Fall For My Ex’s Mafia Dad
Chapter 269

Kent's whole body shakes as he holds me tight against him, and I hear him breathe a little moan of relief as he presses his fingers hard against my body, as if checking to make sure that I'm here, that I'm real.

"Fay." My name tumbles desperately out of his mouth as he pulls me even tighter for a moment. I cling to him just as hard, crying again despite myself - just so, so glad to be back in his arms.

"It's okay," I whisper, my fingers fisted in the fabric of his shirt as I press my face against his chest. "I'm okay, Kent - I'm perfectly fine -"

He gives a shuddering little groan of relief at my words, pulling me tighter - if that's possible. I can feel his heart pounding against me, his deep and ragged breaths.

We take a long moment then, holding each other, murmuring reassurances.

"I thought I'd lost you," Kent whispers, pulling back an inch to peer down into my face, his eyes roving over it to make sure that every one of my features is untouched. One of his hands slides down my back and to my side, touching the edge of my baby bump. "Both of you."

I shake my head as I stare up at him, denying it. "We're both here," I say, nodding, reassuring. "We're both fine." Even as I say it, though, a pang of pain passes through my abdomen. And it's not that I don't think the baby is okay - I think the baby's just...ready. I curse inwardly, wishing the baby had better timing.

Kent shakes his head and pulls me close against him again, tucking his head down close to mine. "We searched everywhere. I sent Gio east - Fay, I'm so sorry," he whispers - and the absurdity of it makes me laugh, just a little.

"Kent, this is so not your fault -"

"I should have kept you safe!"

"I went to the grocery store -"

"I should have made you stay home -"

"Kent!" I pull back from him seriously now and put my hands on his cheeks, shaking my head again. "It can't be all your fault - you can't take that much on your shoulders. Some things are beyond your control - they were watching us for weeks, waiting for me to leave -" "They?" he asks suddenly, his arms tensing around me as his gaze turns into a glare. "Who, Fay?"

I hesitate, then, looking back at my dad on the couch, at Jerome and Daniel who are waiting patiently for us to have our moment.

"Who?" Kent presses, shaking me just gently, bringing my attention back to him.

I open my mouth to protest, to say that we need to talk as a family, but before I can Kent's head whips to the side because he heard - as we all did -

The little puppy's sad whine as he comes around the corner of the couch, looking for me.

"Oh, baby," I murmur, unwrapping myself from Kent's arms - which is easy, because they go slack - and taking a few steps over to the puppy, who basically jumps in my arms when I lean down to pick him up. I pet his head, cooing to him, sorry to have left him - because I'm the only friend he's got in the world right now, as far as he knows.

"Is that..." Kent says, a little breathless in his shock, "is that a dog!?"

I stare at Kent, a little incredulous. "Are you all right?" I ask, holding the pup up so Kent can see him better. "Yes, Kent, obviously it's a dog -"

He storms forward three steps to me, staring slack-jawed at the animal. "Where the hell did you get a dog?"

"He got kidnapped with me! Didn't you, little puppy?" I answer, cooing to him and stroking his velvet ears. "He was in my arms when Ivan pulled me into the van -"

"Ivan!?" Kent booms out and I can't help but smirk and glance at Daniel - because their reaction was precisely the same. Daniel works very hard to keep his face straight, but I can tell that he sees the humor in it too.

"That reminds me," I say, spinning back to Kent, "we need to go back to the grocery store -"

"What!?" Kent gasps, disbelief all over his face.

"We have to pay the farmer! I stole the puppy! It's not right, Kent -"

He groans, putting his face in his hands and turning away like he can't stand to look at me right now.

"I'm serious, Kent!" I say, stomping my foot. "It's not right to steal a puppy, even if it wasn't my fault -"

"We'll take the puppy back," he growls, turning to glare at me, his hands sinking into his pockets. "We're not keeping it, Fay."

