Page 111 of Sins of the Son

She reached for the other oak door.

I screamed and raced for the exit.

The door slammed shut just as I reached it.

I heard the terrifying sound of the iron bolt sliding into place just as I pushed my shoulder against it. I pounded my fist on the door. “Renata! Renata! Open this door! Renata!”

I could barely hear her cackling laughter through the heavy oak as the sound of it receded down the hall.

I lifted both arms and pounded on the door, screaming for help until my lungs and throat were sore.

Using all my weight, I shoved against the doors with my shoulder, but they wouldn’t budge.

It was only then I noticed the cave had gotten darker.

Swallowing past the lump of fear in my throat, I slowly turned to face the interior of the cave.

I watched with horror as, one by one, the candles snuffed out, leaving me in almost absolute darkness.

I slid down to the dirty stone floor and curled into a ball as a wave of dizziness hit me.

I tried to call out for Cesare, but my chest was so tight I couldn’t pull in enough air.

My vision blurred.

I focused on the last remaining weak candle flame, forcing myself to remain conscious, praying that Cesare would return and find me in time.

Then the last flame flickered… and died.

CHAPTER 39

CESARE

My father wasn’t in the formal office. When I turned to ask the staff member where he was, he had disappeared, probably returning to his regular duties. Since I hadn’t recognized him and didn’t know his name to call him back, I moved further down the hall to the service kitchen and then through the doors and out to the veranda where I saw Vito, our winery foreman.

“Vito! Where is my father?”

Vito shrugged and gestured over his shoulder. “Probably in the warehouse. A shipment of bottles arrived and half of them are broken. Last I saw, he was helping the men sort through the mess to see what we could salvage.”

I frowned. “So there isn’t a client on site?”

He shook his head. “Not that I know of. Don Cavalieri cancelled all client meetings for the next few weeks. Said he didn’t want any strangers on the property.”

Fuck. That was right.

Milana.

Goddamn it.

Vito yelled after me, “What’s wrong?”

I shouted over my shoulder, “Raise the alarm!”

I could be overreacting, but I didn’t care. Feeling my heart pound in my chest, I raced through the twisting labyrinth of corridors until I reached the traditional wine cave corridor. From down the hall, I could see the oak doors were shut.

Dear fucking God.

I wrenched on the iron bar, pulled open the door and rushed inside the pitch-black cave.

---