Fall For My Ex’s Mafia Dad
Chapter 267

"Shit," Ivan curses as he watches me cry, looking frantically over his shoulder back at the gas station. "Should I go inside? Should I get you like, candy? Maybe they have ice cream..."

I can't help the laugh that stumbles out of my mouth. "What?"

Ivan sighs and shakes his head at me, freaked out and upset, his jaw clenched. "Well, I can't just sit here and watch you cry, Fay," he growls, I think a little pissed that my being upset is upsetting him so much.

I laugh a little harder now, wiping my tears away. "I thought we were enemies now, Ivan," I reply, my voice a little cold, even though there's still humor in it.

"Yeah well," he sighs, sitting back in his seat, studying me, his mouth twisted with disappointment. "I guess I don't hate you as much as I thought I did."

"I never hated you," I reply, holding his gaze, my voice barely a whisper as I tell the honest truth.

We stare at each other for a long moment when suddenly Ivan gasps, his body going rigid as he stares down at the dog.

"What?" I ask, sitting up straight, worried something's wrong -

"Oh my god -" Ivan shouts, grabbing the dog and holding him up off his lap, "oh my god, Fay, he peed all over me!"

I burst into laughter as I reach for the puppy, looking into Ivan's lap to see that his dark grey pants are, indeed, a little bit darker right where the puppy was sitting.

"Oh noooo," I coo, cracking up and taking the puppy back, wrapping him up in my arms. "Did you have an accident!? Ohh, little babyyyy." The puppy scrabbles his paws at me a little, lifting his nose and kissing my chin. I cuddle him close, still laughing.

Ivan grumbles, reaching into the console for some napkins and wiping angrily at his pants. "This is so ridiculous," he mutters, sighing and tossing the damp napkins on the floor at my feet. "Come on. Let's get you home."

My eyes move to Ivan's face as he reverses out of the parking spot and then heads out onto the road. "Are you really taking me home?" I ask, wiping the last of my tears off my face, grateful for the little puppy for making me laugh when I was feeling genuinely horrible.

"Are you surprised?" he replies, raising an eyebrow at me. "Where did you think I was taking you?"

"Well, I don't know!" I say, laughing. "It's been a day full of surprises, Ivan. You could take me anywhere - throw me in a ditch somewhere. Load me on a ferry, take me to mainland Italy, and then elsewhere in Europe."

He's quiet for a moment and doesn't look at me when he speaks next. "Do you want me to take you elsewhere in Europe, Fay?" he asks.

I consider him for a moment, my mouth twitching up in a smile. "Are you asking me to run away with you, Ivan?"

I hold the puppy tight, genuinely curious about his answer.

"Well," he says, tilting his head as if actually considering it. "If you're finally starting to regret your idiotic decision to tie yourself to a mafia family and asking me to help you run away, then sure. I'd help facilitate your escape."

I smile at him, because even though his voice is sarcastic, he's being sweet. And he'd do it, if I asked him.

"I don't regret it, Ivan," I say, my voice soft. He still doesn't look at me, so I look away, letting him feel however he feels about that. "But...thanks for the offer."

"Anytime, Fay," he says, his voice equally gentle.

We drive for a long time in silence. I keep my eye on the scenery, looking for anything familiar as I continue to feed the puppy pieces of chicken and give him sips of the water. After about twenty minutes, I start to recognize things from my neighborhood and I sit up straight, pleased that Ivan was as good as his word.

"Wait," I say, turning to him, "how did you know where I lived?"

He gives me a rather withering look. "It wasn't hard, Fay. I just searched for the fanciest rentals in Sicily that have room for a horse and checked to see which were recently rented. There were like, two possibilities."

I burst into laughter at this, shaking my head and shrugging. Because, yes, I guess we didn't really go incognito on that one.

"So," Ivan says, a smug little smile on his face as he slows the car down. We're getting close to the house. "What are you going to name the puppy?"

"Lil Kent," I say instantly with a small smile.

"What!?" Ivan turns to stare at me, incredulous.

