Page 42 of Thin Lines (Donati Bloodlines 2)

“I …” She couldn’t form words.

Something felt off. It didn’t help that her vision wassuddenly swimming, too.

“You okay, Emmy?’ Calisto asked.

She held a hand out, wanting to reassure the faintquestions around her.

Somehow, Emma found her voice. “Where’s the bathroom?”

Affonso grumbled something low before saying, “Cal?”

“Yeah, I’ll take her.”

Emma blinked, her skin heating all over. Calisto’shand rested on her wrist, and his fingers held tight. Another deep pain slicedthrough her middle, taking her breath away. This time, the pain was familiar.It didn’t only hurt in her body, but in her heart, too. Her eyes stung withunshed tears—something was wrong.

She was too scared to say it out loud.

“This way, Emmy,” Calisto said.

Emma stared up at Calisto, finding him watching herwith wary, concerned eyes. She put her hand to the side of her eighteen-weekswell, feeling the tautness of her midsection under her palm. Her stomach washarder than it normally was. The sudden, sharp cramping made her heart drop tothe floor.

She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think.

It shouldn’t be happening.

She was past the danger-zone the doctor talked about.She was young, and healthy. Everything had seemed fine.

Her body wouldn’t do this to her again, right?

“Emma?”

Emma opened her mouth to say something, but only aquiet sob escaped. They were far enough from the table, and already walkingdown a hallway toward lit signs showcasing bathrooms for both genders.

It didn’t matter, she knew.

Whatever was happening … it was already too late.

Emma

Closing the bathroom stall door behind her, Emma hikedup the skirt of her dress and sat down on the toilet. In just a couple of quickminutes, the harmless ache had turned into long, familiar cramps that wrappedher midsection with each one.

She pulled her panties down to her knees, and froze.Bright red spots had soaked her white underwear. A trickle of blood began tomake a pathway down her inner thigh.

Emma’s first reaction was to freeze, but her heartclenched and her lungs stopped working at the same fucking time.

It was happening again.

Her body was failing.

The baby …

A sob caught in her throat, hard and loud. She struckout with her hand, hitting the metal bathroom stall with a bang. It didn’t helpthe anger that was suddenly swirling in her blood.

She ate right. She never touched a drink, or smoked.She stayed away from Affonso when he puffed on those awful cigars. Sheexercised, took her vitamins, and got more than enough rest.

Emma was healthy.

Why was this happening?