Fall For My Ex’s Mafia Dad
Chapter 106

I open my mouth to say something - anything - but the girl on Ivan's arm is quicker than me. "Daniel," the young woman ways with a sweet smile, pretending she doesn't notice the tension and br you might unconsciously carry if you grew up American but lived in a Russian-speaking household all Daniel takes a deep breath and then shifts his gaze to the Russian girl, smoothing his expression with polite, familiar kiss on the cheek.

Mila laughs charmingly as Daniel kisses her, turning her face towards him as he pulls away so that the her sparkling silver dress. And as I survey her, I realize that she hasn't said a word to me, or looked at Daniel, perhaps realizing this as well, turns back to me and smiles. "Mila and I were friends in our tee "Oh, Daniel," Mila says, laughing and still ignoring me as she takes a step forward to grasp his hand. " "Oh, no, I couldn't -" Daniel replies, laughing, embarrassed.

"Please," she pouts and my mouth falls open a little bit at how bold she is. "It would be so rude of you Daniel, faced with insulting who I assume is the daughter of a Russian mob boss, shrugs and complies As Daniel steps away, Ivan smoothly steps into the vacant place next to me. He doesn't look at me, bu "Nicely done," I say, crossing my arms and looking up at him. "How much did that cost you?" "Fifty bucks," he replies, watching as Daniel and Mila take to the dance floor.

"Rich girl like that?" I ask, surprised, "took fifty dollars to dance with Daniel?"

"No," Ivan responds, turning to look down at me and shifting his weight to knock his shoulder against her to marry?" Ivan's eyes crinkle with humor as he looks down at me. "That was free."

"Cruel," I accuse, shaking my head at him a little but impressed despite myself. Ivan is, if anything, qui "Worth it," he says, slipping a hand out of his pocket and, unseen, dragging his fingers down the lengt return my calls."

"Oh, you called?" I reply, coy. "I'm sorry, I must have missed it."

"Lies," he whispers to me, but then he laughs a little. "I missed you, Fay."

And, damn it, but that old butterfly fleeing rises in my stomach.

And I have to admit to myself - I missed him too.

it as she takes a happy step forward towards Daniel. "Do you remember me?" Her voice has a slight Russian accent - not at all strong, but the sort of thing life.

"Of course I remember you, Mila," Daniel replies with a genteel smile. He tucks his temper fully away as he drops my arm and steps forward to give her a

lmost brush. I blink in surprise at this, and then look at her more closely, admiring the sheet of black hair that falls over her slim shoulders like a waterfall, ce. I rankle a bit at the insult.

tells me. "Our parents put us in dance class together." He grimaces a bit, laughing. "She was much better with me." nd dance a little with me, just for old time's sake -"

y me -"

ing forward to her. "I'll be back," he calls to me over his shoulder as she pulls him away, "just one dance!" t-got-the-cream expression tells me all I need to know.

Fifty bucks to the band leader to start playing the tango, which I know she can't resist. Playing on a lonely girl's teenage crush on the guy that her dad wants

at reading weaknesses before using them to move people around like pawns on his chess board.

spine until his hand comes to rest at the small of my back. "I'd have paid much more, after all, for the chance to chat with my best girl when she won't

"Come on," Ivan says, shifting that hand on my back to my elbow and tugging me with him as he heads behind the little rose arbor next to us.

"Ivan," I gasp, glancing around anxiously as he pulls me with him out of sight. "Stop! We can't go back here!"

"Sure we can," he replies, grinning back at me, a little danger dancing in his eyes. "No one saw - I made sure of it."

"Ivan," I growl, digging in my feet and trying to pull out of his grasp. "You're going to get me - and everyone - in big trouble!"

Ivan stops and turns to me, still smiling but shaking his head. "Would you just trust me for a second, Fay?" he asks, a little exasperated. "I organized all of this - I'm the one who got your dad to come here tonight, and the Russians. Do you seriously think I don't know how f****d we'd be if Lippert, or Alden, or anyone finds us sneaking away?"

His face drops now, becoming more serious - like it was that morning when we woke up, and he told me to run from the Lippert house. "I'm doing this for a reason, Fay!" Ivan insists, "I have to talk to you."

I hesitate, but then I nod, trusting him. As much as Ivan is a player in this game, I do - for some reason - trust that he has my best interests at heart. And maybe I'm a fool for believing him - maybe he's tricked me too - but I step forward, ready to follow. A genuine smile breaks out onto Ivan's face and I can't help the matching grin that crosses my own.

"Come on," he says, turning again and leading me down a narrow outer corridor towards a secret alcove. "I bussed tables here when I was a kid - there's a spot back here -"

Both curious and anxious, I follow Ivan to a little chef's garden growing on the roof, a door down to the kitchens in the far corner. It's lit by a couple of lanterns and there's an unlit fire pit out here as well as some mismatched seating and a couple of ashtrays, suggesting that staff come back here for their breaks. Honestly, it's cozy and charming.

"See?" Ivan says, sinking his hands into his pockets and giving me a shrug. "Told you."

"Ivan," I sigh, letting my shoulders slump a little and looking anxiously over my shoulder. "Seriously - what is it? They're going to notice that I'm missing."

"Come on, Fay," Ivan murmurs, taking a step closer to me. "Didn't you miss me? Just a little bit?"

"Ivan!" I protest, lifting both hands to give a little shove against his chest, too anxious now to entertain his flirtations. "Come on! You told me you needed to talk to me, so let's talk!"

"Fine," Ivan says, the teasing smile falling from his face to reveal genuine concern behind it. "Fay," he asks, taking a step closer to me, "why haven't you answered my calls? And more importantly, why are you still in that house? I wasn't lying when I said Kent's going down - you've got to get out of there, before you get wrapped up in it too!"

My stomach drops when I hear this. Honestly, I'd told Kent what Ivan had said, and Kent gave me every impression that he'd dismissed it as an idle threat designed to get me on Ivan's side. But hearing Ivan reiterate it - when he's taken the risk of pulling me from the party to reiterate it -

I have to admit, I'm anxious again.

But, I'm not willing to give into it just yet.

"What about the Bianci's," I ask, folding my arms and looking up at him. "Doesn't that change anything? That they've come to show their support?"

"Well," Ivan replies, looking closely at me, reading my every move and expression. "If they have come to show their support, then yeah. Maybe it does. So," he pauses, watching me like a hawk. "Did they?"

"Of course they did," I snarl, telling myself it's only half a lie because I don't know what they're thinking or if they're going to choose to support Kent, especially after Ivan's little play tonight.

Ivan takes a second to watch me, to study every muscle on my face. Then, his lips curve. "Liar," he says, laughing a little, making my scrunch my nose and mouth with frustration. But that just makes him laugh. "See?" Ivan says, putting a hand on my waist. "You don't know if they support Kent - which means they haven't decided. Thanks, Fay. That's helpful."

"Screw you, Ivan," I growl, putting my hands on his shoulders and shoving. "That's a dirty trick - telling me you have something to say to me and then trying to get me to confess things -"

My shoves do nothing though - Ivan just uses his grip on my waist to pull me closer.