Fall For My Ex’s Mafia Dad
Chapter 204

Thompson smirks at Kent, not letting him off that easy. "How can you do that?" he asks. "She's already married."

A muscle flicks in Kent's jaw. "They'll get divorced. We'll have the paperwork drawn up immediately."

"I'm not sure any court in America is going to process their divorce right now," Thompson says, laughing and looking out over the water. "Considering you three are probably America's Most Wanted." Kent grits his teeth, realizing that this is probably correct.

"Besides," Thompson says, sighing contemplatively. "I'm not sure that's part of their plans."

"It isn't?" Kent asks, confused. Because, with him out, why would they...

"They got married for more than just fun," Thompson says quietly, "and to make the baby legitimate. They made those nasty Italians come over, did a paternity test for them and everything." Kent's eyebrows go up, but then he raises a hand to the back of his head, remembering the little patch of hair...

He frowns, confused and hating that he doesn't know what the hell is going on here.

"So, I guess you'd better ask Fay," Thompson continues, turning back to look Kent up and down. "She might have her own opinions about whether or not you two should get hitched, and I'm sure it has nothing to do with my blessing."

"Still," Kent pushes, wanting it. Because despite his line of work and the hundreds of laws he's broken in his life, there are some traditions that matter to him. "I'd like to have it."

Slowly, Thompson shakes his head, looking at Kent with a sternness that is unnatural on his kind face. But still, in the man's eyes Kent reads a grief and protectiveness for his daughter that makes him...envious.

And suddenly, quite suddenly, Kent desperately hopes that the baby is a girl.

Thompson sighs, and with effort, Kent pulls his attention back to him, even as the hope takes firm root in his chest.

"I don't want this life for her, Kent," Thompson says quietly. "This was...she pushed through these months, planning this, putting it all in order, worrying about you, doing what she did but this? For the rest of her life?" he shakes his head. "I know my girl, Kent, and she is strong but before long, this life of yours will break her."

Guilt and grief sweeps through Kent in a wave. He locks his muscles against it, not willing to give in. "What did she do?" he whispers, shaking his head. "Everyone alludes to it, but no one will tell me."

"Well," Thompson says, giving a deep sigh and looking down at the ground. "I won't either. That's her story to tell."

They're quiet for a long moment, Thompson turning to look out over the sea, and Kent studying this man who loves Fay as much as he does.

"This ends," Kent says quietly, and Thompson turns back to look him in the eye, "as soon as I can end it. I swear it. It will be done before the baby is born, and then we'll have peace. For good."

"You swear?" Thompson asks, his voice low and thick.

"On everything that matters," Kent says, his own voice rough. "I swear."

"Well then," Thompson says, wiping discreetly at his eyes before lifting his hand between them. "I guess you've got my blessing then."

Kent clasps Thompson's hand and shakes it, nodding once.

But Thompson doesn't let go, instead stepping closer and looking up into Kent's face. "You'd better try a little bit harder to deserver her, Kent Lippert," he says quietly. "Because you may have fooled her a bit with your money and your good looks - but we both know that you've got a ways to go."

Rueful, Kent laughs and nods. "We agree on that. And I will - I promise I will."

And then, to his surprise, Thompson closes the distance, wrapping him in a tight hug and patting him hard on the back twice before letting him go and turning back towards the door.

"Come on, boy," he calls, laughing a little and pulling the door open as he nods inside. "I'm sure she's waiting for you. Go on and find her."

Kent moves swiftly through the door into the ship, not looking back. His eyes do flick, just once, down the hall towards the room where they ate dinner - where he knows his son is still sitting, enjoying his evening. Part of him hesitates, knowing he needs more time with his boy -

But...

There's time for that lots of it now. It's the gift that Fay gave him: plenty of time to make up for the years he lost not being a good enough father.

Still, there's precisely one thing he wants right now, and one person he wants to be with. And he has a feeling that she'll have taken the opportunity of his absence to make her way downstairs.

So Kent turns sharply away from the tiny dining room, heading instead for the stairs, going down one level and striding through the hall. Again, the numbers of the cabins flash by his eyes until he finds it: four.

He reaches out a hand, but suddenly the door opens.

And he scowls a little - he can't help it - to see Janeen standing in the doorway, looking up into his face.

She bursts into laugher as soon as she sees his expression.

"Oh come on, Kent," she says, grinning, putting a hand on her hip. "We're going to be seeing a lot more of each other these days. You're going to have to pretend to like me just a little bit."

"I don't dislike you, Janeen," he returns, narrowing his eyes at her a little bit and slipping his hands into his pockets. "I just -"

"Wish someone else was opening the door?"

Kent sighs, but then he nods, confessing it.

Janeen gives him a softer smile and then steps out of the room, gesturing in towards it. "Go ahead, lover boy," she says with a warm smile - warmer than he's seen before. "Though I'm not sure you're going to be as happy with what you find." Again, again she's not here.

Kent frowns, not understanding, but Janeen just pats him on the arm and turns away, heading down the hall towards the stairs. Kent steps inside, closing the door behind him, looking around the room for Fay but...

Sighing sharply through his nose, Kent grits his teeth - but then he turns towards the bathroom, hearing movement there. "Fay?" he calls.

"Oh geeze," he hears her murmur, dismayed, maybe a little embarrassed.

Kent crosses the room in a few steps, pushing the already-open bathroom door a little further ajar and peering inside.

She's there, and his heart breaks to see her looking so miserable, sitting on the floor, her cheek pillowed on the back of her hand, which is in turn pressed against the toilet seat.

"Sorry, Kent," she sighs, looking up at him with her shining blue eyes. "It's not the reunion you expected, is it?"

He just smiles at her, shaking his head, and her expression changes from contrite to remorseful when he steps into the room, closing the door behind him.

"Kent, you don't have to -"

"Don't be ridiculous," he murmurs, moving behind Fay and settling himself on the floor as well, stretching his long legs on either side of her and leaning against the tiny bathroom's wall, starting to slowly rub her back. "Do you honestly think I'm just going to sit in the other room while you're sick in here? Waiting for you to finish?"

"Maybe," she sighs, and he shakes his head when he hears the misery in her voice. "I don't know if I like the idea of you watching me barf, Kent. It's not me at my cutest, is it?"

Kent laughs and is pleased when he sees her smile just a little bit."Is it pregnancy?" he asks, moving on from the ridiculous notion that it would make him see her any differently. "Or sea sickness?"

"I don't know," she murmurs. "Both, I think. I haven't really been on a boat before - not a big one like this, not for a long time."

"Well, we'll get you through it," he murmurs, steady, still stroking her back.

"Okay," she sighs and they're quiet for a long, peaceful moment before her body goes rigid again.

"Are you all right?" he asks.

"Nope," she says, taking a deep breath and pushing up to her knees. "Here we go again..."

And Kent sighs, desperately sorry for his sweet girl who - whether this is pregnancy or sea sickness - is only in this state because of him. Fay quickly rises to her knees and Kent leans forward, gathering back her hair and continuing to brush her back in long, slow strokes as she loses her supper.