by Gina LaManna
He shrugged. “I’ve always liked a show.”
“It wasn’t about the show,” I said. “You wouldn’t have put Alessandra through that if you didn’t have to.”
Beckett straightened and took a swig from his glass. “When I, uh, rearranged The Zebra’s money, I expected he’d come after me, throw a few threats on the wall, ask for it back.”
We all listened, watching as he lifted the glass again, but this time didn’t drink.
“But he didn’t. He handed me ten photos of Alessandra, all dated earlier that morning. Her place of employment, the name of her family and friends, the last time we’d been seen together.” Beckett shook his head, a forlorn expression creeping onto his face. “I’d thought he’d come after me. I never expected the man would be cruel enough, or intelligent enough, to go after the person I loved more than anything.”
Alessandra reached for his hand, squeezed. “You couldn’t have known.”
“I made a mistake, and I had to fix it,” Beckett said. “Sure, there might’ve been other ways, but if her life was at stake, I wasn’t waiting to fix it. The only surefire way to get him off my case was to...”
“Die,” I finished. “But even that didn’t stop him from searching for the money.”
“Apparently, The Zebra only had three million between him and bankruptcy,” he said. “He might’ve stolen from the wrong guy, but I poked a wounded animal with a stick, and he lashed out. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” I said. “We ended up with him in jail, and everyone is alive.”
“But Alessandra...” he paused, shook his head. “You. Look at your arm. And your eyebrows.”
“Don’t look at my eyebrows.” I shielded them with a hand, smiling underneath. “Even if you wanted to, you can’t, actually. They don’t exist.”
“I’m sorry for dragging so many innocents into this. Lacey, I’d had your name on me so they’d call you. I couldn’t...didn’t want Alessandra to see me like that. I trusted you’d help her, get her the news, and you did.”
“That paper led us to The Violet Society,” I said. “Eric was in on it?”
Beckett let out a wry smile. “Eric is one of my oldest friends. He owns the apartment and let me use it to stash the ring.”
“Why couldn’t you just give it to us?”
“I couldn’t risk The Zebra finding it first. Eric knew about it, and I told him to help should you go to him. But I also told him he had to keep the ruse going. If he let on that I wasn’t dead and The Zebra caught wind of it...”
“The whole thing would be ruined. I have one last question.”
“Anything.”
“Where in the world is Eric from?” I asked. “He speaks with a different accent every time he opens his mouth.”
Beckett leaned back in his chair and laughed. He didn’t answer the question, but it’s not as if I expected him to. The Violet Society kept their cards close to their chest, and we’d probably already seen too much.
“I truly am sorry for everything,” Beckett continued. “It all started with one wrong action, and everything snowballed. I never meant for anyone to get hurt.”
“All’s well that ends well,” I said, raising a glass. “Cheers. It got you married.”
We clinked glasses, and everyone sipped their beverages. There was still lots to think about, so many questions, but for now, we’d worked out enough of the logic to just sit and enjoy. The moment, the family, the love that’d been lost and found.
“Well, if this wasn’t just the most exciting day ever,” Nora said, bustling over. “Two sort of weddings, a criminal behind bars, and a man back from the dead.” She clapped enthusiastically. “I’d call for an encore, but I just might faint.”
“You’re not upset?” I asked. “I know you didn’t quite get the wedding you’d been hoping for.”
“Oh, honey,” she said with a shake of her head. “I’ve got more than I ever could’ve dreamed of having. Plus, I got in on the action. It’s been years since I got to give anyone a good knock on the head.”
“You were something else,” Beckett said. “Never seen anything like it.”
“Thanks.” Nora stood, flexing her muscles. “I’ve been working out.”
When she scattered back to find Carlos and show him her newfound muscles, I turned to Beckett and Alessandra as Meg and Clay joined the table, too. “So, what’s next for you guys?”
“My suitcase is packed,” Alessandra said with a shy smile. “And Beckett blows wherever the wind takes him. I think the wind is taking us somewhere warm and tropical for the next few weeks.”
I nodded approvingly. “Sounds like the perfect remedy. In fact, we’re doing the same thing.”
“Us too,” Meg said. “I booked a trip for me and Clay, mostly because I was so disappointed in the pre-honeymoon cruise. We’re doing a honeymoon, minus the wedding part.”
I frowned, looking at the group. “I’d ask where you all are going, but I’m not sure I want to know. Let’s keep it a surprise for now, and we can all compare notes after.”
“I agree,” Alessandra said. “Quiet and private.”
“Sounds good,” Meg said, throwing her arm around Clay. “We’ll try quiet and private, though I’m not very good at either of those things.”
“Great,” I said, leaning back into Anthony. “Well, then, we should be heading out. Sounds like everyone has a flight to catch tomorrow.”
A waiter scurried by then, and I flagged him down. “Would it be possible to get a doggy bag?”
“For?” he raised his eyebrows.
“The cakes.”
“Cakes? Plural?”
“Cakes. All of them.”
“Do you want one bag, or...”
“Yes, one package will be fine.”
