Page 141 of Thin Lines (Donati Bloodlines 2)

Emma tried to distract herself with cooking breakfast—asthe cook had taken time off—but once the food was made, she had no desire toeat. She pushed the eggs around on her plate while Midnight napped in her lap.

Once she gave up on trying to fill her stomach, shetook Midnight out into the chilly April morning to let the puppy do hisbusiness. Not that it mattered. She had already cleaned the business heleft on the bedroom floor.

Still, the worry and loneliness grew. Even when shepulled out the poker chip Calisto had given her and held it tight in her palm.Even when she sat with Midnight at the piano and played a few keys.

She couldn’t get the feeling that something was wrongout of her heart. It had burrowed in to all the fissures there, grabbed tight,and refused to let go.

Emma stared at the phone for the majority of themorning, waiting for it to ring. She just needed something—anything. AllCalisto had to do was call her and say he wasn’t coming back, and she wouldunderstand.

The silence was a cold killer.

But there was nothing she could do.

Emma amused her pup, took her prenatal vitamin, andwatched the phone.

Nothing changed.

The front door slammed hard enough to rattle thepictures on the wall. Emma jumped off the couch, waking Midnight up in theprocess. She patted the pup on his fluffy little head, and left him where hewas to see who had entered her home.

She needed it to be Calisto.

It wasn’t.

Ray stormed down the hall, a wild look in his eye. Hisclothes were wrinkled. His hair looked like he’d been pulling on the strands.The man had never once entered the Donati home without knocking before, despitebeing Affonso’s underboss in la famiglia. It was a respect thing, and itshocked Emma to see Ray looking so disheveled and crazy.

The awful feeling welled in Emma’s gut again.

“What happened?” she asked.

Ray shoved past her, pushing her into the wall. Sheyelped her surprise on deaf ears; Ray continued without even looking at her.Emma’s back hit a painting, and it fell to the floor with a crash.

She pushed off the wall, and ran after him. Her heartraced, threatening to jump right out of her throat. She clenched her fists ather sides, her fingernails biting into the skin of her palm with enough forceto break the skin.

“Tell me what happened!” Emma shouted.

“Where is it?”

Emma stumbled in her walk, grabbing onto a hallwaytable for support. Ray turned on his heel just as he came to Affonso’s officeacross from the library.

“Tell me where it is!” he repeated, shouting for allhe was worth.

She blinked, her mouth opening.

Nothing came out.

What did he want?

“Why are you here?” she asked in a whisper.

“I need to know where it is, Emma,” Ray said instead.

Sickness rose in her stomach, threatening tooverspill. Tears welled in her eyes, blurring her vision. Another large cracksplintered across her heart.

Ray had no reason to be here, doing what he was.

Calisto would never allow it.

Affonso would never allow it.