Page 109 of Thin Lines (Donati Bloodlines 2)

Arthur didn’t respond right away.

Then, the walkie-talkie beeped again before he said,“Fine.”

“Have the boss’s wife escorted out the back to herdriver’s car. Affonso had her driven here in a separate vehicle from him.Affonso can go out the front with his guards a little while after. Do not sendthem together, Arthur. I want it to look like they’re getting ready to call ita night and he’s sending his wife home. If this is something, I don’t want todraw attention the fact we’ve realized they’re here.”

“Got it,” Arthur replied.

A weight pressed down on Calisto’s shoulders as hediscarded the walkie-talkie to the desk. He sat down on the high-back computerchair, rubbing a hand over his mouth. His eyes never left the monitors aspeople began to move and messages were relayed right in front of him.

He still felt too far away.

Something was off here.

“Would they be so brazen?” his man asked.

Calisto shrugged his shoulders. “People who aredesperate for things they believe they want will do almost anything to get it.”

That could be what this was.

Had the Irish sent in men they didn’t mind losing? Acouple of upstarts looking to get in with their family by killing the rivalboss of another syndicate?

It was hard to say.

On the far monitor, Calisto caught the tail end of Emma’sgoodbye to her husband. Affonso kissed his wife’s hand, and then dropped itjust as quick, his attention already gone from her and onto someone else. Emmahad smiled her way through it, but as always, her eyes told the truth.

Disgust.

Hate.

It didn’t help the jealousy crawling all overCalisto’s back.

He felt slightly better when Carter—Emma’sdriver—escorted her across the club floor to take her out the back way to wherehis vehicle had been parked. Emma pulled on her thick wool trench coat as shewent.

On another screen, he took note of the fact thatneither of the two men who had entered together seemed to notice Emma wasleaving.

Then, Affonso walked out of the VIP in the middle of acircle of men.

Calisto smirked bitterly at the sight.

Protect the boss, always.

It was a rule.

Only then did Calisto see a change in the men they hadbeen watching. One pulled a phone from his pocket and glanced down at thescreen. The other, seemingly waiting for his friend, watched the circle of menleave the VIP.

The two men started walking toward one another.Affonso was moved to the front of the club. The men didn’t follow. It wasn’tlong at all before Affonso was out of the club, and the two men were chattingwith their heads close together in the swarm of people.

The music turned up. Strobe lights began to blink withsuch rapidness it fucked up Calisto’s focus. People swarmed the floor asanother wave of patrons were let in.

He lost sight of the men.

Fuck.

“Where did they go?” Calisto demanded.

He cursed under his breath over and over, knowing heshould have put in a call to the DJ downstairs for the lights to be set on aconstant brightness. That was his mistake.

It wasn’t like Calisto to make those kinds of errors,but he had been off his game for a long while. Ever since Emma came around. Hisconcern for her had made him overlook a basic thing.