Fall For My Ex’s Mafia Dad
Chapter 272

Kent and I - we stay up for hours as he spins out the story of my mother's past. I get quite mad at him, of course, for taking so long to tell me about it.

"Why didn't you tell me any of this?" I ask, resting my head on the pillows, ignoring the cramping low in my stomach for now - too tired to worry about it. Hell, I'm even too tired to glare at Kent, even though he deserves it.

"Because it didn't matter," he sighs. "She was dead - you never talk about her, or seem nostalgic about her. And I never think about those strange times twenty years ago when I was squeezed into a van and then into a gunfight with the woman. It just - honestly, it doesn't cross my mind."

"Well, I still would have wanted to know," I grumble. "And Ivan would have wanted to know too. It could have given us significant leverage over him."

"You're right," he says, reaching out to stroke my face. "In retrospect, it should have been part of full disclosure. But honestly, Fay, I didn't remember that I'd said anything to you about her before, let alone what - I wasn't trying to keep it from you. And Ivan -" he waves a vague hand, "I thought I had bigger fish to fry than Ivan. It was a mistake."

"I believe you," I sigh, turning my face and kissing his hand. And then I look back at him. "And, as long as you never made out with her, or worse," I manage a little glare then even at the thought of it, "then...I guess it doesn't change anything." "What do you mean?" he murmurs, stroking my face.

"It means that we need a plan, Kent. For what we're going to say to her tomorrow. What we're going to do."

"All right," he says, nodding to me. "What's the plan?"

"Don't you want to take lead on this?" I ask, my eyebrows going up

Kent shakes his head back and forth, keeping his eyes on me. "This is yours, Fay. Your mother, your vengeance if you want it. Or your peace, your triumph. Whatever you want, I'm on board."

I stare at him for a long moment. "And if I asked you to take lead?" I ask quietly.

"I'd do what I thought was right. But..." he hesitates now, narrowing his eyes at me. "I don't think that's what you really want."

I shake my head then. "No, but it's nice to know you would take it, if I asked you to."

He nods, steady. "So?"

I nod too. "I know precisely what I want, Kent. I just...don't know if it's going to make you hate me, if I ask for it."

And then, as Kent clicks his tongue and sits up, pressing a hand to my cheek, I spill everything - all of my thoughts, my ideas, my plans. I tell him everything I want and how I want to do it. It takes a long time to spell it all out. And at the end of it? Kent looks at me with clear eyes.

"Are you sure?" he asks, just once.

"I'm sure," I say, my voice quiet, giving a single nod.

"All right," he says, his eyebrows going up. "We have a short timeline for this, Fay. We'll have to stay up all night."

"I'm ready," I whisper, holding his gaze.

Kent leans forward, pressing a single kiss to my mouth, and then the two of us get started, all business.When the sun comes up, our bed is scattered with paper, our notes everywhere. And Kent - poor thing - despite his best efforts, he did fall asleep at the end. I smile at him as I silently pace the floor, my hands pressed against the small of my back, breathing steadily through the contraction that pulses through my body.

They're about fifteen minutes apart now and even more painful as my body begins to get ready for the real work of labor. I grit my teeth, wondering how the hell I'm going to keep this a secret. Because the moment Kent realizes what's happening, he's going to call off our entire plan -

But that can't happen. It's just...not an option.So, even though I'm more intensely uncomfortable than I think I've ever been in my life - and aware that it's only going to get worse - I breathe through the contraction, and steel myself, and nod, knowing that we're going to have to move fast. I glance at the sweet puppy, asleep in his little crate with his little doggie blanket, and then at the clock, which reads 6:00. And as the contraction ends I grimace, knowing I've got about fifteen minutes until the next one, and it's time to go.

I move, then, to sit on Kent's side of the bed, reaching out and running my fingers through his hair, knowing it will wake him.

I smile as his eyes blink open and focus on me. The moment they do he reaches up and takes my wrist, bringing my hand to his mouth and pressing a kiss to my palm.

"Hey, gorgeous," I murmur.

"That's my line," he mutters, his words still thick with sleep.

I grin at him. "I'm just borrowing it. You can have it back tomorrow. Are you ready?"

"Did I fall asleep?" he asks, sitting up and scowling at himself. "Did you?"

I nod eagerly. "I got a couple of hours," I lie. "But baby got me up. Constant bathroom breaks, as you know."

Kent murmurs something comforting to me as he sits up, and then he presses a kiss to my mouth. I lean into it, wanting his love, his warmth, and he holds me close for a long moment.

"Okay," he says, pulling away and nodding to me. "Let's get started."

And then Kent and I stand up and get ready for our morning. And individually, I prepare myself for the biggest performance of my life.

My heart breaks, just a little, when I walk out of my bedroom with the puppy in my arms to see Jerome asleep on the couch, his bruised face pressed unconscious against a tiny throw pillow, a scanty blanket draped over his legs.

And then I scowl at myself, because I'm not supposed to feel bad for him, my betrayer.

But I sigh, because Kent explained more of it to me last night - the whole story, at least from his perspective - and I know that I owe Jerome a long talk. And he owes me a great deal more.

And, because I love him, I'll give him that when all of this is done.

So I walk over, and, balancing the puppy on my hip, I lean down, stroking my fingers through his hair until he, too, blinks awake.

"Hey, 'romey," I say, smiling down at him.

Jerome groans and rolls over on his back. "Hey, Fay," he says, trying for a smile and failing, that guilt already coming back into his eyes. "You ready to get to work?"

He frowns a little and sits up. Behind me, I hear Kent's feet moving across the room and down the hall, intent on waking Gio and Daniel.

"Work?" Jerome asks, looking up at me, his eyes curiously moving over me and taking in that I'm dressed for the day. "What - what are we doing? Are we still going to Monaco -"

I quickly shake my head as I take a step back, letting him put his feet on the floor. "Change of plans," I say, my voice steady. Then I look at the puppy and over at the coffee machine, anxious suddenly as I feel a contraction coming on. "Will you make me a cup of coffee? I want to take the dog out -"

"Fay," Jerome says, grabbing my hand before I can skirt away. I bite my lip, anxious. "Please, we need to talk -"

"Coffee first," I bite out, pointing towards the machine and turning to the back door as I grit my teeth at the pain. And as I scurry away, I silently thank my contraction, because it's certainly making me look sterner to Jerome than I actually am. I barely get outside before the pain hits, making me gasp.