Fall For My Ex’s Mafia Dad
Chapter 64

Half an hour later, I'm pounding up the front steps to my childhood home and throwing open the screen door. I twist the doorknob and push on the wooden door behind it, expecting it to fall open with its familiar creak, but I bump against it when it fails to open. Tears start to slide down my cheeks again as I suddenly realize that it's locked. Of course it is - we always lock the door in this neighborhood - and I don't have my keys because they're sitting in my old purse, which is back at Kent's house. I lean against the door with a heavy sigh, closing my eyes and letting myself cry more. It's all just too much -

Suddenly, I fall inwards as the door opens.

"Who..." Janeen says, and then gives a little gasp as I stumble into the house. "Fay!" she cries, her hands immediately on my arms, steadying me. "Are you all right? What's -" But as soon as I turn my tear-stained face up to hers, she wraps me in a hug and holds me close. "Oh, baby," she coddles, "baby, don't cry! It's okay! What's wrong?"

I don't say anything for a little while, just letting my sister hold me tight while I cry my heart out. She obliges me, shushing me softly and making comfortable noises until I'm finished. When my tears start to lessen, she gently peels me off her, crouching down to look in my face. "Fay," she whispers, shaking her head at me in wonder. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

I sniff, wiping at my nose and looking around the house. "Is dad home?"

She shakes her head. "No, he went out with his buddies. He won't be back for a while."

"Good," I say, nodding. "I don't want him to know."

"Know what?" Janeen begs, her eyes going wider with wonder. I can tell she's as intrigued as she is worried.

"Come on," I say, taking her hand and nodding towards the couch. "I'll tell you everything -"

"Nooo," she says, digging in her feet and not letting me pull her into the living room. "With tears like that, we're having this talk over vodka." She gives me a wide-eyed look like I'm crazy for wanting to do this sober and I can't help the little laugh that bubbles out of

me.

"Okay," I nod, heading into the living room while she goes to the freezer and pulls out a bottle, starting to mix our drinks. Janeen takes her vodka simply, with a twist of lemon, but she adds a little orange juice to mine, knowing I need something sweet to cut the bite. As she works I sink into one corner of our old couch, taking a deep breath and looking down at the crumpled contract still clutched in my hand.

Janeen places our glasses on the coffee table next to us before taking her familiar spot on the other side of the couch, her back against the arm, our feet mingling in the space between us. "Well?" she asks. I don't say anything, just toss the crumpled paper at her so that it lands in her lap. "What's this?" she murmurs, unfolding it and frowning.

"My engagement to Daniel is over," I inform her, my voice dead and expressionless. She looks up at me in sudden shock. "I made a deal with Kent to...work for him. Turn Ivan against my dad and towards him. In exchange, you're getting this house. And a beach house."

"We're getting a beach house!?" Her eyes go eagerly wide. But I just purse my lips and glare at her, reminding her that I'm distraught.

"Oh, yeah," she murmurs, rolling her eyes a little. "So sorry that your fake engagement to your gay ex ended, Fay, I was really rooting for you two -"

"Janeen!" I whine, kicking her a little. "Can you take this seriously! I'm upset!"

"Okay," she sighs, and I see real apology on her face. "I'm sorry, Fay - you're right. It just seems like maybe this is kind of a sweet deal. I mean, I know you weren't pumped about that engagement, not really, so what's the downside? Is it really dangerous?" "That's not the bad part," I say, covering my eyes with my hand. "I was fine with all of that - I signed that contract eagerly."

I hear my sister flick through the contract to the end. "Well," she mutters, "this one isn't signed..."

"Because that's Kent's second offer," I say plainly, trying to keep my voice even as I peek through my fingers at her. Janeen quirks her head to the side, looking at me. "That's the NDA he wants me to sign. When he pays me an insane amount of money to become his mistress."

Janeen's mouth slowly drops open into an exaggerated O as she stares at me for a moment. And then I almost leap out of my seat when she lets out a convulsive shriek of victory. "Yes! I knew it!" she shouts, pumping her hands in the air, the contract flapping as she waves it around. "I knew he was into you - I knew he wasn't buying you fricking horses for nothing -"

"Janeen!" I gasp, shocked at her and a little appalled. "He has not been into me this whole time -"

"Oh come on, Fay," she says, cackling with laughter and giving me a look that plainly says you naïve little baby. "He has been into you since the moment he met you - you don't get carried out of strip clubs on someone's shoulder just because they think you're a poor stray kitten who needs some help."

I frown at her, crossing my arms defensively across my stomach. But...damn it. My eyes flick to the side as I realize I have no defense here - I have been aware of...something...between Kent and I. And it's been brewing for -

"Seeee," she teases, leaning forward and pointing her finger at me. "You know it too!" She grabs her drink off the table and takes a swig, falling back laughing. "Oh, this is the best! I fricking love being right."

Frustrated, I inhale deeply through my nose as I glare at her and grab my own drink off the table, taking a sip. "Well?" I bite out. "Just because he's...into me..." I flick my hand, skipping over the details, "doesn't solve this problem for me. What the hell am I supposed to do?"

Janeen's laughter fades a little bit and she considers me for a moment, taking another slow sip of her drink. I wait patiently, watching her, wondering what's going on in her mind.

"Well, Fay?" she asks quietly, leaning forward a little. "What do you want to do?"

"What do you mean?" I ask, hesitating and shrinking away from her a little, not liking the clever gleam in her eyes.

"I meannnn," she says, smirking and drawing out the word. "Do you want to f**k him too?"

My mouth falls open and I blush terribly, making her dissolve into laughter again.

"You totally do!" she shouts, holding her drink up in triumph. "I knew it - I f*****g knew it Fay -"

"Janeen!" I cry, kicking her sharply this time, but she just kicks me back. "Would you take this seriously?" I beg, and she calms down when she sees the very real worry on my face. She takes a deep breath, clearly working hard to contain her glee and look at me seriously, letting me continue. "Janeen," I mutter, looking down into my glass and feeling just as overwhelmed and upset and ashamed as I felt in Kent's office. "I can't - I can't be his whore - I would never -"

"Whoa, whoa," Janeen says, leaning forward and putting a hand on top of mine. "Who said whore, Fay? Did he call you a whore?"

I shake my head no, still looking down into my drink. "No, he said mistress - or girlfriend with financial incentives - but isn't it the same -"

"Baby," Janeen murmurs kindly, interrupting me and coming close to slide an arm around my shoulders. I stop talking and look at her, desperately wanting her advice. She looks fondly at me and taps her near-empty glass against my full one. "Come on, put that down the hatch," she says, nodding towards my drink. "Then I'll pour you another and talk you through this."

I nod and she watches fondly as I drain my glass, smirking at the little shudder that passes through me. "Good girl," she murmurs, giving me a squeeze. "Come on - you came to the right place. Big sis will fix everything."