Page 113 of Thin Lines (Donati Bloodlines 2)

Something was still wrong.

It was still off.

Affonso should have been there. It was his wife thathad been attacked, and probably because of something he had done. Calisto madeseveral calls to Ray, and other men his uncle was close to, wanting to knowwhere the Donati Don was.

No one had an answer.

Fucking coward.

“Cal.”

The quiet rasp from across the hall made Calisto’sgaze fly upwards. He’d allowed the man watching Emma’s room a break to go findsomething to eat and have a smoke. Calisto was left alone to watch his lover.

Pushing off the wall, Calisto entered Emma’s privatehospital room. He had turned off the lights after the first round of morphinekicked in and knocked her out. The darkness did nothing to hide the fear inEmma’s eyes or the tears falling down her cheeks.

“Cal,” she whispered again.

“Hey, sweetheart,” he murmured, sitting down besideher bed. Emma’s hands found his, and she sobbed. Tears slipped from herblackened eyes, down her bruised cheeks, and fell on her split lips. It killedCalisto to see her so marked up, hurt, and broken. “Shhh, Emmy. I got you. I’malways going to have you, huh?”

It wasn’t the first time she woke up over the courseof the night, crying and terrified.

Calisto didn’t blame her.

His guilt ate away another hole inside.

“Don’t go again,” she told him.

Calisto frowned. “I was just outside.”

“Don’t do it again, Calisto.”

“Okay. I’m right here, Emmy. I’m not going anywhere.”

Emma sucked in a deep breath, another broken cryfollowing right behind. “I don’t like when you’re not here and I can’t seeyou.”

He reached up and cupped her cheek, rolling his thumbover her bruises with a careful caress. Even marred like she was, her beautywas still clear to him.

Her marks would fade.

She would leave the hospital eventually.

And he wouldn’t be able to be with her then.

“I won’t go until I have to,” Calisto promised.

At least until he found the sorry fucker who had donethis to her.

God save that man’s soul.

Calisto had no mercy left to give.

Emma

Shoving her hands in her coat pockets, Emma was ableto hide their trembling. The sky was just beginning to darken, and that alonewas enough to send her into a panic attack. The only thing keeping it at baywas Calisto’s presence.

She was safe with him.

The dark still bothered her.