“Ma’am, there are about...eight cakes left.”
I leaned in, narrowing my eyes. “I’m the bride, so you’re not allowed to judge me.”
“Okay, ma’am.”
“I want them all.”
“Right away,” he said, scurrying toward the kitchen.
“Jeesh,” Meg said. “This’ll be an interesting nine months.”
“I’m still off ice cream,” I said. “Things will get better when I’m not ice cream deprived anymore.”
Meg clucked sympathetically, then reached over and patted Anthony on the shoulder. “Good luck, my friend. You’re a good man.”
Anthony took me by the hand, squeezed, and tugged me away from the group. “I need to talk to you for a second.”
“Okay. Is this about the cakes? Because maybe I could donate one to a good cause—”
“No, Lacey. It’s about us.”
I followed him over to a quiet corner of the reception hall.
My heart pounded as I looked up at his face, a sheet of worry. “What about us?”
“Us. The three of us,” he said. “You mentioned earlier about getting out of the business, and...I’ve been thinking.”
“Oh, Anthony.” I collapsed into his arms. “Why didn’t you say that? My heart was racing. You don’t have to think about that now. Let’s talk about it later...not on our adopted wedding night.”
Anthony’s fingers ran through my hair. “I think you’re right.”
“Right?”
“I think we need to figure out another way for this to work. My connections to Carlos are too...” he hesitated. “They’re too—”
“Scary?”
“Scary,” he agreed. “And I can’t put you at risk anymore, and especially not our son or daughter.”
“We’re married. It’s my family, too. Our family. Please, don’t worry.” I lifted onto my tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. Soft music played in the background, and he spun me in a slow circle in our private little corner. “We’ll figure something out.”
He coughed, then cleared his throat.
“What’s wrong?” I frowned. “Something’s on your mind.”
“I’m not sure how to say this.”
/> “Just spit it out.”
He cleared his throat again. “I don’t know how to break up with Carlos.”
I hesitated, looking to see if he was serious. After watching him for a long minute, I realized it was a legitimate concern. “Anthony, I don’t expect you to break up with Carlos.”
“But—”
“We’ll figure out everything. For now, let’s focus on enjoying our honeymoon.”
“Our honeymoon.”
“We’ll figure out work, and family, and everything like that when we come back. For now, just picture you and me on a beach.” My hands pressed against Anthony’s chest, and I toyed with his shirt. “Alone. No family, no friends, no work, and no dead bodies.”
“Shh...” Anthony leaned in and cut off my words with a kiss. “Don’t jinx it.”
EPILOGUE
Sunlight dripped like liquid gold from the sky, washing everything with a bright, shimmery light. Warmth sizzled off the sand, the blue sky perfectly brilliant, clear and pristine.
Anthony carried two of our suitcases while I rested a hand on my head to hold my floppy hat in place. I’d always wanted a floppy hat. I looked horrible in hats, but that wasn’t stopping me this time.
I was on vacation, and if I wanted to wear a floppy hat, it was going to be obnoxiously big and...well, floppy.
“Watch it,” Anthony said, as I turned too fast and almost clipped him with the brim. “You almost cut my head off with that thing.”
“Can you believe it?” I pointed to the crystalline blue waters ahead of us. “Just you, me, and an honest to goodness cruise for the next three weeks. Islands, all of this gorgeous water, tons of food...what more could I want?!”
Anthony took one of my hands and led me onto the small, semi-private cruise ship that would only house a handful of other couples. We’d specifically picked this cruise because of its anonymity; I’d never even heard of the islands it stopped at, which sounded perfect to me. Quiet alone time together, just Anthony and myself and the beautiful Caribbean.
When we reached our luxury room, we tucked our suitcases away. Anthony hopped in the shower for a quick rinse while I unpacked a few of my things, first and foremost the Tupperware container full of snacks I’d brought.
“Lacey,” Anthony said a few minutes later. “Did you bring our wedding cake?”
I froze, the fork halfway to my mouth. “Only two of them.”
“Only two of them.” His gaze was mystified as he shook his head. “You know it’s all inclusive here? That means you can have whatever food you want—free of charge.”
“Oh, I’m aware.” I crossed my arms. “But what if they didn’t have cake? Specifically, wedding cake?”
“How about we go find out what they do have. Dinner should be served any second now, and I’m starved.”
“But wait. Do I have something on my face?” I reached a finger into the cake’s frosting and dusted it on my lips. “Can you help?”
Anthony perched on the edge of the bed and pushed the container of cake away. He leaned in, paused, waiting for me to close the gap. I inched closer. He did, too. I did again, until finally he caved, running his tongue gently over the frosting before concluding with a long, luxurious kiss.
“Delicious,” he murmured, opening his eyes after a few minutes.
“There’s more where that came from,” I said.
“Is that right?”
I reached behind him and grabbed the container and a fork. “Dig in.”
“That’s not what I was talking about.”
I felt my eyes widen and my heart race. “Oh. Right. Well, there’s more of that, too.”
“That’s what I wanted to hear.”
An hour later, I straightened my flowery sundress, and Anthony pulled on a shirt.
