Page 65 of Sins of the Son

CHAPTER 22

CESARE

My hand shook as I reached for the door of the final compartment. If she wasn’t behind this door, I was going to lose my fucking mind.

I knew something was off when I saw her body language as she interacted with Luigi, but I had stupidly assumed the damn fool had ignored my order to not mention our engagement and upset her.

It wasn’t until a visibly nervous Liliana had interrupted my meeting with Romolo that I knew something was truly wrong. It was obvious I intimidated Liliana, especially with her being a new employee. She could barely get the words out. Her teeth were chattering badly, but she was too concerned for Milana to not approach me. Brave girl.

I had raced over to the conference room window in time to see Milana standing in the middle of the piazza, looking pale and terrified. It was only the sound of the train whistle and the sharp turn of her head that had clued me in to her probable destination.

She was running.

By the time I reached the platform, the train was accelerating to reach full speed as it pulled out. Thankfully, being an arrogant Cavalieri heir with the power to have a man killed with no questions asked had its privileges. The train was slowed down enough for me to run alongside and jump on.

I had now searched every fucking compartment on the train except this one.

If she wasn’t in this one, I had guessed wrong and wasted precious time in stopping her escape from me.

I forced the door open.

I threw my head back and sucked air into my lungs before blowing it out in a fierce growl as I viewed Milana standing frozen in the center of the compartment.

Rage and relief raced in equal measure through the adrenaline-elevated blood pumping through my veins.

I slammed the door shut behind me.

Neither of us said a word.

The only sound was our mingled, harsh breathing.

Mine from anger.

Hers from fear and panic.

I had ripped off my suit jacket in my pursuit of her. Now I pulled at my tie, which was like a noose around my neck. I yanked the silk length free, holding it between my hands and wrapping the narrow end slowly around my right fist. “Start talking.”

Milana’s gaze fixated on my silk tie. “I don’t owe you an explanation.”

“The fuck you don’t, Milana. I thought we had finally gotten past this bullshit.”

She swiped at her cheeks. “You mean you thought you finally had me fooled? Again.”

I realized with a start she had been crying. Alarmed, I stepped forward, reaching for her.

She stumbled backward, one fist raised in defense. Her eyes were wide and wary.

My chest tightened. Every nerve in my body seemed to go on high alert as the thump of my heart beating a manic cadence in my ears matched the whir and spin of the metal train wheels on the track. This wasn’t one of our usual fights, where the give and take was rife with a sexual tension that I knew secretly thrilled and challenged us both.

This is different.

Dangerous.

I switched tactics.

Lowering and softening my voice, as if calming a startled bird, I said, “Babygirl, you need to tell me what happened—right now.”

She sniffed as she jutted out her chin. “Why don’t you ask your good friend Romolo what happened?”

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