Fall For My Ex’s Mafia Dad
Chapter 229

We all stay up very late that night, gathered around a fire pit just off to the left of the pool. I'm curled up next to Kent, his arm around me on a little outdoor loveseat as my family laughs and chats around the fire. As the night grows darker and the stars start to come out, I find myself thinking about how grateful I am for Kent, who is so secretly thoughtful about details he never takes credit for.

For instance, this fire pit was ready to go, fully stocked with wood and lighter fluid, and even marshmallows and little sticks to roast them on, because I mentioned once - months ago - that I liked them. And everyone's favorite drinks are already here on ice. I mean, he, Jerome, and Daniel were all easy - they all drink the same whiskey - but my dad's American beer and Janeen's rum and diet coke with lime? How the hell did he have that here, waiting for us? So, I curl up closer to him, and his arm tightens around me, and a little ball of happiness in my chest just grows and grows.

But honestly, as my family celebrates with more drinks as the night passes, I'm a little grateful that I'm pregnant. Because even though I'm jealous and want to be celebrating alongside them in this particular way, I know that tomorrow I'm going to need my wits. And Daniel, even though he's drinking, is showing more restraint than he usually does. He meets my eyes at one point, giving me a little nod, letting me know that he understand that he has to keep it under control.

Because we are getting up early, and he's my driver.

But, despite that, the party goes long into the night with a lot of joy and laughter as we sit by our little farmhouse by the sea. Kent turns to me as I stifle my third yawn.

"Come on," he says, starting to stand up. "Let's get you to bed."

"No!" I protest, trying to hold him down with my weight even though I know it's not going to work. "I don't want to break up the party!"

"You're tired," he says, standing and bending to pick me up, but I swat his hands away and stand up myself, wanting to stretch my legs.

"Fine, fine," I sigh, but then I groan as the others start to get up too. "No!" I protest. "No, don't go to bed just because I am!"

"We're sleepy too, Fay," Dad says, leaning in to give me a kiss on the cheek. "You're not breaking anything up."

And I scowl, not really believing him, but I give in as Daniel pours some water on the fire and we all begin to troop into the house. When Kent moves away from me for a moment, cleaning some stuff up in the kitchen before we turn in, Daniel is instantly at my side. "We still on?" Daniel asks, raising an eyebrow.

"5 am," I whisper with a little nod, brushing his arm with my hand. "I'll come to your room. You all ready?"

"Sure am," he says, and then without another word he strides away. Because we don't need to say anything else. We've been planning this for weeks.

I reach out a hand for Kent as he finishes up, and he takes it, and we walk quietly over to our room. To my surprise, Kent is more subdued than I've seen him before. We quietly go through the business of getting ready for bed - brushing teeth, me changing into pajamas and him stripping down to his underwear. But to my shock, Kent leaves his clothes in a heap on the floor before he moves to the bed. I stare at the clothes and then at his back as he walks away -

Because Kent? I have never seen him be messy before.

How much did he have to drink? Am I finally meeting drunk Kent?

Shrugging it off - because he seems fine, honestly, just super tired - I leave the clothes where they are and move to the bed myself. But again to my surprise, Kent is basically asleep when I get there. He pulls me close against him, my back to his front, but instead of moving his hands across my body like he usually does...

Kent just tucks his head against my shoulder and falls asleep.

"Wow," I murmur, my eyebrows going up in surprise as well as - I'll admit it - a little disappointment. But I shrug, not bothering to think about it much because I really am sleepy too.

And so I close my eyes, and fall asleep, knowing that the little watch Daniel secretly gave me is going to beep at 4:55 in the morning.

But also knowing that I'm going to be awake before it.

Because tomorrow is an important day, and mob bosses? We wake up before our alarms.

I prove myself correct a few hours later when my eyes sleepily open. But I'm awake almost instantly, my anxiety for the day immediately taking the reins. I lean over, my hand going to the wristwatch on the bedside table, and when I flip it over I see that it's 4:46. Perfect. I hastily switch off the alarm function.

Moving slowly so as not to jostle him, I turn over to look at Kent. But as my eyes fall on him, I realize that being careful was completely unnecessary.

Kent continues to sleep more deeply than I think I've ever seen him sleep before. I mean, I swear that sometimes I've woken him up just by looking at him. But today?

Today, Kent's mouth is a little open, his face pillowed against his own bicep, and he's completely out.

