Page 130 of Thin Lines (Donati Bloodlines 2)

“I appreciate the trust you’re handing over,” Connorsaid. “I assume you have men hiding outside.”

Calisto shook his head. “Not one. I fully intend forthis meeting between you and I to remain peaceful, and for it to end with bothof us walking out of here alive, happy, and amicable to making all of ourproblems go away.”

Connor’s mouth drew into a thin line. “Is that so?”

“Is that not what you want?”

“I didn’t say that, Calisto. I just find it hard tobelieve. It seems like every time I try to mingle business with the Italians,they’ve found a way to fuck me over right and proper. Or rather, your uncledid.”

Calisto cleared his throat. “I am not Affonso.”

“Good thing. I would have spilled your blood all overthis beautiful hardwood floor.”

“I’ve thought about doing the same a few times to theman,” Calisto admitted.

Connor laughed loudly, the sound bouncing off the walls.“I like you. An honest man is a hard man to find in this business.”

“There are more of us around than you think. Yousimply have to look.”

The Irish boss nodded. “Point taken. Shall we get downto the dirty details of it all?”

“Let’s do that,” Calisto agreed. “One of your men beatmy uncle’s wife nearly to death.”

“She was a mistake,” Connor said quickly. “I apologizefor that. My man was told to only take out the enforcer, and not to touch thewoman. He said she had seen his face, and made a decision. I didn’t approve ofit.”

Calisto’s throat tightened and his body heated withanger. “A mistake?”

“Yes.”

“Was your man properly punished for his mistake?”

Connor glanced down at his hands. “Not yet, Calisto.”

Jesus.

That pissed him off even more.

“I—”

The Irish boss held up a hand, stopping Calisto fromsaying anything else. “First, I would like to talk about why all of thishappened, Calisto, and then maybe you can understand how such a mistake couldcome about.”

“I doubt it,” Calisto bit out. “Nothing you will saycan justify the attack on Emma Donati. She was an innocent woman who had herface beaten by one of your men’s fists for no other reason than she walked outthe back door and the man she was forced to marry is someone who wronged you. Donot tell me that a scuffle over territory, or business gone badly, justifiesher beating. It doesn’t. It never will.”

“I agree,” Connor said quietly. “You’re surprising me.I assumed that at your age, you would be more hotheaded than you are. I can seeyou’re angry, but you’re still calm. It took me years to learn how to do that,and by then, I had been a boss for a decade or more.”

Calisto swallowed back his irritation. “I don’t wantto be the boss.”

“Yet, here you are.”

“Affonso didn’t give me a choice. He was tired of itall.”

Connor laughed darkly. “Seems the man has a thing forshaking his responsibilities.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“A little over a year ago, I was approached by youruncle with a business proposition,” the Irish boss murmured, never looking upfrom his hands.

“I wasn’t aware of that.”