Fall For My Ex’s Mafia Dad
Chapter 258

The next few months pass more quickly than I thought they would.

Kent and I spend pretty much every minute together, which I thought would get on my nerves but...

Well. We get along really well, especially when we're working on a project together like this. I wake up every morning flooded with ideas, telling Kent all about them over coffee and breakfast while our family moves in and out of the room. Every day we spend some time outside - going for a long walk or to see the horses - before we move to the second guest room shortly after that, which we've commandeered as our planning space. I grin as I look around it now, half pleased and half disturbed by how closely it matches the plans of a serial killer. But, well. At least it means we're thorough.

"Did you hear from Janeen?" Kent asks, leaning over a printed set of the travel plans to ensure that the plane tickets match up with the false ID's he's acquired. "Did she settle in at the casino?"

"She didn't text me back," I say a little absently, groaning as I run a hand over my thirty-eight-week-pregnant belly, where the baby has just given my rib a sharp kick. "I'll text her and tell her to get out of whoever's bed she's in."

"You all right?" Kent asks, and I look up to see him looking me up and down, worried.

"I'm fine," I reply, laughing a little concern and pressing a hand to my lower back. "Baby's just feeling violent today. Wants to go to Monaco and kick a*s with daddy."

Kent smirks and shakes his head, looking back at the paperwork. "No babies in Monaco," he sighs.

"Unless Janeen's conceiving one right now," I mutter. And then I sigh, because I feel a little bad for her. Over the past couple of months she's fallen hard for Gio, but he has been freezing her out completely. He's been a good friend to her - to all of us - but anything romantic she tries? He shuts it down in a second in the a very cool, very casual, very Italian way he has.

So when we sent her to Monaco a few days ago to start undercover as a cocktail waitress in the casino? Let's just say that she's been treating it half as work, half as spring break, working out her Gio frustrations with as many Monegasques as she can. And I, for one, am glad she's enjoying herself, even if it's stressing Kent out that she doesn't reply to our texts until 3 pm.

Gio, for his part, has been spending most of his time with me and Kent in this room planning, which has kept him away from Janeen's pining. Sometimes I watch him, though, and wonder if he knows how much she likes him - but he gives no hints. Janeen aside, though, it's been very useful having a criminal mastermind who doubles as a doctor who can talk Kent down when he gets all worked up about me being in my third trimester.

Which he does...way too often.Kent and I both look up when hear a tap on the door and I smile when I see Daniel standing there. "Everything coming together?" he asks, strolling casually into the room and looking over our paperwork.

Daniel's been amazing these past couple months, responding with alacrity whenever Kent or I ask him to do anything but mostly letting us take the reins. Honestly, I think that's how he prefers it. He and Jerome spend the majority of their time keeping the house cozy for all of us while Kent and I devote our singular attention to the heist.

About two months ago, they threw us the most amazing Christmas I've ever seen, and they managed to keep it all a surprise, only bringing in the tree and the presents and the decorations at the last minute. I basically cried my eyes out the whole time I was so touched, which made Daniel roll his eyes at me a lot, but...well, what did he expect? He knows how sentimental I can be.

It's been difficult, being so consumed by this plan and not being able to concentrate on the things I'd otherwise concentrate on - like seeing Italy, or enjoying being pregnant. But...well, if this gets Kent out of his obligations to the Bianci's? I guess I've got my whole life to do those things.

Except the pregnancy bit. That's ending soon, thank god. I have not enjoyed my third trimester, and these past two weeks have been incredibly uncomfortable. The sooner this baby comes, the better. Well. As long as it waits until after Kent and my family get safely back from Monaco. But they're leaving in two days, and they'll be back two days after that, so I think I'll hold out.

Or at least, I hope I will.

"It's all coming together on paper," Kent says, sighing as he stands up straight and looks evenly at his son. "Which is all well and good until it all goes to shit day-of."

"Stop cursing it, Kent," I sigh, glaring at him a little. "It's going to go beautifully. Don't get your negative vibes all over the pretty plans," I say, lovingly touching the papers so artfully pinned to the walls. He mutters something but Daniel grins at me and I wrinkle my nose at him.

"What's up, Dan," Kent asks, turning to look at something else, having no real time or patience for anything extraneous this close to the launch date.

