Filed to story: Falling for My Ex's Mafia Dad Novel Free PDF (Fay Alden & Kent Lippert)
â??Oh come on, Fay,â? he purrs, putting his hands in his pockets. â??You were the one who was so curious to see what was going on in the basement, even after I told you to leave. You should be brave enough to admit that you wanted to see it, that you liked it.â?
â??I did not,â? I say, stamping my foot a little. â??I went down to get my phone â??â?? I scramble at the pants of my jeans, producing it as if itâ??s evidence and tossing it on the desk. â??I definitely didnâ??t want to see anything that was going on in that room â??â??
â??Fay,â? he says, his voice light and tempting, almost sing-song. â??I saw you, Fay. I saw you crouched down, peering into the room. You werenâ??t just passing by. You stopped. You opened the door so that you could watch me.â?
I snap my mouth shut, staring at him.
Heâ??s right, of course. I was tempted. I did look. God, seriously, what was wrong with me?
He laughs softly again at me again, at the expression of guilt on my face.
Slowly, he takes three steps towards me, sliding his hands into his pockets. â??If youâ??re going to be in my house, Fay,â? he says. â??Youâ??ll follow my rules. Was I not clear about that before?â?
Quickly, I shake my head. Iâ??ve known since the moment I walked into this house that Kentâ??s will is law. I watch him as he slowly takes two more steps in my direction.
â??If you donâ??t follow my rules, Fay,â? he says, coming ever closer. â??You will be punished. Do you want me to punish you?â?
I donâ??t move â?? donâ??t answer.
A perverse part of me considers the question â?? actually considers whether â??
â??No,â? I say quickly. â??No, Iâ??m sorry, I wonâ??t do it again.â?
Kent shakes his head, a little closer right now. Fear rises in me, but so does anger. Why is he still coming closer? I promised him I wouldnâ??t do it again â?? what else does he want from me?
â??It doesnâ??t work that way, Fay,â? he says, prowling. â??You broke the rules once. You just told me you did. Now, you have to take your medicine.â?
Heâ??s only feet from me now. I lean back against the desk, desperate for even a few more inches of space. Then, I see him smile, just a tiny thing at the corner of his mouth and realize â??
God damnit, heâ??s enjoying this.
Something in me snaps. I stand up straight. â??Donâ??t you come any closer to me,â? I hiss the words from between my teeth.
Kent laughs lightly, continuing to draw nearer. He likes this, I realize. Likes pinning me back in the corner. Heâ??s already gotten everything he needs â?? my apology, my promise that I wonâ??t do it again â?? and yet, heâ??s pushingâ?¦
â??Why shouldnâ??t I, Fay,â? Kent says softly, almost a whisper. â??What are you going to do to me,â? his eyes flick over me as he says it, â??if I take one. More. Step?â?
Heâ??s bearing down on me, his face again inches from mine. â??Are you going to run again, Fay?â? he asks, so softly only I can hear. â??Iâ??ll just catch you.â?
My heartbeat ratchets up as I look up at him, at his powerful face, the complete control in his eyes.
Then, I do the only thing I can think of.
I tilt my head back and scream.
Surprisingly, Kent flinches at this, taking a step back. I look back at him as I run out of breath, my eyes wide, a pinch of joy lighting in me as I realize that I actually rattled him, just a little. Building on the effort, I throw my head back again, taking a deep breath, getting ready to let it all out when he grabs me â??
â??God damnit, Fay,â? he growls, slapping a hand across my mouth and pulling me to him so that my left shoulder is crunched against his chest. â??What do you think that is going to do!?â?
But I look up at him with a little bit of victory in my eyes. He wouldnâ??t be shutting me up if he thought it wasnâ??t going to do anything. Heâ??d let me scream myself hoarse if he didnâ??t care.
He gives me a little shake â?? nothing rough, just enough to try to teach me heâ??s in control â?? but I just laugh against his hand, perhaps a little manic now â??
The fear is still coursing through me, but along with it is something else â?? adrenaline, maybe â??
God damnit, was he right? Was my body responding to something in this, to the challenge, or the danger of it all?
â??Fay, Iâ??m going to let you go, but if you scream again, I swear â??â??
But just then, the door to my room swings open and my fiancé bursts into the room, panic and worry on his own face, his eyes flying wide when he sees me wrapped in his fatherâ??s arms, his hand over my mouth.
â??What the hell is going on here?!â? Daniel shouts, striding over to us.
Kent lets me go instantly and I gasp in fresh air, falling back against the desk.
Daniel stops by the bed, his father between us. His eyes sweep over me, ascertaining that Iâ??m okay, before turning with anger to his dad. â??What were you doing to her?!â?
Kent has regained his composure faster than I thought he would. Cooly, he slips his hands back into his pockets and gives Daniel a little smirk. â??Nothing, Daniel. Everything is fine.â?
Danielâ??s gaze slips to mine, looking for confirmation. I hesitate for a moment, looking between father and son, and then give a little shrug, deciding not to push it. Kent has made his point â?? I need to do what he says â?? but if he was really going to hurt me, heâ??d have done it by now.
â??See?â? Kent says, looking at his son. â??Sheâ??s fine.â?
With that, Kent strides from the room, brushing past his son and not giving me another look. Confused, Daniel looks after him, and then turns to me.
â??Am I crazy?â? He asks. â??Or did I hear you scream?â?
I sign and sink onto the bed. â??Youâ??re not crazy,â? I say. â??I did.â?
â??But youâ??re okay?â?
I nod as he sits down next to me, concern all over his face. I have to admit that I am a little surprised by it â?? all this time I think I thought, at least a little, that Iâ??m just a pawn in Danielâ??s life. It feels good to know that he cares about me enough to come running when he hears that Iâ??m in trouble.
â??I justâ?¦well, I broke a rule,â? I say, twisting my hands together and grimacing at him. Daniel groans, starting to calm down a bit.
â??Yeah,â? he says, giving a little laugh. â??He does not like that. What did you do?â?
â??Um,â? I bite my lip, trying to decide where to start. I was watching some of your dadâ??s homemade porn in the basement doesnâ??t seem like quite the auspicious beginning, so I jump ahead. â??He told me not to go into the basement. And I did. And I saw himâ?¦â?
I hesitate, wondering how much he knows.
Danielâ??s face drops, going a little pale. â??Iâ??m sorry, Fay,â? he says softly. â??Some of the stuff that goes on down thereâ?¦isâ?¦did anyone get hurt?â?
I nod a little and he puts a hand on my shoulder.
â??Does it happen often?â? I ask softly.
â??I donâ??t really know,â? he says, shrugging. â??I saw it once as a kid and thenâ?¦I never went down again. Honestly, I think my dad was a little disappointed in me. He doesnâ??t want me to beâ?¦well, a sissy. And I ran away crying.â?
I bite my lip at this, feeling for Daniel, who is sensitive. After a beat, I feel a question rise in me.