by Jillian Dodd
Lorenzo, not deterred, slides next to me and kisses the side of my neck. “Juan is teasing. Your brother didn’t want that kind of party. We will be playing a round of golf, followed by feasting on an indulgent steak dinner, smoking cigars, and playing poker. There will be plenty of alcohol and many, many toasts in your brother’s honor. There will be just a small group of men—unfortunately, including your pal, Wesley Windsor.”
“Is it bad that I kind of like that he makes you feel jealous?”
“Not at all, my darling. I might have been conspiring with your stylist, the lovely Dr. Kate, as well as the wedding planner.”
“About what?”
“You have no clue as to what has been planned, do you?” he says with a laugh.
“Not at all. I didn’t even plan to attend.” I hold up my hand. “I know that sounds terrible of me. What I mean is, with the world descending on Montrovia today, it feels like the wrong time to leave.”
“I know,” he says, squeezing my hand, “but love must always prevail.”
“So, what’s the plan?” I ask once we’ve boarded the plane and my brother has fallen asleep, having previously mentioned needing a nap as prep for his big night.
“You’re having your hen party while we’re having the stag, but later in the evening, we will all meet up. I know your brother doesn’t like to be away from Allie for very long. They really are in love.” He smiles at me, pushing my hair back behind my ear. “I understand the feeling. I quite miss you when we are apart.”
“I miss you, too,” I tell him. “Let’s go into the bedroom and get more comfortable.”
“I’ve heard that line before.”
I hold up the small leather-bound ledger that goes with The Echelon ring. “We’re going to do some light reading.”
“Not exactly what I had in mind,” he says, sliding his hand down my hip.
“I know, but I think it could be important.”
We get comfortable on the bed, and then I open the book, skimming the first passage and quickly realizing it isn’t just a record of when the precious jewelry piece was worn.
“Lorenzo, this first part is written in the old language, and I think it might have been penned by Lorenzo the Magnificent himself!”
I translate quickly as I read it aloud to him.
“Having just survived an attempt on my life by an assassin sent from a nearby kingdom wanting to steal my province, I must fight back. But I shall not fight in the way my enemies might expect. For I do not seek power openly. I do not wish to expand my territory. I was given the most exquisite of lands, and it is all I need. From its majestic hillsides to its sparkling sea and natural harbor. My countrymen have allowed me to become their king, and while I thought to name the kingdom Arcadia, after the home of the god Pan, this attempt has changed my mind. For a land with a name of perfection might only entice others’ desire to conquer it.
“Unlike my brother who openly flaunts his wealth, I keep mine hidden from view. I plan to form quiet but strategic alliances—a society of like-minded men from nearby lands who will unknowingly serve as my network of spies. But staying in power will require much more than that. As I am writing this, I have in my possession ten pear-shaped emeralds cut from the same stone with identical steel-hardened gold overlays that will serve as the literal keys to my kingdom. The keys to Montrovia’s riches.
“To my descendants who might someday read this account and think I am not of sound mind, I urge you to continue to do the same. For tonight, I will be presenting these keys to nine men in the upper echelon of our world. Men who are like me. Men of honor who have their own treasures and, therefore, do not need mine. Men who have similar desires in regard to peace over war. And, most importantly, men who are willing to help discreetly guide history in our favor.
“Tonight, I will escort them to the secret room in which we shall meet …”
I pause, struggling to translate a word. I point it out to Lorenzo.
“I believe that means henceforth, or from now on,” he says.
I continue reading.
“In this room, there is a round table with ten chairs where all men will sit and have an equal say. It is here where they will witness the wealth I have hidden away. A treasure that will continue to grow, as will Montrovia.”
“So, we already know that Lorenzo the Magnificent, the first king of Montrovia, started a secret group with ten members and ten rings,” Lorenzo says. “But what is this treasure he is speaking of?”
“I would assume it’s your country’s reserves. The gold and holdings that your currency is based off,” I suggest, trying to make sense of it all.
Lorenzo nods. “Why, of course. Montrovia has one of the strongest economies in the world. But I don’t understand why he would have risked the livelihood of his country by giving nine men keys to it. What if they got greedy? It seems so risky.”
“We discussed previously that the castle has its own doomsday vault, similar to what The Society recommends. I assume the gold reserves are kept somewhere else.”
“Yes, in our version of your Fort Knox.”
“Have you ever seen it?” I ask, wondering if it’s still there or if it was stolen and buried under the TerraSphere. “Like, where is it kept?”
“The location is a secret, but, yes, I have been there. Just last month, actually. It’s part of my job as king to make sure the reserves stay safe. They are kept in the side of a mountain in our country and protected by a special branch of the Montrovian royal guard.”
“Can it be accessed with one of the rings?” I press.
Could he have no idea that Lorenzo the Magnificent’s great treasure still exists? It’s quite possible though, now that I think about it. Maybe there’s a reason why his father, King Giovanni, was never given an Echelon ring.
He scoffs, “No.” But then he seems to reconsider. “I certainly hope not.”
