My Life Of Evasion

20. I Now Pronounce You Fake Husband And Wife

Chapter 20

I Now Pronounce You Fake Husband And Wife

“How did you come by this again?” Dad asked, looking down at the invitation to the museum gala Max and I were going to.  All of us were in the sitting room area of our hotel room, though everyone else wasn’t dressed like Max and I were.  I was in one of Brielle’s silky gowns and Max in his tux.  Everyone else was dressed like they weren’t going anywhere.  That wasn’t the case, though.

“I decided to do my own research on where the second box was located since she did say it was in Italy.  And when I saw they had a gala going on tonight, I decided to go ahead and get two places since that’s all one person could get at a time.  And I knew that it was going to have to be me and Max, so I put us under fake names, just in case Vince Peters somehow got a hold of the information.  You know how he is now.  He seems to know our every move and the one we’ll make after that.”

“That’s for sure,” Brielle said as she fed Addy her bottle.  It was almost Addy’s bed time, so she was falling asleep with her bottle still in her mouth.  I smiled at her and brushed my hand over her dark head of hair. 

“And if we don’t leave now, we won’t get there in time,” Max said, standing up beside me.  He held out his hand and I automatically took it in mine as I stood.

“Let me go get my clutch and I’ll be right back,” I said, smiling at him slightly.

But when my back was to them and I was walking toward mine and Max’s room, my smile dropped and my nerves started building again. 

I made sure to get the scytale and put in in my clutch, just in case we needed it then. 

“Why are you taking that?  Expecting to find something at this gala?” Drew asked.  He and Ben were just walking into the bedroom, closing the door behind them. 

“Yes, actually,” I said, nodding as I sat down on the side of the bed. 

“Oh, really?” Ben asked.  “And what would that be?”

Did I want to tell them about what happened with Vince and his call?  He said that I couldn’t mention it to Max…but not about mentioning it to someone else.

“The next clue is in behind a small panel in the lid of the golden box.  I’m guessing it’s going to be the message that’s supposed to be wound around the scytale, so I’m going to bring it just in case.”

The two of them looked at me for a few long moments before looking at each other.

“Are you getting the feeling that she’s not telling all of us something like I am?” Drew asked Ben. 

He nodded as they both looked at me.  “That’s exactly what I’m getting,” he said.  “And are you going to tell us what’s going on?”

After a moment of leaving them in suspense, I nodded.  “And after I tell you guys what’s going on, do you think you can do me a favor tonight?”

“Mr. and Mrs. Banks?” a voice asked from behind me and Max.

The both of us turned to see a guy in a suit smiling at us.  Both of us were still getting used to the whole ‘Banks’ thing.  I mean, couldn’t Vince have put us under a more creative name?

“That’s us,” I said, smiling back.  “Is something the matter?”

He laughed, shaking his head.  “No, I’m Emilio Greco.  I understand that you are here to see the golden box as well as be at the gala?”