Page 64 of Sins of the Son

The late afternoon train.

Without giving it a second thought, I raced across the piazza to the Cavalieri Porta Nuova train station.

I bolted up to the biglietteria counter and breathlessly asked for a ticket. I didn’t care where the train was going as long as it was leaving the village, and one particular Cavalieri, behind. The moment the man handed me the paper ticket through the window, I ran straight onto the train.

Navigating down the narrow aisles, I crossed over several cars until I got to the front carriages where the private compartments were. I slid open the last compartment door, grateful to see it was empty as I let the door close behind me. I fell onto the padded bench just as the train churned into motion.

I tossed my purse onto the seat beside me and bent in half, cupping my face in my hands. Before I could give in to tears, the train slowed.

Oh God.

It can’t be.

I sprang up from my seat and cautiously looked through the window, not daring to lower it and poke my head out. I could see only partially down the platform, but everything looked quiet and still. The train station had been mostly empty since, with the grape harvest over, most of the tourists had left.

After another minute, the train began moving at full speed.

I sat down and closed my eyes.

I was… broken.

I hugged my arms around my middle. Everything hurt. I just wanted to curl up into a tight ball and make all the pain go away. It wasn’t fair. I hated people who said that, but it was true. It wasn’t fucking fair. I didn’t ask for any of this. Why did he have to come after me? Why hurt me? What pleasure did he get from being so cruel?

Just when I was starting to believe…

My thoughts were interrupted by a shout inside the carriage and the slamming of a door.

Then the slamming of another door.

Then another.

And another.

Oh God.

I stood and spun in a circle.

Of course, there was no place to run. I was trapped inside of the small train compartment.

Another shout.

Another slamming door.

It was him.

It had to be.

Cesare was on the train.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!

The compartment door next to mine slid open, then slammed shut with a deafening bang.

There was a long pause.

Like a rabbit caught in a snare, I stood frozen in the center of the compartment, staring at the closed door… willing it not to open.

The metal door latch rattled….

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