Page 146 of Thin Lines (Donati Bloodlines 2)

Affonso scowled, still holding Midnight’s scruff as hedangled him over the kitchen floor. “This is not a dog. It is a rat with a lotof hair. A rat that shits on my floors and chews things, for that matter.”

Ouch.

“He does not, Affonso. Put him down. He’s just ababy.”

“Where did you get it, Emma?”

Emma chose not to lie. “Calisto gave him to me becauseI was lonely. He found him starving and frozen nearly to death behind his newclub.”

Midnight continued to bark and wiggle. Finally, thepup caught the side of Affonso’s thumb with his sharp baby teeth and bit downhard enough. Affonso dropped the dog with a curse. Midnight hit the floor witha yelp, and scuttled toward Emma.

She dropped down and picked Midnight up, glaring atAffonso. The pup calmed the moment he was in her arms.

Affonso lowered his gaze. “I didn’t mean to drop theugly thing. He bit me.”

“He’s just a little dog, and I like him.”

“Calisto brought him, you said?”

“Yes,” Emma replied quietly.

“I’ll let you keep him, but if he chews on my shoes, Iwill flush him down the toilet.”

Emma clenched her teeth, forcing herself not torespond.

“I was told Calisto looked after you while I wasgone,” Affonso said after a while.

“I guess.”

She wouldn’t say much else.

“Good, I hoped he would.”

“You could have let me know you were coming home,”Emma said.

Affonso cocked a brow. “This is my home, too. I didn’trealize I needed to make you aware of my comings and goings.”

“It would be nice, that’s all I’m saying. You up andleft without as much as a goodbye, Affonso.”

“I’m sure you didn’t mind, sweetheart,” he drawled,sneering.

Emma didn’t even bother to deny it.

Affonso stood, fixing his jacket and picking up afolder on the table.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Things,” Affonso said, offering nothing else.

“Are you going to the hospital?”

“In a little while.”

“Can I go?” she dared to ask.

Affonso spun slowly on his heel, eying her curiously.“Why do you want to?”

“Calisto is … a friend. I worried about him. I washoping to see how he was doing.”