CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHTY SEVEN – A BIZARRE KINSHIP

"Okay, here's a lighter question," Charlotte said, refilling their glasses. "Have you ever had a pet?" Lorenzo laughed. "A pet? In my line of work? Not exactly practical." Charlotte grinned. "Come on, not even as a kid?" Lorenzo's expression softened. "Well... there was this stray cat that used to hang around when I was young. I'd feed it scraps when I could." "Aww," Charlotte cooed. "Did you name it?" Lorenzo looked sheepish. "...Bandit." Charlotte burst out laughing. "Of course you did!" Lorenzo chuckled. "Hey, I was a kid with dreams, okay? What about you? Any pets in your fancy mansion?" Charlotte's smile turned wistful. "I had a horse, actually. His name was Thunderbolt." Lorenzo's eyes widened. "A horse? Wow, you really were living the high life." "He was beautiful," Charlotte said, lost in memory. "Jet black, with a white star on his forehead. I used to sneak out to the stables at night just to talk to him." "Talk to him?" Lorenzo asked, amused. Charlotte blushed. "H