Fall For My Ex’s Mafia Dad
Chapter 224

Janeen, hearing my words to Kent, of course chimes in.

"I mean, we could have done all of this without him," Janeen points out, and I can hear the smirk in her voice.

"Not with this much class," Kent returns calmly, making me laugh. And with that he snaps his fingers, getting Daniel's attention. "Check that cooler, kid," he says, and I turn to see Kent lifting his chin towards the covered top of a drink well that is probably filled with booze during parties.

Curious, Daniel flips back the lid and whistles at what he sees. A smile breaks onto his face as he reaches in and produces a chilled bottle of what I can only assume is very expensive champagne.

"Wow, dad," Daniel says, raising his eyes at Kent. "Sure you don't want to drink this in a place where it's so likely to get spilled?"

"It's worth it," Kent says, laughing as Jerome moves to the other side of the van and peeks into the second drink well, smiling as he produces six champagne flutes. He hands them out and we all talk happily as Daniel pops the champagne and begins to fill all of our glasses.

He only fills mine halfway and raises an eyebrow at me, asking if I want more, but I shake my head, only wanting a sip.

Well, wanting more than a sip, but determined to let this drink be ceremonial.

"We'll get you a whole bottle for yourself," Kent murmurs to me as I lean back against him as Daniel fills his glass, "once the bell pepper is born."

"Two bottles," I say, trying to pout but failing because I'm just so incredibly happy.

"You got it," Kent replies, and I can hear in his voice how excited he is.

Then we all raise our glasses in a toast, clinking them together and exchanging happy words.

"To fresh starts," Daniel says, grinning around.

"And Italy," Jerome adds. "Our new home."

"More specifically, Italian men," Janeen contributes quite seriously, making us all laugh.

"Should we tell her now?" Daniel asks, wrinkling his nose at Jerome.

Janeen sits up straight, looking around and Jerome groans. "No, I don't think you should ever tell her," Jerome says, shaking his head. "It's too mean."

"Tell me what!?" Janeen insists, her eyes wide.

"That -"

"Enough, finish the toast," Kent interrupts, his voice cheerful but demanding.

"To family," dad says, and my heart melts to hear him say it. "Old and new, together. And, those members soon to come," he says, smiling at me especially and nodding down at my stomach.

Everyone smiles at this and we all raise our glasses again. "Family," we say, and then we drink, and I savor the way the bubbles taste on my tongue.

Kent softly kisses my cheek and I turn my face up, pressing my own kiss to his jaw as Janeen leans forward.

"Seriously," she says, her eyes narrowed at Daniel and Jerome. "Tell me."

And, grinning, Jerome informs her that it wasn't that the sailors on the ship were simply resistant to her numerous charms - but that they were under Daniel's orders the entire time to leave her explicitly alone.

"You," she says, glaring hard at Daniel and grabbing the bottle of champagne out of his hand, "are a traitor, sir," she says, leaning back and pouring herself another glass as the rest of us laugh. "And after I threw you such a beautiful wedding reception!" "Janeen," Daniel says, leaning forward and grinning at her. "Consider this my revenge for that wedding reception. I was hung over for three days."

"So you thought I deserved ten days of torture on the ship!?"

"Yup," Daniel says, grinning and leaning against Jerome. "Every damn minute."

And as Janeen scowls at my husband, and our van moves swiftly down the coast, and I lean against Kent and sip slowly at the first and last half-glass of alcohol I'll have my entire pregnancy, I look out the window and marvel at the beauty of this new land. This new place, where me and my odd little family are going to make a new home.

And I just can't wait to see what comes next.

"No wayyy," I breathe when the van slows and pulls up to a beautiful old gate. I turn to look up at Kent, my eyes wide. "You're kidding me."

"I am not," he murmurs, and he presses a hasty kiss to the side of my head before standing up from his seat at the back of the van and working his way forward to talk to the driver, giving him the code to get into the property.

"Is this our new house?" Janeen says as she takes Kent's seat next to me, her eyes wide.

"That's what he said!" I reply, laughing, and we both shake our heads at each other.

Because we could see the house on the way up the road - and the gorgeous fields next to it, and a glimpse of the pool beyond it, and the ocean beyond that -

And it was all just so incredibly fantastic that we had laughed, saying it would be nice to live in a place this beautiful.

So imagine our surprise when the van slowed, and then stopped at the entrance.

"Not half bad," dad says, his arms crossed as he peers out the window as the gate swings open and the van begins to pull forward.

"Not regretting your choice to come Europe yet?" Jerome says to dad, smiling at him.

"Not a minute of it yet, kiddo," he says, giving Jerome a wink.

I turn to Daniel, shaking my head in awe as the van pulls down a long dirt drive bordered with olive trees.

"Did you know about this?" I ask. Because while Kent allowed me to handle many of the details, he insisted on picking out the house we would be renting himself, and on keeping it a surprise.

"I knew a little," Daniel says, working hard to hold back a smile.

"See?" Janeen says, giving him a little glare. "I told you he was a traitor."

"True," I say, giving him a shove on the shoulder. "Shame on you! Keeping secrets from your wife!"

"Oh, come on," Daniel replies, laughing at us as the car makes its final turn in front of a gorgeous white stone villa. "How could we resist seeing the look on the Thompson sisters' faces?"

"Well, I suppose that is true," Janeen says, feigning a conceited tone of voice and lifting her chin while she brushes her long purple hair back over her shoulder. "We are devastatingly beautiful, and we would not deny you that opportunity." Daniel opens his mouth to retort - something playfully snide, I'm sure - but Kent doesn't give him a chance, clapping his hands at the front of the van as it pulls to a stop.

"If you're finished?" Kent says, raising a wry eyebrow at us as he slides his hands into the pockets of his slacks. "Perhaps you'd like to come and see the house?"

Biting my lip with excitement, I grab my sister's hand as I jump out of my seat and hurry to the front of the van. Janeen laughs as she comes with me, just as eager as I am to see our new home.

Nodding, fighting a bright smile, Kent opens the van door and steps out, reaching out a hand to help me hop down.

He doesn't let my hand go as I turn towards the house, but instead pulls me closer to him as my mouth falls open a little bit.

Because...it's the most gorgeous home I've ever seen in my life.

"Is this...seriously, we're going to live here?" I ask, my voice faint and my eyes wide.

"For now," Kent says, and I can tell by his voice that he's happy and proud. "Longer, if you like it. What do you think?"

I grin as I look up at my handsome mafia boss. I open my mouth to reply, to tell him that I absolutely love it, but before I can I gasp when someone sweeps me bodily off my feet.

"What!" I shriek, kicking my legs. "Daniel, put me down!"

"No way," he says, laughing and moving forward to the giant wooden door to the house, an entry which looks like it's probably two hundred years old and lovingly cared for. "I have to carry my bride over the threshold to our new home!" "Isn't that my job?" Kent growls, and I look over my shoulder and laugh to see him glaring at his son.

"Still my wife, dad!" Daniel says, teasing, as Jerome opens the front door and bows, waving us in.

Kent sighs and turns up his hands as he sees me laugh, but then as a family we all move forward and step into our home.

I eagerly wrap my arms around Daniel's neck as we move through the door, because I can't wait to see inside.