Fall For My Ex’s Mafia Dad
Chapter 51

I gasp air back into my lungs after a moment of real fear when I couldn't pull any in-

It aches as it fills me, having been so roughly knocked out of me in the first place -

God damnit, I think, shaking a little with the shock of falling off a horse for the first time, of the sudden violence that caused it -

I roll over on the ground, pulling myself to a seated position, pressing my eyes closed as I work to steady my breath.

Someone is there next to me, almost instantly - I feel a hand on my shoulder, a tremulous voice asking if I'm okay -

When I open my eyes, I'm shocked to see it is Kent kneeling next to me, concern written in every line of his face.

"Are you serious?" I shout at him, anger mixing with the fear running through my veins. I brush his hand off my shoulder. "We would all be fine if you didn't rush in here like a crazy person! What the hell -"

Suddenly, I remember my horse and spin my torso around, looking behind me to see Heathcliff at the other side of the arena, looking at us with wide and frightened eyes.

I push myself to my feet in a moment, heading towards him -

"Fay," Kent says behind me, grabbing for my arm. But he's too slow, and I'm able to pull out of his grasp, glaring at him over my shoulder as I hurry over to my poor horse.

Behind him, I can see Jerome starting to stand up as well, a hand on his jaw, looking anxiously between us.

Still, I don't have time for that. I slow myself as I cross the ring to Heathcliff, knowing that he'll shy again and be further spooked if I run at him in a rage. So, instead, I force myself to adopt a casual stroll, talking soft nonsense to him as I approach.

I see the horse physically relax when he sees how calm I am - or at least, how calm I'm pretending to be. When I hold my hand out to him, he stretches his neck forward, pressing his nose into my palm, trusting me. I take a moment, then, as I take his reins in my left hand, to stroke his neck and tell him how pretty and wonderful he is, hoping to calm him even further.

But the whole time I'm being nice to my horse, I'm getting angrier and angrier inside.

Who the hell does Kent Lippert think he is?

Well, something inside me prompts, the most dangerous man in the city, for one.

But I quickly dismiss the thought because seriously, who the hell storms into a riding lesson and punches the instructor?

I glance at the two of them, then, and see that they're standing right where I left them, Kent staring worriedly at me. Jerome, though, is anxiously looking at Kent. He could very easily lose his job over this, we both know it - just because he put his hand on the wrong girl's knee.

But who the hell was Kent to decide who could put their hands on my knees?

He's not my fiancé, or my father. He's just some jerk who thinks he owns me.

God damnit, but I hate him right now.

I try to continue keeping my body calm as I walk Heathcliff forward towards the gate at the entrance to the arena, which is still standing open. As I pass him, Kent puts out a hand, apology on his face. I know that he's sorry - but not because he hurt me, or Jerome. No, Kent is sorry because he lost the control that's so damn precious to him.

"Fay," Kent calls after me, shaking his head, but I ignore him, walking Heathcliff towards the stables.

I pass Jerome in the same manner, giving him a dirty look as well. He still presses his hand to his face, which is expressionless as he watches me pass.

I'm not blameless in this, I know. I let Jerome continue, I liked the way it felt when he paid attention to me, flirted with me, told me I was pretty and let me wonder what it might be like to let him teach me how to ride the way Western girls ride. What it might be like to kiss him at a campfire under the stars.

But he knows better than that, and so do I.

I'm no cowgirl, even if I wanted to be. It's an impossibility.

Because I'm the daughter of one major crime lord and the fiancé of another. Where the hell did Jerome think this was going to end? Where was the happy ending here, for either of us?

I'm fuming as I get Heathcliff into his stall, as I begin to take off his saddle and tack. Out of the corner of my eye I see Jerome pass the stall too, walking to the front of the stable where he had parked the car a few hours ago.

Jerome looks worried, as he goes, and catches my eye, but he doesn't say a word to me.