“Now, I’m hungry for dinner,” he said.
“I’m full, but I’ll go with you for the company.”
“If you hadn’t polished off the cake, maybe you’d have an appetite.”
I grabbed his hand. “Hush now. Don’t be silly—it’s illegal to waste cake.”
We made our way to the dining room, an intimate area lit by candles, dusted with translucent curtains over the windows, washed with elegant live music.
“It’s nice,” I said. “Just you and me. Alone. Nobody to bother us.”
“Lacey—”
“We should do this more often. I love my family and all, but—”
“Lacey.”
“What?” I glanced up at him, our hands swinging between us. “Don’t you agree?”
The look on his face, however, wasn’t one of complete and utter bliss like it should’ve been. It should’ve reflected the romance, the relaxation, the post-wedded excitement like the other couples on board, but instead, he looked ready to wring someone’s neck.
I followed his gaze over to the table in question. Then I blinked and did a double take. “Am I hallucinating?”
“I’m afraid not,” he said grimly. “What are they doing here?”
I stepped closer. There, at the table before us, sat Alessandra and Beckett next to Meg and Clay. Between them sat a robot. Bob. Even Bob had made the boat, and in Bob’s arms was a baby—or rather, our baby.
“Is Bob holding Arnold?” I hissed. “Our Arnold?”
“I thought you returned him to the school,” Anthony said. “How did Bob get ahold of him?”
“Why is Bob even here?” I asked, stomping to the table. “That’s the million-dollar question.”
“Lacey!” Meg opened her arms, eyes big with surprise. “What are you doing here?”
“What am I doing here?” I crossed my arms, thumbed at Anthony. “I’m here on a honeymoon cruise with my husband. What are you doing here?”
“Same thing,” Alessandra said, thumbing over to Beckett. Then she turned to Meg. “What are you doing here?”
“Well, my pre-honeymoon cruise with you was a dud, so I convinced Clay to go on a post-pre-honeymoon with me.”
“That makes no sense,” I said. “And why did you bring Bob?”
“Because he’s part of the family,” Clay said. “And he’s a single dad.”
“Arnold? Arnold doesn’t belong to us!”
“You tried to give him back to the school,” Clay said. “Lucky for Arnold, I found him and adopted him.”
“You stole the home-EC fake baby?” I shook my head. “Clay, you need a better hobby.”
The whole table fell into silence.
“Do you mind if we join you?” I asked. “I suppose it doesn’t make sense to sit at another table, even if we wanted romantic alone time.”
“Tell me about it,” Beckett said. “We didn’t plan it to happen this way. This was the only cruise leaving this morning. We nabbed it.”
I groaned. “I know. I looked everywhere.”
“I just got a fifty percent off coupon,” Meg said. “And that’s what landed us here. That and one of them bowling pins accidentally turned up in my trunk, and I didn’t want to save the cash.”
Anthony’s hand came down to rest on my shoulder where he squeezed—hard. “Perfect.”
“Perfect,” I echoed through gritted teeth.
“Well, look at this!” Another voice squealed from behind us. “Carlos, look! It’s the whole gang! Lacey, Anthony, Beckett, Alessandra, Meg, Clay, Bob, and...oh, Arnold made it. Baby Arnold, come to Grandma Nora.”
My grandmother cradled the ugly alien baby as Carlos looked up, caught sight of us, and froze. Then he turned on his heel and stomped away.
“Do you mind if I join you?” Nora asked, scooting into the seat next to Bob. “Carlos wanted quiet time, so he’s probably going to the room. Anyway, isn’t this great? I got a sixty percent off coupon and figured a little downtime was just what Carlos and I needed.”
“Dang,” Meg said. “I wish I got your coupon.”
“What a romantic honeymoon,” I mumbled. Then softer, I turned to Anthony. “Think we can change our tickets to Spain, or Egypt, or...anyw
here else?”
“Worth a shot,” he murmured back. “I’ll call after dinner.”
“Oh, how sweet is this. I’m just overjoyed,” Nora said, glancing around at the dinner table. “Look at us all here, honeymooning together.”
We all murmured in faux agreement as Nora cooed to baby Arnold.
“Do you think she’ll love Arnold more than our baby?” I whispered to Anthony.
“It’ll be close,” he said. “Too early to tell.”
“Don’t you all feel so lucky?” Nora grinned broadly. “We are just one big happy family.”
“Can’t get away,” Anthony said. “Never ever a moment away.”
“So much family,” Alessandra agreed. “All the family.”
I sighed. “One big happy family.”
THE END
Author’s Note
Thank you for reading book ten in the Lacey Luzzi series! What an incredibly fun ride it’s been for me to bring this series into the double digits. I owe it all to the readers and friends of the family! Thank you!
I hope you enjoyed the gang’s adventures this time around! Stay tuned for another book in the series—coming soon. To be notified when it releases, please sign up for my newsletter at www.ginalamanna.com.
Thank you for reading!
Love,
Gina
** **
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To all my readers, especially those of you who have stuck with me from the beginning.
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