him, holding it between my fingers. “It seems odd to miss a piece of jewelry, but I do. Do you think we can also do laundry before we leave? I’m getting kind of desperate for clean clothing.”

“Si. Give me your clothes and I’ll get a load of our stuff started. While it’s washing, I’m going to go to the store for Nonna.” He glanced over at the dresser and then back at me. “Why do you have a potato in here?”

I picked up the potato and tossed it at him. He caught it one-handed. “I have no idea. It was on my stomach when I woke up. I think the cat dragged it in and put it there.”

“The cat put a potato on your stomach?”

I loved him, but right now I didn’t like the look on his face. “Yes, the cat. Who else would do it? Don’t look at me like that. There was no potato on the bed last night, and this morning a potato magically appears on my stomach. Then I see the cat over there in the corner watching me. You have no idea how devious she is. It’s like she’s stalking me or something.”

Slash raised an eyebrow. “The cat?”

“If you say ‘the cat’ in that tone one more time, I’m going to lose it.”

His lips twitched as he scooped Principessa up and scratched between her ears. The cat meowed and closed her eyes in ecstasy. “I will endeavor to make sure the animal-that-may-not-be-named stays out of your way.”

“I think she’s jealous.”