Fall For My Ex’s Mafia Dad
Chapter 271

Kent and I take a few more minutes to sit quietly together on the bed, petting the puppy and genuine And then the rest of the night?

It's way, way busier than I expected it to be. Honestly, you'd think that the night after a kidnapping yo great deal to do.

Kent storms through the house, bossing everyone around, which I think makes him feel centered as m apparently Lil Kent needs a crate as well as puppy food? Who knew.

Jerome Kent completely ignores, which I think devastates Jerome more than being bossed around, be they need.

My dad comes home after a long walk and mostly wants to sit quietly, though Jerome sits with him for civility. So, I turn away.

Gio is the hardest, when he finally gets home. He wraps me in a big, relieved hug that makes me smile letting Daniel stand close and catch what we're saying. We tell Gio about my mother's threat against K It's not that we don't trust Gio or want him to know. It's just...well, Kent and I haven't ironed out the d And until we do, Gio can stay lightly in the dark.

Me? I spend a lot of my time...walking around. Not because I am idle, but because these labor pains...t are still not very close together, and they're really short - but still, I don't want anyone to know. There is...too much at stake right now.

And, luckily, my busy house full of men seems quite willing to lose themselves in distractions at the m When the night grows late and I get off the phone with my sister - who is pissed as hell at my mom - And so I say a quiet goodnight to my dad, doing my best to ensure that he's all right. He laughs a little up if he wants to talk, and my stoic, quiet dad nods and makes his way to his room with a beer in his......

check in on each other - ensuring that we feel right and prepared or what is coming next.

content to just curl up in bed and relax, happy to be home, but with this ultimatum on the line? And the plans that I'm brewing in regards to it? There's a

it ensures that everything that needs to get done is done. He gives Daniel the most instructions, sending him out for takeout for dinner and dog supplies -

's very clear that Kent hasn't decided that he's still part of the team. Still, Jerome makes himself useful, cleaning up and ensuring that everyone has what

e. I notice them talking softly after a long bit and, as much as I want to know what they're saying, I'm still not ready to speak to Jerome with anything like murmurs his gratitude for my safety before admiring the new puppy, calling him a very handsome specimen. Kent and I fill Gio in on...about half the story, t we keep out the second half of the ultimatum, that offers his grandfather as the second choice. have we?

getting sharp. I do my best to disguise it as wanting to take the puppy out, ensuring that he doesn't go to the bathroom inside the house. The contractions

no one really noticing the regularity with which I step outside.

ods solemnly to me, letting me know that it's time.

to me, patting my cheek and saying not to worry about him - it's his job to worry about me. So, I give him a big hug and tell him not to hesitate to wake me

I sigh as I watch him go, Kent coming to my side to wrap an arm around my waist. "He'll be all right, Fay," Kent murmurs softly to me.

"I know," I say, resting my head on his shoulder. "I just...it's a big shock."

"As a big a shock for you as him," Kent says, making me look up at him. "If not bigger. And yet you're so concerned about taking care of everyone else?"

I just shrug, not having an answer, not really willing to plumb those depths of my psyche right now. Because Kent's right - I'm not really letting myself feel Janeen's anger, or dad's sadness. I'm locking it all away because... Well, because I've got a job to do.

"Come on," I say, turning towards our room and taking Kent with me. "We've got to talk."

Kent and I wave our goodnights to the three boys who still sit in the living room, drinking quietly and talking amongst themselves. They call their own goodnights before I give a sharp whistle and hear the puppy scamper across the room to me, eagerly coming to my heels. "How did you teach him that?" Kent asks, frowning down at the dog.

"I didn't. He's just a good boy," I say, smiling down at the pup who prances along eagerly at my side, staring up at me. "Plus, I'm the only one who had fed him and let him outside."

"Clever pup," Kent says, leading the puppy and I into the room and closing the door behind us.

Kent and I shower and change into our pajamas before the three of us bundle up in the bed then - Kent groaning at my insistence on keeping the puppy by my side -

"Just until he falls asleep!" I insist -

Kent sighs, giving in as the puppy grows heavy in my arms, his sleepy snout stretched out over my wrist. And Kent and I settle against the pillows, getting comfortable for what we both know is going to be a long, long talk. Because as busy as we've been, my mind has been turning and turning, coming up with what I want to do. And frankly, the anger and pain and shock that I've been denying - it's been simmering low within me.

And I have absolutely no intention of letting my mother walk away from this with the upper hand.

But before I can even get to that...there is something that I desperately need to address.

"All right, little viper," Kent murmurs, looking me over. "What do you have turning over in your mind? I can tell it's something."

"I'm going to ask you a question, Kent," I say, my voice quiet and serious. "And I want you to answer me with perfect honesty."

Kent blinks at the seriousness of my tone but gives me a single nod, telling me to ask.

"Have you ever," I say, studying his face very closely, "made out with my mom?"

His face falls in complete shock, his mouth falling open.

I gasp, slapping a hand over my mouth, disturbing the puppy just a little so that he raises his head in concern. "Oh, ew!" "Wh-what!? Fay!"

"Kent!" I hiss his name behind my hand, "that is so gross!"

"Fay!" he shouts, grabbing my hand away from my face, "you didn't even give me a chance to answer before you leapt to conclusions -"

"You had plenty of time!" I protest, shaking my head, "you had time to say 'what' and 'Fay,' twice! That's plenty of time to say no!"

"Oh my god," he groans, his hand tightening on my wrist. "Fay, you're being ridiculous - no, of course I've never made out with your mother -" "But did you want to?" I press, leaning forward again to study him.

"What!?" he gasps again, his brows knitting together in anger. "No! Fay! What even gave you this idea!?"

"Things she said," I reply, working to keep my cool but narrowing my eyes, "about you two knowing each other more than you've implied."

"And what is it that I've implied?" he growls, dropping my wrist.

"Don't you play this game with me, sir," I say, pointing a finger in his face that he swats away. "You know very well that when we first met you said that you met my mother at a party once, and she was very beautiful, and that she was not afraid to dance -" "What?" he breathes, clearly not remembering the moment like I do.

"You said it, Kent!" I protest, reaching out to smack him on the arm.

"All right," he growls, not even flinching at my smack and holding my eyes instead. "And it was not a lie."

I narrow my eyes at him. "And I don't think that what my mother said today about knowing you more than just a random person she saw at a party once was her just taunting me. So?" I sit back, demanding my explanation. "What's the truth, Kent?" He sighs sharply through his nose. "Fine," he says, glaring at me. "I knew her."

My mouth pops open with a betrayed squeak.

"Not like that," Kent growls, leaning closer to me, "we just...she was around, when I was coming up in the ranks. Alden was more established than me - he was one of the people for whom I did jobs. Daniel was just a kid - I was married, and so was she! It had nothing to do with anything like what you're implying, Fay, and if she lead you to think that then she's manipulating you -"

I sigh, leaning back a little, believing him now. Still, I narrow my eyes again. "Well?" I say, careful. "Then what was it? Where did your paths cross?"

"Those jobs I did for Alden, Fay? To build my cred in the community, to make some serious cash?" he says, turning his head to the side a little. "Your mom, she was on some of them. One hell of a shot with a pistol, your mother."

The breath all leaves me in a woosh as Kent sighs and begins to lay the truth for me - a very particular story about a very particular job they were on together, the night before she took me from my father's home and ran away. And as he continues my jaw drops lower, and lower.