Page 119 of Thin Lines (Donati Bloodlines 2)

Again.

“I still don’t understand what I heard between you two,”she said.

Calisto ran the tip of his thumbs over his lips,laughing low. She wanted to lean over the table and kiss his confusion andworry away. “Me, neither.”

“What did he do?”

“Something crazy, but it’s got little to do with youand everything to do with me,” Calisto explained.

“The bruises on my body say differently.”

Calisto frowned. “You were collateral damage. A maybesituation that he knew could happen. He had a goal that he wanted to meet, andthat was all about me.”

“Being the boss,” she finished for him.

That much she had understood.

“It’s what he wants,” Calisto said under his breath.

“But you don’t.”

Calisto shook his head. “No, because he wants it.”

“What do you want, Cal?” Emmy asked.

“I didn’t know for a long time.”

“But you do now?”

“Of course, I do. I’ve known for a while. I just can’thave it.”

Emma bit her bottom lip, knowing then what he wasalluding to. She still asked, “And what is that?”

“You, Emmy. I only want you.”

Emma found Calisto sitting at the piano. The cover wasturned down over the keys so that he couldn’t play, but he was staring at thelarge instrument like he wanted to.

She had listened for the last hour and a half asCalisto and Ray shouted at one another from inside the office. Ray showed up,demanding to know when they were going to make a move on the Irish and wantinginformation on Affonso’s whereabouts. Calisto finally had someone to take hisanger out on, it seemed.

Now, he was just quiet.

Emma ached for this man.

He was rarely sleeping, and when he did, he couldn’tsleep in a bed with her because someone might show up. People seemed to comeand go from the house all the time, wanting things from Calisto that he nevergave, before they left again.

He was torn in a million directions.

She wanted to bring him back again.

“Cal?”

Calisto’s swung around at Emma’s call, and offered hera tired smile. “I thought you were napping. You’re supposed to be resting,Emmy.”

“The yelling woke me up.”

Again, she held back from adding.

“Sorry about that, kitten,” he mumbled, rubbing a handover his face.