I resist the urge to run my fingers through his hair and kiss his cheek, not wanting to tempt fate. Instead, I just sigh a little and slowly get out of bed, moving for the door the moment my feet touch the tiles. Our bedroom door gives a little creek when I pull it open, but when I look over my shoulder I realize that not even that woke him.

With a little shrug of gratitude for my good luck - honestly, I thought I'd have to be way sneakier than this - I hurry out of the room and pull the door shut behind me, grimacing a little at the click that sounds.

Then I hurry through the empty, quiet house, padding down the hall to the corridor where the rest of the bedrooms are. When I reach the first door on the left - the room I know is Daniel and Jerome's - I'm pleased to see a light already on inside. Slowly, I push open the door and peek in.

"Oh, thank god," Daniel says, sighing when he sees me.

Quickly, I flit into the room and push the door shut, nodding when I see that he's already dressed in his suit.

"Do you have my clothes?" I ask, moving to his side and giving him a hasty kiss on the cheek.

Daniel nods and gestures to where Jerome is, and I laugh a little to see him at the back of the room, using a steamer to get the final wrinkles out of the very simple, very chic, very expensive dress that Daniel and I spent quite a long time picking out for this occasion. I move over to my friend, greeting him a hasty good morning.

"Morning, baby Fay," he says, giving me a sleepy smile. Then he looks down at my belly and his smile deepens, "morning, Fay's baby."

I laugh, starting to pull off my pajamas as he finishes up and takes my dress off the hanger. When I'm in my underwear, Jerome helps me pull it over my head and zips me up as Daniel tosses a basic makeup set and hairbrush on the bed where I can see it. "Any changes to the plan?" I ask Daniel as I start to put on some simple makeup in their mirror.

"Nope," he says, his voice tight. "Was it tough getting away from Kent this morning?"

"Not at all," I say, finishing up my mascara. "Honestly, it was kind of crazy - he was like, sleeping sleeping."

In the mirror I see Daniel smirk a little and I turn suddenly, staring at him. "What was that for?" I ask, narrowing my eyes.

"What?" he says, playing innocent.

But I just narrow my eyes even further.

"What," he says, grinning and running a hand through his hair. "I might have given him...a mild sedative in his whiskey last night."

"Daniel!" I gasp, appalled. "Why didn't you tell me that!? I was so freaked out!"

Daniel openly laughs at me now. "Seriously, Fay? You're going to yell at me now for keeping part of a plan from you, even though you openly benefitted from the plan and probably wouldn't tell me to do any different after you saw the results?" He grins now, slipping his hands into his pockets. "The hypocrisy this morning is...very rich."

I scowl at him, but I turn back to the mirror and run the brush over my hair before pinning it back away from my face. Because he's absolutely right. Daniel did to me precisely what we're doing to Kent, and I have no room to complain.

Jerome yawns as he carries a pair of pumps over to me when I'm finished with my hair and my face. I nod to him as I pull them on and then turn around for the boys. "Well?" I ask. "Do I pass?"

"My perfect pregnant wife," Daniel murmurs, coming to wrap an arm around my waist and kiss me on the cheek. "Are you ready for this?"

"Not nearly," I say, shaking my head up at him. "But, we're doing it anyway."

"Yup," he says, kissing me on the forehead. Then he turns to Jerome. "You know your job?"

Jerome gives a lazy little salute, his eyes already on the bed. "Tell Kent nothing, don't let him leave the house. Try not to get punched."

"You're not very good at that last part," I consider, grimacing a little as I lean against Daniel.

"Only when you're involved, Fay Lippert," Jerome says, tossing me a glare as he flops back down onto the bed and gives us a thumbs-up. "Now go away so I can get some sleep."

I hesitate, wanting to tell Jerome to go sleep out in the living room or something so he can be there when Kent wakes up -

"Don't worry," Jerome mumbles, sensing my anxiety. "You seriously think Kent is going to let anyone sleep the moment he realizes you're gone?"

"True," I say with a sigh. "Maybe slip another one of those sedatives in his breakfast..."

Daniel laughs and then turns me towards the door. "See ya, 'Rome!" he says over his shoulder.

"Have fun! Don't get killed!"

And then Jerome pulls the blanket up over his shoulders, and Daniel flicks off the light, and together my husband and I sneak out of the villa.