Page 85 of Thin Lines (Donati Bloodlines 2)

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “Your guilt again.”

“Duty, Emma.”

“That, too. What about Richard?” she asked.

“I grew up being told he was my father. When the restof this came out, my mother told me that Richard never questioned her on thepaternity of the pregnancy. He was happy—she was ashamed of what had happened.She was scared, but she thought it would be okay with him.”

Emma’s teeth clenched. “Affonso was jealous.”

“He’s always jealous. Even when something doesn’tbelong to him.”

“It wasn’t a motorcycle accident that killed Richard,was it?”

“It was,” Calisto said, shrugging. “But my motherinsisted that Richard would have come home alive, had Affonso not gone out withhim. I only know what he’s told me.”

“I get it,” she said.

Knowing better, but unable to help himself, Calistokissed her forehead. She shuddered in his arms, but pressed her body evencloser to his.

They were playing with fire like this.

It would always be like that.

“I’ll stay, Emmy,” he said.

“I knew you would. You can’t say no to me.”

“Does it scare you?”

“A little,” she said. “You might not always stay whenI ask you to.”

Calisto doubted it.

Calisto wasn’t sure he had ever seen Affonso as drunkas he currently was. The man had always enjoyed his bourbon before bed, hiswine at dinner, and a cold beer whenever the urge stuck, but he was blastedtonight.

It was a strange feeling to put Affonso to bed while theThanksgiving party was starting to wind down and people were taking theirleave.

Affonso tossed and turned in his drunken stupor,mumbling incoherently and going on. His eyes were shut, and he was sleeping,but he still went on and on.

How did Emma put up with this nonsense?

Calisto wondered if Affonso’s recent drinking was aresult of the pressure he felt. The man needed an heir—Calisto constantlyrefused. It could almost be seen as a failure on Affonso’s part if he wasforced to give up his Cosa Nostra to someone who didn’t share his last name.

Pity was a worthless emotion. Calisto felt none forAffonso. The man had done this to himself.

For now, Calisto planned on keeping an eye on Affonso.The man had plans to move Calisto up in the rankings of Cosa Nostra. A boss hadto step down first to make another boss.

Affonso wasn’t ready to step down.

Still, Calisto didn’t trust him.

Turning off the lamp on the bedside table, Calistoeased out of the bedroom with a stealth that was a learned trait of any man inthe mafia business. Being able to come and go without being seen or heard was avirtue.

He sure as hell didn’t want Affonso waking up. Affonsowas far more irritating when he was drunk.

Calisto closed the door with barely a click to beheard and let out a sigh. He didn’t want to be the one left tending to Affonso,but it was shameful for the boss of the Donati famiglia to be seen actinglike a drunken fool.

It was unacceptable.