"You don't like it?" I ask, trying very hard to keep my face straight and failing.

"It's the worst fucking name I've ever heard -"

"Ohhh, you're just still mad because Lil Kent peed on you," I murmur, turning to smile at the puppy, who looks up at me eagerly and gives a little doggie yawn.

Ivan grins, shaking his head like he can't help it. "Why are you giving him that terrible name, Fay? Name him something good, like...Sparky. Or Firenze, if you're trying to be Italian."

"Nah," I say, turning to grin at Ivan. "I think there's a better chance of Kent letting me keep him if he knows it's his namesake. He won't be able to resist."

Ivan genuinely laughs at this as we turn the corner onto my street. "Fay, you can name that dog whatever you want. I think you've got Kent so wrapped around your finger that it doesn't matter what he lets you do - if you want to keep that dog, it's staying." "Yes," I sigh. "But at least with this, Kent will think he had a choice."

Ivan nods, a sad little smile on his mouth as he stops in front of my gate.

"What to come in?" I ask, my voice falsely cheerful. "There's about three, maybe four guys in there who would love to greet you with a punch to the face right now."

"I'm going to take a rain check on that one," Ivan says, parking the car and turning to me, leaving it running. "You'll be okay? To walk from the gate?"

"Yeah," I say, nodding and holding the puppy tight.

"Good," he says. And then with a sigh he reaches into his back pocket and produces, of all things, my phone.

"You still have this?" I gasp, grabbing it out of his hand. I quickly press the buttons to turn it on.

"I was going to destroy it," he sighs. "But...your sister sent you some texts that said nice things. And..."

I look up at his pause, surprised.

He twists his lips as if deciding whether or not to say it. "And...I put my number in there. In case...things get weird. With your mom. She was...more unpredictable today than I thought she'd be. And crueler. I'm sorry. If I had known she was going to handle it like that, I'd have done it differently."

"So...are you trying to say you want to get me out of this deal?" I ask quietly. While he considers it I quickly flip through my apps, pretending I'm looking for the texts from my sister when I'm actually turning the phone to silent and ensuring that the lock screen stays black.

"I'm not," Ivan says, his voice serious. "Just. You know. In case you ever need it? You'll be able to get in touch."

I smile at him, letting my hand drop down by my side. "In case I ever need that ride to Europe?" "Just in case."

And he smiles back, his face genuinely warm, and I can't help it - I quickly put the puppy on the floor of the car, and lean forward, wrapping one arm around him in a tight hug. Ivan wraps both arms around me and gives me a little squeeze, pressing his cheek to my hair.

As he does, I slip my phone deep into the crack behind the cushion of my seat, pressing it in tight so that it's wedged firmly in there.

"Thank you for being a nice kidnapper, Ivan," I murmur. "I don't hate you. I hope you know that."

"Right back at you, kid," he sighs. And then we pull apart, and I smile at him one last time before I reach down for the puppy whose paws are on my knees, trying to jump back into my lap. I gather him back up in my arms. Ivan unlocks the door and I push it open, climbing out.

"Got your phone?" he asks.

I smile at him and tap my tiny purse with my fingers. "Right here," I say. "Thanks."

He nods to me once after I close the door, and then I see him sigh before he focuses on the road and pulls away. I watch the car drive until it disappears, crossing my fingers that he doesn't bother to check my seat.

Then I sigh myself and turn to the gate, entering the code that makes it swing open.

"Come on, Lil Kent," I say, hoisting the puppy up in my arms so that we're face-to-face. I grin into his confused, adorable little puppy eyes. "Let's go meet your new daddy."

And then I step through the gate and start down the long drive towards my house. As I walk, three figures stumble out onto the front porch and I immediately recognize them as Daniel, Jerome, and my dad. "Fay!" Daniel shouts, starting to sprint down the drive, and tears again prick my eyes even as a low pain throbs in my stomach.

Because I'm so, so glad to be home, back with my family.

Especially because I think...well, I think the newest addition to this family isn't far behind.