Page 88 of Sins of the Son

I shifted my attention to her, studying her expression. “Yes. Do you know him?”

“I… I think… his name sounds familiar? Didn’t we go to school with him?”

Exchanging a glance with Enzo, I leaned forward and rested my forearms on the table. “Yes, we did.”

She picked up her spoon and furiously stirred her espresso again. “Why are you looking into him? Are you planning on doing business with him?”

My eyes narrowed. Something was off. “No. Turns out the bastard is responsible for hurting Milana.”

Renata laughed. The sound was cold and brittle. “You Cavalieri men and your old grudges. Who cares about something that happened ages ago when we were kids back in school?”

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. “I never said anything about it happening back in school.”

Before she could respond, we received word the helicopter was ready.

As I walked out with Enzo, we exchanged a dark look. His lips thinned as he stared straight ahead. “No need to say anything, brother. I heard it, too.”

Before stepping into the helicopter when we got to the west field, I leaned over and said, “I need another favor.”

“Name it.”

“I need you to contact the train conductor from yesterday.”

CHAPTER 31

MILANA

The moment the door swung open, I was enveloped in silk and perfume as Gabriella hugged me close.

“My darling girl! What has my boorish nephew done now?”

I fell into her arms, welcoming the soothing comfort.

She broke our embrace and cupped my shoulders as she stepped back, arms out straight. “Oh, my sweet Madonna! What is this abomination that you are wearing?”

My cheeks burned as she took in the oversized and wrinkled men’s shirt I'd tucked into the too-large pair of men’s pants that were bunched and cinched around my waist with Cesare’s heavy leather belt. That I'd had no choice but to accessorize with my pair of secondhand, nude Gucci heels.

Before I could respond, she waved her hand dismissively. “Never mind. Never mind.” She clapped her ring-clad hands. “Upstairs now! Go! Go! Third door on the right. I have had the staff prepare the guest room. Take a long, hot shower. I will lay out some proper clothes and then we will sit down and have a nice, long chat.”

Grateful for being spared having to explain that her nephew had torn my own outfit to shreds before fucking me sideways, and in my haste to escape him in the early morning hours I was forced to steal his clothes… and his car… and his phone…I obeyed her and climbed the elegant staircase to the second floor of her Rome townhouse.

When I took Cesare’s car and started driving, I'd had absolutely no idea where I was going. I knew I couldn’t return to the villa and Amara.

I needed time away to think.

He had broken through.

I hadn’t expected it.

Hadn’t planned for it.

It was traumatizing and more than a little alarming when the walls I had carefully built and maintained for years with blocks of hate, loathing, and regret had suddenly crumbled like loose sand.

I felt unprotected, weak… vulnerable.

So I ran.

I got onto the main road out of the village, which naturally headed to Rome.

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