Fall For My Ex’s Mafia Dad
Chapter 252

We stay quite late at the Bianci house that night, waiting for Kent to wrap up the deal. I admit that I'm fading a bit towards the end, my head on Daniel's shoulder and my eyes drifting shut, wondering if I'm going to have to crash on a couch or something -

But the Italians? Man, can they party.

Even though I'm out of steam and I can tell Janeen and Jerome are flagging as well, the Bianci family keeps pouring drink after drink, shouting around the table cheerfully in a language I don't understand. I don't mind, though - the atmosphere is so warm and cheerful, and it's good to see Daniel be the center of attention.

Eventually, though, another cheer goes up when Kent and Alessi emerge from the back door, more drinks poured to welcome them. Kent greets his family warmly, but I note that his eyes move to me as soon as he has a chance. He frowns at what he sees and sets his glass down, hardly having tasted his drink.

"No, Kent!" Natalia says, moving close to him as she clicks her tongue and gesturing at the abandoned glass, protesting in Italian.

"I'm sorry, Natalia," Kent says, switching to English so those of us who don't speak the native tongue can understand. "But my pregnant daughter-in-law needs her sleep."

Natalia waves her hand, dismissing the point. "We can have beds made up here - it is no trouble! It has been so long since we have had our Kent here, in his home. Please, stay!" She wraps her arm around his and looks up at him with wide eyes as the rest of the family shouts their protests at the idea that he would leave

My eyebrows raise at the way Natalia presses herself tight against Kent's tall form, clearly inviting him to enjoy more than just his family's company tonight.

A smile pulls at his lips, but Kent looks away from his ex. "Sorry, Natalia," he sighs, looking towards where our little party of Americans is gathered with Gio standing behind us. "We're homebound tonight. Ready?"

I stand, giving Natalia an exaggerated little pout that makes her narrow her eyes at me - because we're both well aware that Kent is leaving for me, even if we think that it's for different reasons.

It's a big long goodbye then as we work our way to the front of the house, Natalia especially staying close to Kent's side and murmuring to him that he could stay -

I sigh and roll my eyes at Daniel a little because I can't help being a tiny bit jealous. I don't like her hands on him. Daniel just laughs with me and presses a comforting hand to the small of my back. "She doesn't know, Fay," he whispers, grinning at me. "It means you've done a good job. Let her shoot her shot - who cares."

I just shake my head as we head for the car out front, Gio coming to walk by our side as Kent hangs back, saying his final goodbyes to nonna.

"Don't you have anything to bring?" I ask Gio, frowning a little at his empty hands.

"What, Daniele cannot loan me some pajamas?" Gio says, grinning at me. "My mother will send my clothes along - I am just eager to get out of here."

"Eager to get out?" I ask, tilting my head at him. "Or eager to begin spying?"

"Spying, Fay?" Gio says, twirling his car keys too-casually around his fingers, a big grin crossing his face. "What, do you have any secrets worth discovering?"

I narrow my eyes at him, winding my arms around Daniel's waist, but there's no time to answer as Kent comes forward.

"Come on," he says, unlocking the car and nodding towards it.

"Daniele," Gio says, catching Daniel's arm. "Come with me in my car."

Daniel hesitates, looking at me.

"I'll go in Gio's car!" Janeen says instantly, her eagerness making me laugh.

"Come on, Janeen," I say, snagging her arm as she starts towards Gio's pretty car. "Those two need to patch some things up." I send a wink over my shoulder to Daniel and pull Janeen along with me.

"You were never such a c**k block, Fay," Janeen grumbles, even though she allows me to pull her along, "before you got all mafia."

"You're throwing yourself at him, Janeen," I counter, opening the back door for her as Jerome climbs in the other side, giving his boyfriend the space he needs to talk things through with Gio on the ride home. "Yah," Janeen says, rolling her eyes at me. "I'm the slutty sister, it's kind of my method."

"Go to sleep," I say, laughing and ignoring her as I push her into the back seat. Then, eager, I climb into the front seat.

"You just wanted Daniel gone so you can ride shotgun," Kent murmurs, smirking at me as he starts the car.

"Yup," I say, reclining my seat back despite Janeen's squeak of protest from the back seat when I invade her space. "More room for napping."

"Not going to keep me company?" Kent murmurs, starting to pull out of the drive.

"Not a chance," I reply, exhausted by the stress of the day as well as my pregnancy. "Talk to Jerome."

"Nope," Jerome says from the back seat, laying down so that his head is in Janeen's lap. "Your crazy Italian family got me too drunk. You're on your own, Kent."

"Pathetic," Kent murmurs, "the lot of you." But I just smile, because I know he doesn't mean it, and I'm asleep before we hit the highway.

I sleep the entire way home and am shocked, really, by how refreshed I feel when Kent's hand brushes against my arm, waking me once we've pulled into the driveway of our little villa.

"Are we home already?" I ask, stretching my arms above my head and smiling at him. "Is Daniel home too?"

"They're pulling in now," Kent says, nodding towards the headlights pulling down the drive. As I glance into the back seat, I see that Janeen and Jerome have already gotten out of the car. I raise my eyebrows, surprised at how soundly I slept. Then I turn my eyes back to Kent.

"What's the plan?" I ask, thinking of how Gio's going to be incorporated into our home.

"What do you want it to be?" he asks quietly.

Slowly, I shake my head. "I don't want to live with secrets anymore, Kent," I answer, my voice almost a whisper. "That was the whole point. If there's any way we can trust Gio..."

"All right," he murmurs, leaning forward to kiss my cheek. "Then let's get him inside and ask some questions."

"You're not too tired?" I ask, my eyes shifting to see Daniel and Gio climbing out of his car after it parks.

"Too tired for an interrogation?" Kent asks, grinning at me and cocking his head to the side. "Come on, Fay. That's the only part of being a mafia don that's actually fun."

I burst out laughing and climb out of the car, heading into the house with Kent at my side. When we come inside I see that Janeen and Jerome have sobered up a little and are waiting, a little too casually, in the living room for us. Gio, walking in at Daniel's side, raises his eyebrows when he sees us all waiting in the main area of the house, not heading off to our separate rooms.

"What?" he says, looking around at us with curiosity. "It is nearly two in the morning. We are not going to bed?"

"Nope," Kent says, curling a finger at Gio and beckoning him into the kitchen, where he pours two glasses of whiskey. "You. Come here. Now."

Gio goes still at Kent's tone, I think for the first time realizing that he's speaking to Don Lippert, not his friendly uncle Kent.

And then, a little tentative, he starts to make his way to the kitchen.