Page 66 of Sins of the Son

My brow furrowed. Romolo? What the fuck did that asshole have to do with anything? “Baby, I don’t understand. Did that asshole insult you in some way today? Because we’ll go straight back to the office and tell him to fuck off. I won’t do business with anyone who insults you or makes you uncomfortable. You have to know that. You didn’t have to run off like this. You could have just come to me.”

She shook her head as she crossed her arms over her middle. “I’m not falling for it, Cesare. You know damn well I’m not talking about today.” Her voice rose as she flung her arm out and pointed back in the village's direction. “Don’t act like you don’t know he’s one of the pieces of shit who attacked me seven years ago.”

The incandescent rage I felt in that moment was so overwhelming, my vision blurred for a moment. There was a sharp pain between my shoulder blades as I jerked forward, intending to pull her into my arms, but I drew back at the last second at seeing the disgusted horror in her eyes. Feeling like a caged animal, I spun in a circle, flinging my head back and howling before I threw my right arm back and punched the train compartment door three times in succession. But the splintering of the wood and the pain in my hand did nothing to ease the crushing despair and fury I felt at her accusation.

Yesterday I had convinced myself that her trauma had only been caused by hateful words. I hadn't allowed myself to imagine it could have been something so horrific as a physical attack… one she thought I had played a part in.

Through a distant fog of wrath, I could hear Milana’s screams.

The door slid open, and a terrified rail worker faced me.

“Get out,” I raged.

The man ran off.

I slammed the broken door shut again and turned to Milana.

Tears were streaming down her cheeks. “Oh God, you really didn’t know?”

I fell to my knees before her and wrapped my arms around her hips. Overcome with relief that she was now realizing that I wasn’t capable of treating her with such sadistic cruelty, I was simultaneously almost paralyzed with guilt that I hadn't been there to protect her when she'd needed me most. Never again.

Her body collapsed, folding on top of me. I grabbed her tightly and, lifting her into my arms, sat on the bench and held her close. For several minutes, I just held her, rocking back and forth. I had to school myself not to squeeze her too tightly because, in that moment, I wanted to press her inside my chest, where she would forever be safe and protected.

I pressed my lips to the top of her head. My voice was hoarse as I spoke. “You need to tell me everything, baby.”

She whimpered and shook her head.

I stroked my palm against her temple and soothed her. “Shhh… I promise with every drop of blood in my body that I had absolutely nothing—nothing—to do with any attack on you. I know it’s hard. And I know this hurts, but I need to know what happened….”

She looked up at me.

Her beautiful eyes were filled with such pain, I wanted to howl with rage all over again.

“I should have come to you when it first happened, but I let my stupid pride get in the way, and I allowed them to convince me you were involved.”

I cupped her cheek. “You believe me now when I say I wasn’t involved?”

She nodded.

I let out the breath I'd been holding and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. “Thank you for that. Now I need you to tell me everything you remember about who was involved.”

She pulled away and got off my lap. “You once told me that the past was the past and I should move on. I realize now that you were right. Nothing good can come of dredging all of this up now. So let’s just let it go and move on.”

I wanted to pull her back into my embrace but resisted. I stood and faced her as I rubbed my hand over my face. Apparently, she didn’t understand how this was going to work moving forward. I lowered my brow and chose my next words carefully. “Milana, you can’t think that I’m going to allow these men to live?”

She blinked up at me. “You mean… not allow them to live in the village like how Barone chased away Amara’s stepfather and stepbrother, right?”

It would make things so much easier on multiple fronts to let her believe that lie, but there had already been enough doubt and miscommunication between us. I crossed my arms over my chest and stared down at her. “No. That’s not what I mean.”

She sucked in a shocked breath. “Cesare, look, they… hurt me… but they didn’t hurt me. You’re talking about cold-blooded murder.”

I placed a hand under her chin and lifted her head. “If I know la mia piccola gattina selvaggia, it is because you fought back, not for lack of trying on their part. The moment they laid a hand on you, they sealed their fate. And while they can thank God for a few extra years on this earth, the devil’s justice is coming. This is not up for discussion, babygirl. It’s very simple. They hurt you. And now they’re going to pay for it.”

She paced the small confines of the compartment. “You’re doing it again. Just taking control and coming up with a solution without bothering to ask my opinion.”

I ran a hand through my hair as I turned my back on her to quell my anger. I watched the bare hills and valleys of the Italian countryside race by through the narrow train window, devoid of its usual flares of emerald greens and warm golds as winter approached. The bleak vista reminded me of how my girl was forced to sleep with a window open, no matter the temperature outside, because she was too afraid of enclosed spaces, because of whatever those bastards had done.

No, non ci sarebbe pietà.

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