“Remember how, in your grandfather’s personal effects, he spoke of a group of men dedicated to the betterment of the world and a key needed to enter?”
“Do you think this is what he is referring to?” He pulls out his phone, scrolling through to find the photo he took and rereading it to me. “All who enter. Must bear the key. And keep it secret. For all eternity.”
“I believe your grandfather was referring to the same thing Lorenzo the Magnificent is speaking of in this book,” I say, it all coming together. “A treasure that, unlike your country’s reserves, would be kept a secret.”
“I suppose that would be true, but if my grandfather wrote of it, why would I know nothing of it?”
“Because someone moved it—stole it, really, while your grandfather was king.”
“What are you talking about? How would you even know that?” he asks.
“Because I’m pretty sure I saw Lorenzo the Magnificent’s treasure. Actually, that’s probably not accurate. I believe each ruler of your country has added to it since then. A Montrovian treasure which somehow became The Echelon’s treasure.”
“The Echelon?”
“That is the name of the group of ten that Lorenzo the Magnificent gave the rings to,” I explain. “The rings that have been passed down for generations. About twenty years ago, this treasure was moved from wherever it had been housed previously to Iraq during the war there. My father’s TerraSphere was built on top of it. And this treasure is unbelievable. Priceless. I’m not talking country-sized treasure. This is a world-treasure amount of gold. Rooms and more rooms stacked high with it as well as art, marble sculptures, and ancient scrolls. It is like taking the Louvre, the Vatican, the Smithsonian, and Versailles and then rolling them all into one.”
“But that makes no sense. Why would my grandfather have allowed it to be moved from our country?”
“I honestly don’t know the reasoning behind it. Maybe he was worried about keeping it safe, or maybe John Hillford threatened him. Hillford was a powerful senator and then became president of the United States. He was a bad choice for The Ec
helon, for he didn’t have the core values in regard to peace over war. And he certainly didn’t want to discreetly guide history. He wanted to control history in his own favor. Montrovia is a small country. Maybe your grandfather felt he had no choice. And, maybe that’s why he didn’t tell your dad about it. But then, six years ago, The Echelon approached Alessandro. The rest you know.”
“Are you telling me that a priceless Montrovian treasure, separate from our country’s gold reserves, is buried in Iraq, and I can access it with one of those rings?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
“But how did you even know it was there? That it existed? What aren’t you telling me?” Lorenzo says, getting worked up.
“You know the video game Battleground?”
He nods his head, trying to follow. “Yes.”
“The game was created to help train me. I played it for two years before they ever took it commercial.”
“What does that have to do with the matter at hand?”
“When I went to Omaha, I quit working for Black X. In order to get me some information they thought I needed to know, they created an update to the game that would allow one person to access a special key. They spread it all over social media, and Daniel and I played. To win the key, I had to relive my missions, killing in the manner I already had, which is something no one else could have figured out. My prize was one of the rings and a virtual trip to the TerraSphere, where I saw a video of when Ares Von Allister was first invited to join the group called The Echelon. And, when I was there, I accessed the vault with the ring. I believe that’s why we were attacked.”
“Why didn’t you tell me right away?”
“Because, until I read this, I didn’t know exactly where it’d all come from. At first, I thought it might have been stolen from Iraq during the war. I thought it was The Echelon’s. But, now, after reading what Lorenzo the Magnificent wrote, I know it’s yours. The Echelon was supposed to help ”
“I want to see it,” he says.
“We have bigger things to worry about. And this is important. You absolutely cannot breathe a word of this to anyone. No one must know yet.”
“Well, someone must already know in order to have put it in the game. And you said you played it with Daniel. Does that mean he knows, too? Does everyone know but me?”
“Daniel was disappointed in what the key did in the game. He had no idea it was real. But you are right; there is someone who does know—Black X.”
“But you don’t know who that is or if you can trust them.”
“I want to tell you the truth about that. But it’s big. And it’s something else that you mustn’t tell anyone.”
“I will take it to the grave,” he says seriously.
“I hope that won’t be necessary,” I reply. “The dog Chauncey had was mine, given to me by my uncle Sam and lost in the car bomb that I thought had killed my father.”
“Thought?”
“Yes. It turns out that Blake Cassleberry is alive. He was badly injured in the blast, has only recently recovered, and has the scars to prove it. In Iraq, I killed all the mercenaries but one. That man snuck up on me when I was shooting the two men who were going to kill Peter and Viktor. When the man threatened me, a dot appeared on his head, much like the one that caused me to push you into the sea when you were being shot at. I assumed the sniper was part of the team and had over-aimed when targeting me, so I instantly fell flat to the ground. The sniper’s shot killed the remaining man. I was scurrying for cover when the shooter stood up and gave me a two-fingered salute—something Blake used to do when telling me good-bye. I thought it was just a coincidence until I saw the dog.”
“Which caused you to fly back to DC.”
“Yes. I went where I did after the car bombing. To my uncle Sam’s place. It was where I was told to go most of my life if I were ever in trouble. I’m not sure why I didn’t think of it before. But Blake was there. As were two other people. The dean of Blackwood Academy. Not only was he my mother’s CIA handler, but he is also Ares Von Allister’s father.”
