Page 108 of Sins of the Son

Emotionally, it was a slightly different story, but unlike before, I had learned to give myself a little grace. Being pushed and almost dying from a fall down a flight of marble stairs was a scary thing, and I would not beat myself up over having a nightmare or two over it or getting a little twitchy when I thought about what could have happened. But unlike the last time, I wasn’t alone now.

I had Cesare to hold me tight and chase away the monsters.

I had Amara and Rosa and Gabriella and even Barone and Enzo and Alfonso and the rest of the staff at the villa to comfort and support me. Even the staff from the office, who I had been worried would no longer respect me or would think I was just a slutty gold digger, had sent over get-well notes and flowers, telling me how much I was missed and that they hoped I would return to the office soon.

Matteo was even risking Cesare’s wrath by slipping me email updates on all my projects.

Yesterday, I had sneaked away and called a few of my project managers who had been panicking from not being able to reach me. It felt good to be needed and to have such important responsibilities.

And tonight, Sal and his whole family were coming to the villa for dinner.

The strange feeling of impending doom that had twisted my stomach into knots was slowly easing.

I even hoped that by the end of this fine settimana, I could convince Cesare it was safe to return to the office for a few hours each day.

Life was good.

Life was getting back to normal.

“Come on. This is such an important part of your life. I want to see it.”

He pulled me into his embrace and cupped my jaw. “The old wine vats are in the caves. It will be dark and enclosed.”

I cocked my head to the side. “I’m not technically afraid of the dark or claustrophobic. It’s just sometimes, in certain situations, those things can trigger me. I’ll be fine, I promise. Besides, you’ll be with me. Come on, you promised at dinner last night to take me. The whole family heard! They are my witnesses.”

Although the Cavalieri winery had upgraded its facilities decades ago, they still made a very select, outrageously expensive batch of wines each year the traditional way, out of the original Cavalieri wine vats which were located inside caves carved out of the Apennine mountains. Since the villa was built on top of it, I had been down there before as a server during catering events. It was a maze of corridors and caves carved out by hand by the Etruscans who occupied the land before the Romans.

This select batch was personally supervised by the family and only a few trusted members of the staff.

I knew Cesare oversaw the property management portion of the family business out of necessity, but his first, true love was to the land and the vines. He truly loved the winemaking process and tending over this batch of wine each day was a special part of him, and I wanted to share it with him.

Cesare threw back his head and let out a dramatic sigh. “Fine, but the very first sign that you are the least bit agitated or stressed I’m pulling you out of there.”

I smirked.

He narrowed his eyes. “Try not to look so smug at getting your way.”

I shrugged. “I can’t help it.”

He playfully swatted my ass. “That’s okay. Your payment for the concession will come later.”

I gasped as I covered my butt and raced ahead of him down the corridor.

* * *

As we got closer to the main cave, the atmosphere took on the reverent solemnity of a monastery.

Two massive, arched oak doors with hammered wrought iron bars flanked the entrance.

The moment we entered the room, Cesare pulled out a lighter from his pocket and moved from one iron candelabra to another, lighting ivory pillar candles. “This isn’t just for light. It’s also a precaution. There is no real ventilation in the cave. During the fermentation process, carbon dioxide can build up quickly. So we use the candles as an early warning system. If the candles go out, there is not enough oxygen in the room.”

A frisson of fear raced up my spine as my gaze moved around the room, watching as the flickering candlelight cast eerie, dancing shadows onto the uneven surface of the rock walls.

Cesare crossed to me and placed his hands on my upper arms, staring down at me. “That’s it. We’re leaving.”

I shook my head. “No! No, I’m okay. Really. Please keep going. This is interesting.”

He stared at me a moment longer, then nodded. He continued lighting the rest of the candles until the room was ablaze with a warm, comforting glow.

---