I gasp and glare at him, holding Lil Kent tight in my arms and lifting him so that his face is next to mine. The puppy eagerly licks my cheek. "How dare you, Kent," I say, honestly a little appalled. "This dog and I are bonded by trauma - I am never giving him up -" "Fay," Kent growls, taking a step towards me, "you are days from having a child, we are not raising a puppy and a newborn at the same time -"

"We damn well are," I say, lifting my chin and staring up at him. "I am not sending Lil Kent back to the farm -"

Behind me, Daniel bursts into laughter when he hears the puppy's name and Kent freezes, staring at me like I'm some horrible imp sent from the underworld just to t*****e him. I sigh a deep breath and roll my eyes, turning back to the couch as Kent continues to stand perfectly still.

"It's not up for debate," I sigh, sitting down on the couch with the dog in my arms. "This pup is a Lippert now."

Kent sighs, closing his eyes and rubbing his forehead. "At least get him off the couch, Fay."

Suppressing a smile, because I know I've won, I comply with Kent's demand, giving the puppy another kiss on the forehead before settling him gently on the floor.

"Enough," Kent snaps, moving closer and glaring around the room. "Fay, tell us what happened. We've got to know."

I take a deep breath then, my mind anxiously turning over how to tell this story. Everyone in the room lets me have a moment to think before I exhale a big sigh and look around. "All right," I say, nodding. "But...you have to let me tell it without interrupting, all right? Because if I have to stop and answer questions, I'll never get this all out."

Everyone nods their consent, agreeing to my terms.

And so I begin - telling about how Ivan snatched me off the side of the road, about how he took me to a hotel where a woman from the FBI was waiting. As I continue the story I see Kent grow angrier and angrier, seething as he holds back his true reaction, letting me talk.

But when I lay out the ultimatum - twenty fours hours to decide if I'm going to give up Kent or spy on the Bianci clan - Kent can't hold it back anymore. He turns away, his hands on his hips as he mutters a long stream of curses.

I bite my lip, looking around at Daniel and Jerome, shocked to see Jerome hanging his head, shaking it as if he regrets every choice he's made in his life. My eyebrows go up in surprise as I study him - because what - why- "Keep going," Kent snaps, turning back to us.

I nod quickly, rushing through the final bit - that Ivan drove me home and was really nice to me and the dog. I keep back, just for the moment, the fact that I left the phone in the car, because...well. I know what I want to do with that. And I'd rather run my plans through with Kent alone.

But first?

"All right, Fay," Kent says, shaking his head at me a little. "You've been keeping it back long enough. Tell us, now. Who was the woman."

I sigh and look around the room, my eyes settling on my dad. "It was..." I reach out and take his hand as he looks at me with shock, clearly wondering why I'm focusing on him. "Dad...it was mom."

His eyes widen in disbelief and he stares at me for a long moment before blinking rapidly. "What?" he asks, his voice soft. "Wait, what?" It's almost as if he thinks he must have misheard me.

"Mom," I say again, nodding at him and squeezing his hand. "I was as shocked as you are, dad. But...she's alive. She must have...faked her death, I don't know. But...she's been alive, all these years, working with the FBI to take the mafia down." Dad's face goes red before his eyes fill with tears - with shock, or regret, or horror - I don't know.

"I'm sorry," I say, my voice cracking as I curl up on the couch next to him, pressing my side to his. My dad's arm automatically goes around me as he wipes a shaking hand down his face. He doesn't say a word, processing the information that his wife - she didn't die. She left him, as coldly and callously as a woman could. Left him without a word, faked her death, and left him to mourn her and raise her daughter all on his own.

It's brutal news, and it breaks my heart to give it, but as I glance around the room a pulse of shock passes through me as I see that...

...that my dad is the only one who is truly surprised.

"Wait," I say, slowly sitting up and frowning around the room. "Wait, what's going on here?"

Kent just sighs and turns his head to glare at Jerome, whose head hangs low on his shoulders.