Lorenzo narrows his eyes. “That would make him—”
“My grandfather. My uncle Sam was there, too. And this is the part that is really a big deal. The man who I knew as my uncle Sam is really Ares Von Allister.”
“What? Are you saying your biological father is alive?”
“Yeah. I have been kicking myself for not figuring it out sooner. The Von Allister logo with the V sitting on top of the A literally forms a black X.”
I fill him in on everything else I’ve learned since I went to the loft.
“And he had no idea you had Dupree’s ring?”
“Correct. He just wanted me to know that the treasure was there. He didn’t want me to access it.”
Lorenzo pulls me into a hug. “I don’t possibly know how I will ever repay you for constantly risking your life for my country.”
“It’s not for your country,” I admit. “It’s because I care for you. And, as for repayment, promise that you will be extremely careful over the next few days. I want you to be alive after the Olympics are over.”
“I shall do my best,” he says, his lips grazing mine. “But that means you must promise the same. I have many plans for our future together. What do you think we should do about the treasure?”
“We speak of it to no one—absolutely no one. The only people who know of it who are not in The Echelon are you, me, and Ares. We need to keep it that way. If we take down The Echelon, we’ll bring it back home and figure out what to do with it, but for now, it’s safely hidden.”
“What if they decide to move it?”
“I don’t think they would, as it would attract attention. Hillford had to use the cover of war to do it.”
“Just how big is it? And what will we do with it?”
“What Lorenzo the Magnificent wanted. Make Montrovia your version of Arcadia.”
“Maybe I’m not capable of that. Maybe I am not fit to rule,” he says, shaking his head, overcome with the immense burden of dealing with this on top of everything else.
“It’s been said throughout time, Lorenzo. First, by Voltaire, who said, ‘With great power comes great responsibility.’ Later, Churchill agreed, saying that, ‘The price of greatness is responsibility.’ Don’t ever doubt yourself. You were born to rule and are passionate about your country and its people. You will make the right decisions when the time comes,” I tell him as we begin our descent into France.
After the way Allie spoke of her upbringing, I half-expected her family to be country bumpkins, showing up wearing overalls with hay stuck between their teeth, but I’m pleasantly surprised to meet her mother, a former beauty queen and local television anchor. She married her high school sweetheart, who is the local football legend as well as the owner of the biggest car dealership in the region. They are smart, well educated, and both very pretty people.
Allie has three sisters. Amelia, the youngest, is a high school junior, track standout, and cheerleader. Amanda, who will be starting college this fall on a soccer scholarship, looks like Allie’s twin, except that her naturally blonde hair is dyed a dark shade of chestnut. Then, there’s Amber, Allie’s older sister, who apparently pissed off her parents last year by getting pregnant, dropping out of college, and marrying the child’s father, Alex, who is supposedly the town’s bad boy. He and the family’s oldest son, Austin—who is twenty-four and slowly taking over the car business—appear to be partners in crime, and along with their father, Adam, they are quite disappointed to learn that French strippers won’t be at the stag party.
Their mother, Adrianna, mutters something about being boys while Lorenzo leans over and whispers, “Do you think Allie is marrying Ari because his name starts with the right letter?”
That causes me to laugh.
“Those two boys are trouble,” I say, watching Alex and Austin chugging down their second glass of champagne. “You can already tell the night’s going to end with
them sprawled out on the bathroom floor, next to the toilet.”
He grins at me. “One can only hope that will transpire early in the evening, so the rest of us won’t be subjected to their annoying chatter on inappropriate subjects.”
“They have sex on the brain.”
“And you and Isla Windsor are who their brains have landed on. I fear you are in danger.”
I laugh at that. “Isla is much too young for them.”
“Actually, she’s just turned eighteen.”
I glance over and notice she seems to be having a deep conversation with Viktor.
“Do they know each other?” I ask.
Lorenzo smiles. “Just met.”
I grin and happily clap my hands. “They would be so cute together!”
“We’re cuter,” he whispers.
“We must be careful, Lorenzo. Especially in front of people who are not used to being around royalty.”
“Did you happen to notice that your suite could be opened up to adjoin an adjacent one? There’s a reason for that, Lee,” he says, my name rolling off his tongue like silk and seduction.
“I hope the parties don’t last long,” I reply.
“I am starting to feel a little under the weather,” he says, gazing into my eyes.
I notice Alex staring at us, so I back away from Lorenzo and say loudly, “Your job is to keep my brother out of trouble tonight, Your Highness.”
As I’m making my way over to where most of the women are congregated, Wesley Windsor slaps my ass as I walk by, causing the Indiana boys to hoot. With lightning speed, I grab Wesley’s arm and spin him around, shoving his face toward the ground.
“Don’t ever do that again to any woman you’re not dating, understand me?”
“Uh, yeah. I was just playing around. We’re friends.”
I ease up on the arm hold. “Do you let your friends smack your sister’s backside?”
“Bloody hell. No.”
“You already know better then,” I say, fully releasing him.
