Page 140 of Thin Lines (Donati Bloodlines 2)

“Oh, Cal.”

“Do you know what that means?”

Emma reached out and snagged his wrist in her hand,holding tight. “No, but it’ll be okay.”

“It won’t.” Calisto shook his head, sucking in ashuddering breath. “It won’t be okay, because now he can come back and do whatI said he would. Stand in the shadows and watch me run his family. Take youfrom me. Kill me without even raising a finger. I didn’t want this, but I hadto protect you, right the wrongs that had been done to you; I needed to protectla famiglia, too.”

“It’s okay,” she repeated.

Emma didn’t know what else to say.

“It’s not, because now I’m in an even worse position.People will expect things from me—a wife, for one.”

Agony slipped through Emma’s veins.

“But—”

“That’s just how it is,” Calisto interjected softly.“And you weren’t mine to begin with, Emmy.”

Emma wrapped her midsection even tighter with her arm.“Can’t we do something?”

“Like what?”

“Run,” she offered. “Something, Cal.”

“What good would running do? We’ll always be running.We’ll never stop. I can’t keep pretending like this is going to go anywhere,because it won’t.” Calisto pulled out of her grasp and his hand slapped againstthe countertop, and his rage spilled out in an angry shout that hurt Emma fromthe inside out. “I am so fucked up now—you fucked me up, and I wantedit. I don’t know how to handle this, Emmy.”

“Calisto …” She reached for him again, but he justjerked away.

“I gave him everything he wanted,” Calisto said again.“But I did it for you, and now I don’t even get you.”

She wanted to tell him. The pregnancy news was righton the tip of her tongue. Calisto didn’t give her the chance. He pushed on pasther in the bathroom, and flew out into the hallway. Emma followed behind,confused and hurting even more.

“Cal, wait,” she whispered.

He threw a hand high. “I need to breathe, or to think.Something. Just … I’ll be back, Emmy.”

“Wait, please.”

Calisto didn’t wait.

Emma watched him go, and her heart cracked all overwith every step he took.

Emma

The Donati home was far too quiet come morning. Emmawalked the floors, the halls, and throughout the rooms, but it was empty and itrang a lonely song. The longer she waited, wondering why Calisto hadn’t comeback like he promised, the worse she felt.

She called his phone, but got no answer.

She texted him, and got the same thing.

Silence.

Nothing.

The cracks in her heart grew to cavernous fractures thatwere barely able to hold together.

Where was he?