Fall For My Ex’s Mafia Dad
Chapter 46

It's a happy affair, really - everyone seems eager to greet me, to bring me plates of food, to ask me about my life, my studies, and my career.

As people start to settle in for the evening and stronger liquor starts to be poured into everyone's cups, I start to notice...well. That there are a lot of boys around.

I look around the circle, noting that there are, of course, women - aunts and cousins, many of them. But I've also been introduced, this afternoon, to a variety of handsome young men. All here alone. And all, apparently, single.

For instance, the one who is talking to me now - or, should I say, who has been talking at me since he sat down in Tristin's seat as soon as she abandoned it to go feed the baby.

"Yeah, I'm in finance," he says, taking a swig of his beer. He gives me a little smirk. "So, you majored in psych, right?" he asks.

I squirm a little in my chair, uncomfortable. "Um," I say, "how did you know that?"

"Your dad told me," he says, using the neck of his beer bottle to gesture towards my father across the fire. "Or at least, he told my dad. Who told me." The guy looks at me again. "They, uh...know each other." "Oh," I say, my lips pursing as I look away from him. Am I supposed to know what that means?

"Yeah," the guy continues - what was his name again? "So, our dads think it's a good idea if we like, get to know each other." He waggles his eyebrows at me suggestively.

I sit back in my chair, my mouth falling open.

"So are you free?" he asks, leaning in. "On like, Saturday? I'll take you out somewhere nice. And then maybe, afterwards..." he runs a finger along my forearm, which I immediately snatch away.

"Um, sorry," I say, staring at him. "But I'm engaged?"

"What?" he says, sitting back in his chair. Then, suddenly, he laughs. "No, you're not."

"I assure you," I say, opening my eyes wide and leaning forward. "I am. To that guy," I point over to Daniel, who is still playing volleyball in the fading sun. Though, because he's far away, I guess my pointing towards a generalized group of men isn't very convincing. The young man next to me has the gall to laugh again. "No seriously," he says, taking another swig from his beer. "If you're engaged, then where's your ring?"

I fish around in my beach and then slide my engagement ring back on my finger. I had taken it off while I ate crab and lobster - too much butter. I didn't want to risk it slipping off and getting lost in the sand.

"Seriously?!" the guy shouts, his face going a little pale when he sees the size of it. He stands up immediately from his seat and stalks off towards my father. I stare after him, hearing him as he mutters, "then why the hell am I here?"

"I have no idea," I mutter in response, watching him tap my father on the shoulder, having some angry words with him. As I watch the little argument break out, I see, out of the corner of my eye, someone else take his seat. "What'd you say to that one," the newcomer mutters.

"I just told him I'm engaged," I say lightly, and then, turning my head, blink in surprise to see that it's the young man with all the tattoos. The one I had noticed, earlier, when we'd first arrived at the beach. "Oh!" I say, surprised into exclamation. He smirks at me and, predictably, I blush. I scowl, really wishing I didn't do that all the time.

"So," he says, giving me a friendly smile. "Apparently you're the lady of the hour."

"Am I?" I say eagerly, leaning in, hoping this guy can give me a clue about what's going on. "Do you know anything about this?" I look around at all of the guys. "Like, why there are so many guys here?"

"Because, Fay," the guy says, laughing. "It's a meat market. Your dad invited all of these guys here to meet you. Specifically, to meet you." He raises his eyebrows at me, confirming that he means exactly what I think he means.

"Are you serious?" I whisper to him, angry. "My dad is seriously bacheloretting me!?"

He laughs at that and then nods. "Yeah. Imagine his dismay when your fiancé showed up, too. Luckily, he got his kid to distract him."

"Oh my god," I say, shocked, my eyes going to the volleyball game where I see Daniel and Romulus giving each other high fives. "Even little Romulus is in on it!?"

The guy laughs again, shaking his head. "They get 'em young, in this world," he says, apparently enjoying my shock. I turn back to him, then, studying him, and realizing that he's not enjoying it in a nasty way. Instead, he, too, thinks it's a little bit ridiculous. The very real ridiculousness of it all hits me then, and I laugh as well.

Suddenly, the two of us are laughing together, me a little hysterically, him along for the ride.

"Oh my god," I say, leaning back in my chair and resting a hand against my chest as the laughter starts to abate. "I can't believe this. What is he thinking?!"

"He's thinking," my new friend says, smiling at me gently. "That he has a very pretty new daughter, and he wants to see her set up right."

I shake my head a little, growing confused and a little worried. I've been engaged since birth, apparently - an arrangement my father set up. What on earth had changed that he suddenly wants me to meet new people?

"Who are you?" I ask suddenly, cocking my head to the side. I've realized, suddenly, that we haven't been introduced. "Are you one of the candidates?"

He smirks and shrugs. "I am if you want me to be."

I can't help the little smile that creeps onto my lips, then. He's terribly handsome, this young man with the dangerous tattoos climbing all the way up to his neck. And, he's been really, really nice to me in these past few minutes. "I'm Ivan," he says, leaning over the side of his chair to extend his hand for a shake.

I take his hand on instinct, but my blood goes cold as I realize exactly who he is.

Ivan.

Ivan.

That name has been rattling around Kent's kitchen for weeks now - Kent's top enemy, the guy my father blamed for blowing up his party - the one who tried to kill us.

As my face goes pale, Ivan laughs a little and withdraws his hand. But his face stays friendly as he studies me. "I see my reputation proceeds me," he says, smirking a little. "Um," I say, staring at him with wide eyes, not knowing what else to say.

Because in front of me is one of the most dangerous men in the underworld, second only perhaps to Kent himself.

Ivan, the young Kingpin of the city's heroin trade.

And he just told me that he's throwing his hat in the ring, if I want to consider him a potential replacement for my fiancé.

And if I'm being honest with myself? For a second, I consider it.