Fall For My Ex’s Mafia Dad
Chapter 226

Late that afternoon I'm laying out by the pool, catching the last rays of the sun. Kent is in the kitchen cooking dinner for all of us. I offered to help but he shooed me out immediately, grumbling something in Italian about me being useless in the kitchen - or at least, that's what Daniel interpreted for me. But hey, who am I to protest when my boyfriend wants to make a delicious feast for the family and forbids me from doing anything?

I sigh happily, closing my eyes and tilting back my head, enjoying the feeling of the sun on my face.

"Soooo," Janeen says, and I smile when I hear her flop onto the lounge chair next to mine. "Did you have a nice afternoon, Fay?"

I turn to see her grinning at me wickedly. Because Kent and I? We stayed in that bedroom for several hours and pretty much let everyone else deal with the thousand things that were delivered - all of our luggage, what looked like a truck load of groceries from the nearby town, the horses - everything.

It was a little chaotic when we finally emerged, but...well. I don't think anything can kill my mood today.

"I had a lovely afternoon, Janeen," I say, sighing again.

"Ugh, I'm so jealous," she mutters, crossing her arms and frowning out over the pool towards the ocean.

"Janeen," I say, laughing and shaking my head at her, "you spent the afternoon floating in a pool by the sea. Daniel said you didn't even help with the deliveries -"

"Well, I don't know how to unload a horse!"

"I'm not blaming you!" I say, still laughing. "It's just how can you be jealous? Everyone else in the world would be jealous of your day, and you find something to complain about?"

"I'm not complaining, Fay," she says with a little sigh. "If Daniel had just let me loose on the sailors, this wouldn't be a problem. Let's blame him."

"Fine by me," I say, leaning my head back.

"So," she says, grinning at me. "Do you like the house? Are you happy here?"

"I am," I say, content, though I look off into the distance a bit.

"What," she says, giving my shoulder a little shove. "I know that expression. What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing," I say with a little sigh, turning back to her. But Janeen just narrows her eyes and gives me a dirty look, letting me know that she's not going to give in until I tell her. So I sigh and begin. "I mean, I maybe just wonder why Kent picked Sicily," I say with a little shrug. "It...is awfully close to the Bianci's."

"Does that mess with your plans?" she asks.

"Maybe a little," I say, giving a small frown.

"Why?" she says, totally curious now. Because while Daniel, obviously, is in on everything...I haven't shared this part with Janeen yet. I bite my lip a little, desperately wanting someone to talk to about it but not sure how much I should let her in.

"Seriously, Fay," she says, rolling her eyes. "What reason do you have not to trust me anymore? You know I'm not going to tell anyone."

"We just," I say, hesitating a little, "we haven't told Kent yet, Janeen -"

"Whaaaat," she gasps, leaning close to me. "What the hell are you and Daniel cooking up?"

I sigh and shake my head, thinking it was a mistake to bring her in on it. "Just forget it, Janeen -"

"You can tell me anything, Fay," she says, her voice more serious than it usually - or ever - is. She reaches out and places gentle fingers on my arm. "I'm on your side, with everything. I mean, I guess I'm fully in this family now, but you are my main priority. So, if you need me to listen while you talk shit on Kent, or keep something from him? You know I'm your girl."

"I know," I say, placing my hand over hers. "But it's really not like that, Janeen. I shouldn't have said anything at all. I'm not doing anything against Kent - it's just...Daniel and I have something planned that he would probably rather us not do." "Really," she says, her eyes flaring a little with pleasure at the intrigue. She grins at me. "He's going to kill you."

I laugh a little. "No, he's not. He's just...going to be really mad for a few days. But it will all work out." I sigh, trying to force myself to feel easier about it. But it doesn't really work.

"Okay," she says, drawing her hand away and looking at me seriously. "But if you need to talk..." she points at her chest, "me first, right? Because gossip is my drug when sex isn't available. Which it hasn't been. For weeks."

And I laugh at my sister while I nod, genuinely grateful for her honest offer. My sister smiles back at me.

We're quiet for a few moments.

"Seriously, Fay," she says, and I look over at her again, surprised to see her studying me with genuine curiosity. "What do you and Kent do when you're alone?"

I blink at my sister for a moment, shocked at the abrupt change in subject. And then raise my eyebrow, because...I mean, I thought it was pretty obvious. Janeen bursts out laughing, tilting her head back towards the sky.

I push myself up on my lounge chair a little and turn to her, not getting it. "I don't get what you're asking, Janeen," I say, honestly a little confused at this point.

She turns to me too, lowering her voice a little. "You were in there for hours, Fay," she says. "And while I'm sure you get Lippert going, I know that you weren't fucking the whole time. So? What do you guys like...talk about?"

I blink a little at her, confused. "We talk about all sorts of things," I say, frowning.

"And is he like...interesting?" She cocks her head to the side, genuinely asking.

"Janeen!" I say, starting to get a little mad now, and confused. "Of course he's interesting!"

"Is he!?" She looks over her shoulder at the house, shaking her head a little. "I mean, he's hot, Fay, don't get me wrong - I'm sure the sex is insane - but I honestly don't get you two as a pair. Like you guys just disappear together for hours on end - on that boat, and today in that house -" I lean over to swat my sister on the arm. "You're being so mean, Janeen -"

"I am not!" she says, leaning away from me so I can't hit her. "I'm just trying to understand! I mean, the physical stuff I get, Fay! But seriously," she shakes her head at me now, "on paper? You two seem like you have nothing in common. Besides being like, really good at crime, apparently."

I roll my eyes at her now, crossing my arms over my chest, a little offended. "Are you saying that Kent is boring?"

"Well?" she says, grimacing a little. "He's not like...fun, Fay."

"Yes he is," I grumble defensively, frowning.

"I'm sure he's fun in bed," she says, rolling her eyes at me. "But seriously, I'm not trying to be a bitch! Just, can you explain it? So that I can understand a little better? You two clearly have chemistry, I'm just trying to comprehend it."

I look over my own shoulder now, towards the house where Kent is inside cooking, realizing that...well, that Janeen's kind of right. On paper? Kent and I don't make sense at all.