Thin Lies (Donati Bloodlines #1) by Bethany-Kris Page B

watched like anyone else. He has standards that he’s expected to
keep just like anyone else.
    “I
don’t believe he would put his hands on you,” Calisto continued quieter. “Your
father was likely just trying to scare you into compliance by playing on a fear
that every woman has buried somewhere inside of them.”
    “But
he doesn’t actually need to hit me to hurt me,” Emma replied.
    Anyone
with any sense knew that.
    Calisto
nodded. “You’re right. And that’s what I meant. He can remove people from your
life, take away your things, shame you privately, or ignore you publically and
make you seem unworthy of your position at his side. Pride is a terrible thing
to have taken away. Sometimes, in this life where a woman is only valued for
her last name and position, her pride might be the one thing she has. The worst
kind of men know exactly how to rip it out of your heart without ever laying a
finger on you.”
    “Are
you warning me that Affonso is one of those men?”
    “I’m
saying that he’s good at hiding the monster he doesn’t want you to see.”
    Emma’s
shoulders tightened with tension. It was like a little knot in between the
blades that wouldn’t leave, no matter how hard she tried. With every reminder
pushed at her that her time as a free woman was quickly coming to a close, the
knot grew a little more.
    Just
like the heaviness in her stomach. Or the emptiness in her heart.
    Calisto
was still watching her closely, gauging her reactions and emotions. At that
point, Emma didn’t give a damn. She didn’t want to be somebody’s perfect
housewife and doll to play with when it was convenient.
    Why
did she have to pretend like she wanted that at all?
    “You
did hear what I said, didn’t you?” Calisto asked.
    Emma
swallowed her emotions down. “Yes.”
    “Practice
makes perfect. Work on it.”
    “That’s
easy for you to say. You’re not the one being forced into a future that you
don’t want.”
    Calisto’s
lips curved wickedly and his gaze narrowed, darkening his features. The
handsome ruggedness of his face sharpened into something far sexier in a blink.
Emma had to look away again, refusing to get caught up in a crush on a man she
couldn’t have, didn’t know, and wasn’t sure if she wanted to.
    Releasing
a short, clipped laugh, Calisto asked, “And how do you know that, Emmy?”
    “I
don’t.” She turned back to him, adding, “But I would think that you didn’t wake
up one day with your entire life turned on its side while every decision you
ever thought you made was nothing more than a lie that taunts you. Am I right?
Because that’s how I feel right now, Calisto. That is the hell I’m living with.
Pretending nothing is wrong might seem easy to do, but until you step into my
shoes, you have no idea how hard it really is.”
    His
jaw ticked, and his hand balled into a fist against the tabletop. Then, Calisto
grabbed his cup from the table and stood from the booth quickly. His rushed
movements and stiff back told Emma that she had struck a nerve.
    Something
…  
    What
had she said that pissed him off so much?
    “What
are you doing?” Emma asked.
    “Going
back to my table,” Calisto muttered. “Maybe you were right, Emma.”
    The
way he used her full name instead of her nickname felt wrong. It came out of
his mouth stilted and emotionless. Not like how he usually spoke.
    “Right
about what?”
    “You.
The overindulged mafia princess with her poor-little-me complex. Keep feeding
that, let it fester and grow. I’m sure in five years, that’ll be the one thing
still going strong inside of you when everything else is used up and gone.
Affonso will keep the silver spoon in your mouth, gagging you quiet. Don’t
worry about that.”
    Emma’s
heart clenched, but her mind screamed louder. Unlike earlier when his words had
hurt her by accident, this was not the same.
    Calisto
meant to hurt her.
    His
words had a purpose. He probably meant to distract her from his own secrets