"Jerome and I are going to town for groceries," Daniel says with a little shrug. "We wanted to see if Fay wanted to come."

"Ohhh!" I gasp, clasping my hands under my chin. "Yes yes yes! Let me just get my bag -"

I dash for the door but Kent puts out a hand, touching me lightly on the arm. "Fay," he says, his eyes worried as he glances over me. "Are you sure -"

"Kent!" I almost shout, frustrated. "You're so worried that I'll go into labor that you won't let me go to town, but you're not so worried that you'll go to Monaco for four days?" I roll my eyes at his hypocrisy.

Kent's lips tighten and he shakes his head at me. "I just think you're safer here," he says, slipping his hands into his pockets. "Why risk it? Why risk anything?"

"Because it's not a risk," I say, my shoulders slumping. "Kent, I haven't been off the property in a week - I am dying to see something besides this incredibly beautiful house and your incredibly beautiful face. Please?" I ask, stepping close and pressing my hands to his chest as I look up at him. "Don't be mad at me if I leave for one hour?"

He narrows his eyes. "One. Hour," he growls. Then he raises his eyes to glare at Daniel next. "One hour."

I give a little squeal and step on my tiptoes to kiss Kent on the cheek before scurrying out of the room after Daniel. I move quickly, dropping a little kiss on my dad's cheek as he watches American sports on the big-screen TV we had installed for him. He waves me off fondly, his eyes fixed on the screen. Then I slip on a pair of flat loafers by the door and sling my little purse over my shoulder, practically jumping with excitement.

"Geeze, Fay," Jerome says, laughing as he comes to give me a kiss on the cheek. "Don't be too excited - it's just groceries."

"It's not just groceries," Daniel says, laughing and grabbing the keys to our silver BMW. "It's breaking her house arrest."

"Oh, Kent's just overprotective because I'm about to pop," I say, rolling my eyes and pulling the door open, stepping happily into the sunshine and turning my face up towards it.

"You'd better hope that's true," Jerome laughs, slinging an arm around my shoulder as we walk to the car. "What if this is just...who he is now? Your overprotective Mafia don boyfriend, keeping you barefoot and pregnant, locked in the house for the rest of your life?" "One, he's still buying me shoes, so I don't think the barefoot thing is going to happen," I say, climbing into the back seat. "And two, he's getting a second vasectomy the same day I give birth, because we are not doing surprise baby ever again." Daniel laughs as he climbs into the driver's seat and starts the car, Jerome buckling his seatbelt on the passenger side. "The first vasectomy one didn't take, what makes you think the second one will? Lippert sperm is just...very virile, Fay."

"Oh, really?" I ask, sarcastic. "The all-powerful Lippert s***m is to blame here? Well then, Jerome, when are you due?"

Jerome bursts out laughing as Daniel grins, shaking his head as he pulls down the drive towards our gate.

I relish every minute that we're outside of the house. It's not that I don't enjoy our gorgeous home, or all the time that I get to spend with Kent working on an elaborate high-stakes puzzle -

But, well, it's Sicily. And it's gorgeous, and charming, and I've spent very little time taking in the sights and actually enjoying myself here. And it's all so, so close - honestly, just a few more days, and Kent will be free!

And soon we'll have the little baby, and we'll just live...a really happy little life.

At least, that's the plan - and I, unlike Kent, prefer not to consider any unhappy alternatives that could get in the way.

Kent really did pick a pretty little town for us to live near, too. Daniel, Jerome, Janeen, and Gio go in frequently at night to the few little bars that scatter the streets - and of course I'm always invited. But, well, I'm in mafia mode, and mommy mode too - usually I'm busy planning, or exhausted from planning, and the idea of sitting around jealousy watching my friends have fun getting drunk doesn't appeal. So instead I just stay curled up with Kent, reading or watching something mindless on TV, passively turning over the details of our heist in my head so that I can get everything...just perfect.

I'm very much looking forward to the day when I can toss this baby at my dad, who loves little kids, and drag Kent out with me to these bars with my sister and my friends - but until then? There is something nice about quiet nights at home. But as we drive down the cobblestone streets of our little town and I look at all the charming brightly colored buildings, my smile and my anticipation grows. Because soon I'll be able to go out here, and also take my little baby on strolls. Soon - it's all going to happen so soon!