Thin Lines (Donati Bloodlines Book 2) by Bethany-Kris Read Free Book Online Page B

couldn’t hear any music. The downstairs section of the home was as quiet as
it ever was, but she was pretty sure that was on purpose. Affonso mentioned
once or twice that the home’s walls were doubly thick for business purposes.
    Emma didn’t question him more.
    She didn’t want to know why.
    Toward the back of the house, where the library and
Affonso’s private office was located, Emma began to hear the music. The sweet,
upbeat tune of the piano flooded the back hallway. Soon, she was leaning in the
library doorway, watching Michelle play the piano while Cynthia did a few steps
that Emma immediately recognized as ballet.
    She hadn’t known the girl danced.
    Calisto rested on the edge of the piano bench, smiling
in a way that Emma hadn’t seen from him before. It was sweet—affectionate,
even. Like he was so damn proud of the girls. Emma hadn’t ever seen Affonso
grace them with even a small fraction of that kind of love and attention.
Calisto wasn’t their father, and he gave them more than Affonso did.
    It was terribly sad.
    Once Michelle had finished her song, Emma cleared her
throat to gain their attention. She pretended like she didn’t notice Calisto
watching her under his lashes in that way of his that said he’d known she had
been standing there for a while.
    “Time to eat,” Emma said.
    “Great. I’m fucking starving,” Cynthia mumbled, making
a beeline for the door.
    “Watch your mouth,” Calisto barked. “Ladies don’t talk
like that.”
    Michelle snickered as she strolled past Emma like she
wasn’t even standing there. The girl didn’t pretend to like her. “Who said
anything about Cynthia being a fucking lady?”
    “Oh, my God,” Calisto grumbled.
    “They don’t talk like that in front of their father,”
Emma noted.
    Calisto’s eyes popped open, and a clearness replaced
his glassy-eyed look from the night before. He pushed off the bench to stand
with a learned grace that Emma appreciated. She just wish her body didn’t
appreciate it, too.
    “Better for them that they don’t,” Calisto said.
    “I see you sobered up.”
    “I’m still a little drunk.”
    “And you drove here this morning?” she asked,
disgusted.
    Calisto laughed deeply. “No, I have a driver. Worry
not, kitten.”
    Emma swallowed hard.
    Kitten .
    That was a new one.
    She liked it.
    In his mouth, she liked it a lot.
    “What brought you over here this morning, Cal?” she
asked. “One apology was enough.”
    “Business for Affonso, nothing more. It wasn’t about
you.”
    Emma hoped he was telling the truth.
    Without saying anything else, Calisto crossed the room
in long, smooth strides. He shoved his hands in his pockets as he passed her
by, not giving her a second look. Emma almost wished he would.
    Wary, she followed behind Calisto until they were in
the dining room and taking their seats. She filled her plate with different
foods, and watched Calisto approach his uncle out of the corner of her eye.
Calisto bent down, whispered something into Affonso’s ear, and waited.
    Affonso’s features blanked, but anger simmered in his
gaze. “What a mess.”
    “Yeah,” Calisto agreed vaguely.
    “Thank you for letting me know.”
    “I’ll handle it, zio .”
    “Actually,” Affonso drawled, passing Emma a look, “I
think I will handle it this time. I’ll take a trip down and see what they
left.”
    “I usually handle that for you,” Calisto said.
    “I know, but I want to. I’m bored. What else can I
say?”
    Emma didn’t know what her husband was up to, but she
didn’t like it a bit. Especially not when he looked at her again like he was
telling her to eat and stay quiet. She shoved a mouthful of pancake into her
mouth and chewed.
    “Tell you what,” Affonso said, smiling. “You take Emma
to her appointment today. I’ll give her enforcer the day off. He can come with
me and learn a bit. I’ll go downtown for you.”
    Calisto glanced at Emma, unreadable. “Appointment