Fall For My Ex’s Mafia Dad
Chapter 168

Jail is...just as bad as Kent remembers it being. Except this time, he knows he's not getting out anytime soon. Whatever it is these guys have on him, it's bad - it has to be. They wouldn't have hunted him down at his damn urologist's office if it wasn't. Whatever it is, they have him now and they're not letting go. He is going down for something big.

"Lippert," the guard says, coming to his cell and giving him a smirk through the bars. "Visitor."

"I haven't even gotten my damn phone call yet," Kent snarls, frustrated. He's been asking for hours.

"After the visit," the guard says, uncaring. "You'll get your turn."

Kent gets to his feet as the guard opens the door. He follows all of the guard's instructions, not bothering to give him any grief- though he could cause him one hell of a lot of trouble with very little effort. Still. It won't get him anywhere.

Kent sighs subtly through his nose as he walks towards the interrogation cell instead of the visitation center.

So. It's that kind of visit, eh?

He clenches his jaw as he turns into the room and sees two surprising figures there. But he does his best to give no more reaction as he turns into the room and sits in the indicated chair, looking across the table at the Warden and at Ivan.

"That's it?" Ivan says, smirking as Kent stares blankly across the table at the man he thought was dead and the boy he thought was playing mob boss. "I was hoping for more of a reaction from that." Ivan's smirk deepens as he tilts his head to the side, looking Kent up and down in his orange uniform. "I guess I'll just have to settle for the reaction from your son and your girl. They, at least, were properly surprised."

Kent says nothing. He has nothing to say that's going to make any of this any better. But he certainly doesn't miss the fact that Ivan is dressed completely differently than he's ever been, in khaki pants and a blue button-down with his hair combed neatly to the side. So. The kid's a cop. Damn it, how did he miss that?

"Aren't pleased to see me?" The warden growls.

Kent is a stone. The warden sighs and stands up.

"Well, then I'll leave it to you, kid," he says, clapping Ivan on the shoulder. "No point in entertaining this any further if we're not going to get anything out of him."

"See you later, man," Ivan says as the Warden leaves the cell, not taking his eyes off of Kent.

When they're alone, Ivan leans forward further. "Seriously, nothing to say to me? Nothing to ask?"

Kent just blinks at him, bored.

"Not even going to ask me how the baby's doing?" Ivan whispers, leaning forward to grin, knowing just where to twist his knife.

Kent flinches at this, unable to help it. How the hell did this kid know about that? Kent narrows his eyes. Is it... is it because Ivan's the father? Is that how he fucking knows? Was Fay lying?

"There we go," Ivan murmurs, smiling truly now, pleased to have gotten a reaction.

Kent does his best to wipe his face clear of emotions, looking over towards the door. Frustrated at giving Ivan anything, Kent ignores him completely as Ivan peppers him with questions for the next few minutes, working hard to break in again. But Kent doesn't have a damn word to say; instead, his mind slowly turns over the thousand questions and possibilities in his mind, trying to find some way through, some kind of plan...

"Fine," Ivan snaps, and Kent turns his level gaze back to the kid.

Ivan's leaning back in his chair now, frustrated and tapping a pen on the desk, glaring at Kent who honestly hasn't heard a word he's said until now. "You're going to die in here, Lippert - that's the final line of it. We've got you on a slew of crimes - racketeering, international transport of weapons, extortion, and most importantly - six murders."

"Six?" Kent asks, raising an eyebrow. He's by no means innocent on this charge, but even for him, that number's high.

Ivan smiles now, pleased to have gotten a word out of him. "Six."

Slowly, Kent leans forward, staring at the boy. "Whose jobs are you pinning on me, Ivan? Your own?"

"Me?" Ivan says, pressing a hand to his chest innocently. "I've never killed anyone, Kent. I'm one of the good guys."

Kent just laughs and sits back in his chair, shaking his head. Whatever.

At least he knows, now, what's going on. The city's taking him down as an example - pinning some other boss's dirty work on him in an exchange for information. Damn it. He was going down for more than what he actually did, and someone else was getting wiped clean. Who the hell was it?

The kid's continuing to talk now, but Kent's mostly ignoring him, keeping half an ear open for anything interesting but focusing on turning over the possibilities in his head. The Russian connection, potentially, but the most obvious candidate here is - ironically - Alden. Shit, he's going to have to get in touch with the Bianci's if he can, let them know what-

But Kent's train of thought is interrupted, instantly, at the mention of her name.

He snaps his gaze back to Ivan.

"Thought that would work," Ivan says slowly, twisting the pen in his hands. "She's always been your soft spot."

Kent leans forward, letting Ivan know that he has his attention.

"I saw her, you know," Ivan says quietly. "Went to that little beach house you set her up in. She didn't seem too broken up about you."

A mix of emotions runs through Kent at the news - disgust at the idea of Ivan in the house that he bought Fay - relief that she's safe, away from the police (but of course she is - they've got nothing to hold her on, he made damn sure of that) - and then on top of it an incredible grief at the idea of her alone, pregnant, fucking furious at him for getting arrested now of all times -

"Actually, you know what, Kent?" Ivan says, his tone considering now, a change that makes Kent refocus on him. "That's a lie."

Kent frowns, not understanding.

Ivan smiles slowly, knowing he's got Kent's attention now. "I'm going to tell you the truth - which is that she was broken up about you." Kent's heart wrenches at the thought.

"She flipped at me - called me a traitor, told me she'd never trust me again in her life. But do you know why I can tell you this truth?"

Pride surges through Kent at the idea of Fay biting back at Ivan's, not collapsing to him, but rage starts to build in him. Because he knows where this is going.

"Because you're stuck in here," Ivan says, grinning victoriously, "for the rest of your f*****g life. And she's twenty-two, and she might stick by your side for a little bit, but she's going to get lonely after a while. And guess who's going to be there to help her through it?" Kent's fist clenches at his side as his jaw tightens.

"That's right," Ivan whispers, standing to lean across the table, taunting him. "When you're stuck in here, Lippert? I'm going to be out there, living with her in the beach house you bought her. And your kid is going to call me dad."

Ivan's been ahead on Kent on a lot of things, but one thing he underestimated?

The speed of Kent's left hook.

Kent's out of his chair before Ivan can anticipate it, his fist flying before the kid can blink, connecting solidly with his jaw in a blow that rattles Ivan's teeth.

Ivan stumbles back, moaning, his hand flying to his face -

But before Kent can take another step, the door slams open and the guards are on him, wrapping his arms behind his back.

Kent bares his teeth at the kid, who looks up at him in shock and rage, but he lets the guards do their work and doesn't fight them. Though he could have them flat on their asses in about ten seconds, if he wanted to. "Nice," Ivan says, giving him a bloody smile that's more bravado than pleasure. "Assault of a police officer. We'll add it to your list."

Kent forces his body to relax into a possession and cool he absolutely doesn't feel, turning away from the kid as if he doesn't matter.

But - as his reaction proved - Ivan got to him.

Because he's right, Kent thinks, hanging his head a little as the guards hold him tight, escorting him carefully back to his cell. He's got nothing but time to get her on his side. I've lost her for good.