Page 53 of Thin Lives

Calisto swallowed back the ache it caused, because shit, he didn’t even know what it meant.

How could he be attracted to Emma Donati?

She was married.

His uncle’s wife.

Pregnant.

It wasn’t right at all.

And yet, he found his gaze sliding back in her direction when he thought no one might watch him.

Oh, yes.

This was bad.

All of it.

Calisto went for his next best defense, knowing he needed space. “Someone needs to take Emma home.”

No one moved.

Wolf Puzza glanced at Calisto from his chair two seats away. “She’s the boss’s wife.”

Emma was watching Calisto now, too.

Calisto cleared his throat. “She needs to go home. Someone take her home.”

Calisto

The Donati home was dark and quiet when Calisto unlocked the front door and pushed it open. He wasn’t sure what he expected to find, but the darkness wasn’t it. Maybe he assumed he would find the house lit up, and Emma rushing to the door at the first sign of someone coming home with news about Affonso.

Oddly enough, Calisto felt stupid somewhere deep in his soul for even assuming so. It was like a part of him somehow knew that Emma Donati didn’t care for her husband as much as she let on when Affonso, or anyone else, was around to see the couple together. She had a part to play—she played it well.

But the woman didn’t offer very much else where her husband was concerned.

Shaking the feeling off, Calisto toed his shoes off, and hung his jacket in the coat closet. He took note of Emma’s shoes, her coat, and purse sitting in one big lump in the middle of the hallway floor just a few feet down from the front door. Like maybe she hadn’t even had the care or strength to put her things away.

Calisto understood, if that’s what she felt like. The day had been an emotional fucking hurricane all across the board. From the funeral, to the shooting. It seemed like the world was playing one huge joke on them all, and it didn’t look like it was about to let up any time soon.

So yeah, he didn’t pass judgment on the heap of belongings or the fact Emma had clearly just wanted to get the stuff off and hide away.

But he still needed to find her.

He had news.

And he had questions.

Calisto just wasn’t sure which one was more important right then.

What he did know, however, was that now was a good time to ask those questions. There was no one around to walk in on the conversation he needed to have with Emma. There was no reason for her to look over her shoulder like someone might jump out and punish her simply for talking to him.

She had no escape.

No excuses.

Not here.