Fall For My Ex’s Mafia Dad
Chapter 121

"I'm sorry, Fay," Alessi says again, leaning across to me and reaching out his hand to take mine, true sorrow on his face. "You are a lovely girl, I like you very much. I know this cannot be easy to hear, but it is...business." "I'm sorry," Daniel says, putting his hand out to stop Alessi's from reaching me. "What, precisely, are you trying to imply here by bringing Fay into it?"

Alessi blinks at Damoe; and then sits back in his chair, glaring at his nephew for being difficult when we all know precisely what he means. Alessi just doesn't want to say it aloud - that if my father is dead the marriage to me will, of course, no longer be worth anything at all, strategically. "This is ridiculous," Kent snaps next to me, ripping his hand out from beneath Natalia's, but Alessi and Daniel ignore him.

"Daniel," Alessi says, lifting a hand in a plea for Daniel to understand, "we love Fay - she is a wonderful girl. But we will find you a new bride - one who will be a true wife to you -"

"Truly, Daniel," Natalia says, looking at him with that simpering, motherly look I've come to hate. "It is clear that you and Fay are friends, but that you have no true intimacy between you," she says, not able to stop the little smirk that lifts the corner of her mouth. "We will find you a bride who really lights a fire in you and benefits the family -"

Kent suddenly stands up next to me in a rage, knocking over his chair as he throws his napkin viciously at the table before leaning close to Natalia, starting to hiss something cold and furious at her in fluent, fast Italian. I know, instinctually, that ordering Kent to break ties with Alden is bold move on their part, but doing it this way? Making a demand of him, in front of Daniel and me, without any discussion?

It's a checkmate.

And Kent, I know, will not respond well to that.

Before I make any move myself, though, Daniel gets to his feet as well, grabbing my left hand and pulling me with him.

"Fay," he says, obliging me to look up at him, though I can feel Alessi's eyes on us. He raises my left hand high so that it is poised between our faces, so that I can see my engagement ring - a Lippert ring - glittering there. "Do you want to end our engagement?" "N-no," I whisper, looking up at him, hoping it's the right answer.

"Good," he snaps, clenching his jaw and turning to stare hatefully at his uncle as Kent and Natalia begin to fight in earnest next to us, their Italian so blazingly fast that I don't know how they even understand each other.

Alessi stands as well now, calmly reaching out to Daniel as if in a plea for him to understand. But Daniel just shakes his head at him and starts from the room, pulling with me as he goes.

"Come on, Fay," he snarls. "We're out of here."

And I set my own jaw as I follow Daniel down the short set of stairs, never letting go of his hand and not looking behind me for a moment as we storm towards the front door.

Out front a light rain starts to fall as Daniel speaks briskly with the valet, asking him to hail a cab, which the valet does with quick efficiency. I don't say a word as the cab pulls up to the curb, my jaw clenched and my body starting to shake a little - I don't know with what, anger? Betrayal? Cold? Daniel - ever solicitous - slips off his jacket and sets it lightly around my shoulders.

I look up at Daniel with gratitude and see him looking down at me already, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Fay," he says as the cab pulls up, moving forward to open the door for me. "I can't believe that just happened - you know I'd never -"

"It's okay," I say, cutting him off as I climb into the car and move over so that Daniel can get in too, though I know the appropriate thing to do would be to let him close my door and move around to the other side to climb in himself. I don't care about what's appropriate, though - I just want to get out of here. Fast.

Daniel slides in with me and I lean against him as soon as he pulls the door shut, wanting his steady presence and his warmth. He wraps an arm around me as he gives the driver orders, though the address he tells him is certainly not home. "Where are we going?" I ask, looking up at him.

"For a drink," Daniel growls, glaring forward at nothing as the cab pulls away from the restaurant. "I need a drink."

I nod and settle against him, realizing that I very, very much want that as well right now.

A drink sounds absolutely f*****g perfect.

When we pull up to the address, I hesitate to follow when Daniel opens the door and steps out.

"Daniel," I say, looking around at the dirty, apparently abandoned alley. "Are you sure this is..."

"Just come on, Fay," he sighs, putting his forehead in his hand. I nod, trusting him and climbing out of the car as Daniel leans through the passenger window to hand the driver some cash. Then, once the driver pulls away again, Daniel walks to a steel door that's painted a rusty shade of red, banging on it twice.

To my shock, the door opens quickly to reveal a short woman dressed in her own tuxedo, a red carnation pinned to her apel.

"Ah, Mr. Green," she says, smiling up at him with a slow smirk. "Welcome back."

"Thank you," Daniel murmurs, walking swiftly past her and pulling me with him by the hand. We walk about five feet forward, passing through a velvet curtain, and then my head is instantly on swivel as I gasp and look around at the incredible room, realizing that we're in an elaborate, secret speakeasy.

"Ohhh!" I say, my face breaking into a happy smile as I take in the gorgeous mahogany bar on the left side of the room and the small, discreet booths that are built into the other three walls. And then I gasp when I look up to take in the gigantic crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling as well as a second row of balcony seating, where people mingle much more than the intimate pairs downstairs.

Daniel pulls me over to the bar, where two seats seem to be waiting for us. I'm still marveling as I slide into mine.

"Daniel," I breathe, taking in the velvet wallpaper, the intricate oil paintings on the wall that depict a variety of half-dressed people in salacious situations. "It's incredible here..."

He doesn't respond, though, and when I turn to figure out why I see the very handsome bartender coming towards us.

"Hello, Mr. Green," the bartender says, giving Daniel a slow and frankly intimate smile. "Welcome. What can we get for you tonight."

"Manhattan," Daniel replies, sharp, and then turns to me.

"And tequila," I say, unable to help smiling at him, the charm of this place temporarily overwhelming my shock and rage at Natalia and Alessi.

The bartender gives us a cute wink and heads away to get started on our drinks, and then Daniel turns to me.

"I'm so sorry, Fay," Daniel breathes, reaching out to run a hand down my arm, which I suddenly realize is still covered by his jacket. I slip the garment from my shoulders, tucking it over the back of my chair.

"It's not your fault, Daniel," I say, but he doesn't let me get any further.

"It never should have happened," he growls, looking away from me and staring into space in that same way his father does. "I could kill them."

"Well," I say, quirking my head to the side a bit. "You could kill them. Considering that's what they suggest you do to my father."

Daniel, shocked, just turns to me and stares.