I'm just so mad in this moment, as I continue to care for my horse. So angry and sad at myself all at once. And sore, physically sore, where I fell on my chest and stomach.

Poor little rich girl, I think bitterly, my inner voice rich with sarcasm. Seriously, Jerome aside, what the hell did I think I was playing at? And what business did I have feeling sad, when so many people - Jerome included - had it so much worse than me?

After all, he was going to get the brunt of the punishment for this. I was going to skate on by. Because - again - I'm the daughter of a major crime lord, and engaged to another. And Jerome is a nobody. I feel horribly guilty as I think about it, where my choices lead him.

"Fay," Kent's voice surprises me, then, as he lets himself into Heathcliff's stall.

I'm too angry to speak and just glare at him before continuing with my chores, hanging up my saddle and then collecting my brushes to groom Heathcliff after his ride.

"Fay," Kent is angrier this time, clearly insisting on my attention. But he can damn well wait until I'm finished with my horse.

When I don't reply, I can hear the anger grumble in his chest. But he leaves the stall, leaving me alone to finish my work. In silence, I brush my horse, clean his feet, and check his water and hay to make sure that he's all set for the night.

I'm grateful to see, as I give Heathcliff his final parting kiss on his nose, that my horse has come out of everything unscathed. He, unlike me, is again perfectly calm, happily relaxing in his stall.

But when I lock his stall door behind me and see Kent just outside of it waiting for me, his arms crossed, I could burst into flames I'm so damn mad.

"What the hell were you thinking," I hiss at him, striding right up to him so that we're only inches apart, glaring up into his face. "I could have been seriously hurt - Jerome could be seriously hurt -"

I can see what my accusations do to him. His temper was clearly hanging by a thread when he arrived here today - but now? He totally loses it.

"God damnit Fay," Kent says through clenched teeth, advancing on me, his chest bumping into mine and forcing me back a few steps. "He was touching you -"

"What do you care if he touches me!" I yell at him, working to hold my ground as he advances. "Who cares - it was just a little flirting - what, every time someone flirts with me you're going to punch them in the face?!"

I widen my eyes then, feeling a little reckless. "Well then get ready, Kent," I seethe, "because your knuckles are going to get really sore."

"You are engaged to my son, Fay Alden!" Kent grinds the words out from between his teeth. "If you even so much as look at another man, it is an insult to my family -"

"Oh come on, Kent," I say, laughing again, which I can tell really gets him going. His teeth are bared now, his brows drawn together with fury. "You're going to pretend that this is about Daniel? That you punched Jerome for Daniel's honor?!" I cross my arms then, shaking my head, and laugh in his face.

"You're really going to pretend," I say, pushing it, "that this wasn't about how you want to be the one to -"

He grabs me then, unable to stop himself, fisting the front of my shirt in his hand and pulling me close to his face.

"You are mine, Fay," Kent says, his words violent, possessive, dangerous. "No one touches you."

Our faces are close in this moment, our bodies pressed against each other, so close that I can feel his rageful heart pounding in his chest. But it's no match for mine.

"Really, Kent?" I say, my challenging words no louder than a whisper. "We'll just see about that."

Then, roughly, I push him away.

Surprised, perhaps, Kent lets go of my shirt.

I move away from him, but I don't run. I'm not finished.

"Well just see about that," I repeat, fixing my eyes on him. "Because my dad has introduced me to some really nice guys lately. And maybe I want to see precisely where they want to put their hands."

Then, still holding his gaze, I walk past him. Right out of the front of the stables, to where Jerome is sitting in his car.

I pull open the passenger side and Jerome gawks at me, glancing worriedly over his shoulder.

"Fay, I-" he says, nervous to see me here.

"Drive," I say, crossing my arms over my chest and staring out the windshield.

"Seriously, Fay," he tries again, so I turn to glare at him as well.

"I said. Drive."

A command. From the mafia lord's daughter. The future Donna of the Lippert clan.

Without another word, Jerome does as I say and drives me home.