Fall For My Ex’s Mafia Dad
Chapter 227

I frown a little as I realize that it's kind of true - Kent and I don't really make sense.

I mean, we don't have any mutual hobbies, we had completely different life paths until fate forced us together, and hell - we're even from different generations. But Kent and I? We work.

It's just...I guess a little ineffable.

"I don't know," I say, pondering aloud, and as I look back at my sister I'm gratified that she's actually listening, not trying to prove a point or tease me or something. "I see what you mean, but we just...I think we're like puzzle pieces, or the opposite sides of magnets, or something," I say, giving a little shrug. "Opposite attracts and all that. Plus, on the inside, I think we're may more alike than you think."

"Well," she says, nodding, "I can understand that. But like, he's interesting and stuff? He has things to say?"

"Janeen!" I sigh, again reaching out to smack her. "Of course he is! Why do you think he's so boring?"

"Because he kind of is!" she says, leaning away from me in her chair and laughing apologetically. "I mean, he's all quiet and brooding! He doesn't say much! And again, I see how that's hot - I would hit it - I just..." she shrugs and sighs. "Make it make sense to me, Fay."

"He has other sides that you don't see, Janeen," I say, crossing my arms and rolling my eyes at her. "He likes books, and has all sorts of interesting perspectives, and he's actually really funny -" "That is impossible -"

"You are being such a bitch!"

"I'm just speaking truth!" she says, laughing and putting her hands up.

"Well, it's not like you make it so easy for him to open up around you," I say, accusing.

Janeen's jaw drops open a little and she puts an offended hand on her chest, though part of me can see that she likes it. Janeen - she's a tough sister, but she's never shut me down for standing up to her.

"I have been nothing but nice to Kent Lippert," she objects.

"Yes, but you tease him, and you laugh at him, and you've never sat down and even tried to have a real conversation with him," I point out, and her eyebrows go up as she realizes that I'm right. "And I'm well aware that Kent doesn't precisely invite that -" "And that he's always wrapped up in you," she points out.

"Well, who wouldn't be," I say, flipping my hair over my shoulder as I try to bring some humor to the situation. It works, and Janeen grins at me. "But seriously, Janeen," I say, leaning forward. "Can you give the man some credit? He's a person, but he's been running a serious criminal organization for years. He was having panic attacks when I met him, probably from repressing fifteen years of emotion and having no one to talk to about it. Is it impossible for you to consider that maybe his instinct is to shut people out? That maybe he hasn't opened up to anyone in years, and that he's trying?"

Janeen's mouth opens a little in surprise as she realizes that I could, at least possibly, be right.

"Wow," she says, leaning back in her chair. "Psychology Fay, coming through for the win."

"As clever as she is beautiful," I hear a voice say behind us.

I go still because...

But as I turn and look up, I let out a woosh of air.

Because it's just Daniel.

He bursts out laughing at me. "Don't worry, you're safe, Fay," he says, though he takes a very Kent-like stance with his arms over his chest and his weight on his back foot. "I won't tell dad that you're revealing his deepest darkest secret - that he's actually a human underneath it all." "You'd better not," I say, shaking my head at him.

"I'll believe it when I see it," Janeen says, grinning at Daniel. But then she turns to me. "But point taken. I can see how I've been...less than fair."

"And considering he's the reason you haven't paid rent in six months," I say, raising my eyebrow at her. "Maybe you should go a little easier on him."

Janeen laughs at me, nodding in agreement as Daniel gestures back towards the house. "Dinner's ready," he says, "if you ladies would be willing to come back in."

My stomach audibly grumbles as I stand up and Daniel grins at me as I wrap my arm in his, Janeen coming to his other side.

"I take that as an eager yes?" he says, grinning at me as we walk up the stairs.

"As long as there's garlic bread," I say, lifting my nose towards the house, where the smell of butter and garlic and rosemary wafts out. "I am in."

"Garlic bread," he says, nodding, "and probably three different other kinds of bread too. Dad went a little overboard -"

"Daniel!" I hear Kent call - shout, really - from inside the house. "Come on, we don't have all night!"

Daniel hurries his pace, trying to take me with him, but I just drop his arm. He turns to me, confused, but I wave him forward. "He's yelling at you, not me!" I say, raising my hands. "I'm not getting in on this."

Daniel smirks but hurries into the house as Janeen comes to my side, taking Daniel's place and putting her arm through mine as we come to the door. We stop there for a moment, watching the men bustle around the big kitchen. Daniel and Jerome hustle back and forth from the kitchen to the long dining table on the far end of it, packing it with enough food for what looks like twelve people, not six.

Kent looks up from his place over the stove and I smile a little to see the apron, folded in half, tied around his waist. His own lips lift up at the corners when his eyes fall on me, and he nods a little and then turns away, concentrating on the gravy. Dad is likewise helping, though at a less frantic pace than Daniel and Jerome, calmly slicing cheese and carefully arranging it on a board with fruit and honey and toasted bread.

"At least he can cook," Janeen murmurs, leaning close to me so our shoulders touch. "I get that, with the puzzle-piece thing. Because you can't even make a pop tart."

"I can too," I grumble, frowning at her.

She grins at me, shaking her head. "You are a takeout queen," she says, laughing. But then she turns her eyes back to Kent. "But, I get it, a little more now. Thanks for explaining it, Fay, and I'm sorry if I was a bitch."

"You can't help it," I say with a sigh, making her laugh again. "It's your base state."

"Seriously though," she mumbles, her eyes now fastened on Kent, watching him work. "Your man is f*****g hot -"

"Janeen!"

"Those shoulders, and he can cook? Does he ever do it with his shirt off, speaking Italian?"

"Ew!" I hit her again.

"Seriously, I would climb him like a tree -"

"You're being so gross -"

"I'm sorry, Fay," she says, turning to grin at me. "But if you ever die, I'm going for it right after the funeral -"

"I am done with you!" I say, shoving her away from me but laughing despite myself as I stride into the kitchen to stand at Kent's side. "Until you get your own man, I am done having conversations with you! About anything! Full stop!"

Janeen, cracking up, makes her way into the dining room, stopping to kiss dad on the cheek as she goes. Then she starts to pour wine into everyone's glasses, pitching in as Kent looks down at me with a smirk.

"Nice of you," he murmurs as he stirs the red sauce that bubbles in a big silver pot, "to arrange for me to have some comfort in my grief, if I ever lose you -"

I blush beet red, my hands going to my mouth. "You heard her!?"

"She wasn't being quiet, Fay," he says, laughing and wrapping an arm around me. "She was kidding, teasing you -"

"She'd better have been," I growl, wrapping my arms around his waist possessively. "Or I'll haunt her a*s -"

Kent laughs at this, really laughs, and drops his wooden spoon in the sauce to wrap his arms around me, tugging me close and giving me a kiss when I turn my face up to him. "Go to the table," he says when he breaks away, nudging me with his nose. "Dinner's almost ready."

"I want to help!" I protest.

"Never," he says, letting me loose and giving me a little swat on the ass as I sigh and move around the kitchen island, heading for my seat.