Filed to story: Falling for My Ex's Mafia Dad Novel Free PDF (Fay Alden & Kent Lippert)
Luckily, Gio grabs my arm before I can actually pitch forward.
â??Fay!â? Daniel gasps, and then he glares at me, scolding me a bit. â??Would you pay attention!?â?
I wrinkle my nose at him a little, frowning. â??I was thinking.â?
â??Can you concentrate on walking first? God, you have to be careful â?
I open my mouth to retort but Gio cuts in smoothly with a laugh.
â??Donâ??t be too hard on her, Daniele,â? he murmurs, holding my arm steady as I find my feet and smile up at him. â??She just went to battle with nonno â?? sheâ??s bound to be a little distracted.â?
â??Thank you, Gio,â? I say perkily as we start again down the stairs.
â??What do you think?â? Daniel murmurs to his cousin, who laughs a little again.
â??I think you were right to let her talk,â? Gio says, keeping his voice low so weâ??re not overheard. â??She did better than most. And nonno â??â?? Gio shrugs here, a little apologetic, â??he thinks you are a little lazy.â?
I frown at Gio now, defensive. â??Daniel is not lazy â??â??
Gio grins at me as we reach the ground floor, clearly pleased. â??A loyal wife,â? he says, looking me over. â??I admit, I am impressed. I underestimated you. Though I think, perhapsâ?¦â? he shrugs again, a very Italian gesture, â??that you want people underestimate you. Yes?â?
I shrug, a little coy, and look Gio over from head to toe. Because as much as he presents himself as outside of his family â?? someone who does not dress like them, who is clearly in a trade, and who has garnered both his fatherâ??s and his grandfatherâ??s disappointment â?? Gio has learned some tricks, hasnâ??t he? Heâ??s quite adept at reading people.
Which is something Iâ??ll have to keep an eye on in our future interactions. I donâ??t trust him, even if he is close with Daniel. Not until I know what it is he wants.
So, I simply smile and neither confirm nor deny what Gio has said, making Daniel laugh and wrap an arm around my shoulders, looking towards the door.
â??Must you really go?â? Gio asks Daniel, frowning, his face genuinely sad, even pleading. â??I wanted to catch up.â?
â??We do have to go,â? Daniel replies with an apologetic twist of his mouth. â??But weâ??re not disappearing. Weâ??ll be back â?? there will be time to catch up.â?
â??Yes,â? Gio says, giving us both a little smirk. â??I have a feeling there will be.â?
And then Daniel pulls open the door and Gio gives us both kisses on our cheeks â?? I keep forgetting to turn my head for the second, and make a mental note to start getting used to that â?? before waving to us as we head for the car.
As I climb inside, I give Danielâ??s favorite cousin one last smile, taking him in as he leans against the entryway to the gigantic, beautiful house.
â??Why didnâ??t you tell me about him?â? I ask quietly as Daniel buckles in and starts the car.
â??Didnâ??t I?â? Daniel asks, turning to me with a frown.
I turn to stare at him, a little surprised. â??Daniel, not once did you mention that you had a cousin you were particularly close with. Cousins, you talked about all the time. But a best friend?â? I turn my head to the side, curious and with a little bit of accusation in my words.
â??Yeah, well,â? Daniel murmurs on a sigh, starting to pull the car out of the driveway and onto the road. â??Itâ??s kind of a long story.â?
â??Well,â? I say, reaching out a hand to pat him on the shoulder. â??Luckily weâ??ve got a long ride.â?
â??A long ride with a very angry mob boss at the end,â? Daniel mutters, smirking a bit. â??You sure youâ??re ready for this?â?
â??Oh, itâ??ll be fine,â? I say, running my fingers through my hair and piling it on top of my head. â??You just leave Kent to me.â?
Daniel laughs and nods. â??Trust me, Fay,â? he says. â??I have every intention of doing just that.â?
Daniel and I drive for about half an hour in quiet, both of us processing the events of the morning in our own way. I, for one, go over every moment of the meeting with Don Bianci again and again, trying to see it from his perspective, or to discover places where I slipped and said too much, or too little.
But eventually I sigh, becauseâ?¦well, Iâ??m trying to get into his head, arenâ??t I? And Iâ??ll never know what he thinks or thought â?? not really.
So, Iâ??m better off not trying.
â??Donâ??t stress about it, Fay,â? Daniel says, giving me a smiling glance. â??You did well in there.â?
â??Yeah well, if Iâ??d done really well heâ??d have leapt from his seat and said â??of course! What a great idea! Iâ??m thrilled at this prospect â?? I immediately accept!â??â?
Daniel laughs and shakes his head. â??Donâ??t wish for the moon, Fay, youâ??ll only be disappointed.â?
We talk for a long time then, me spelling out all of my thoughts about our meeting and the all of the different possibilities. Daniel listens carefully and gives me his perspective, but weâ??re both aware that heâ??s just letting me process my own thoughts aloud.
And I am, again, grateful for my sweet husband bestie.
But once I feel better about it all, I turn my attention to him. Because, I mean, while I had my own thoughts and emotions about the day â?? it must have been very different for Daniel, seeing his grandfather again, and on such different terms.
â??Did it bother you at all?â? I ask, turning to him a little and resting my head against my seat as I gaze at my husband. â??The way that heâ?¦well, that he suggested he was disappointed in you?â?
â??Nah,â? Daniel says, giving a casual shrug. â??I think I got used to disappointing these Italian fathers a long time ago. Itâ??s inevitable, unless youâ??re willing to structure your life exactly like theirs.â?
â??Is that how Gio feels too?â? I ask quietly, considering.
â??Yeah,â? Daniel says, his eyes on the road. â??We were the closest in age, growing up, but our affinities run deeper than that. Neither of us really want to do what our dads do. And Kent â?? he let me slip more than Alessi did Gio.â?
â??Really?â? I say, raising my eyebrows. â??Is this the first and only time when Kent gets off the hook for being an easy dad?â?
Daniel laughs and glances at me. â??Only comparatively. I mean, he still arranged a mob marriage for me and held me to it â??â??
â??To your distinct advantage,â? I murmur, teasing, making him laugh.
â??Yes, undoubtedly,â? he says with a nod, â??but Kent never made me go into the family business, not really. He let me to go to school for whatever I wanted and actively kept me from learning the illegal stuff, to keep me out of harmâ??s way.â?
I nod, considering it, liking this side of Kent â?? the protective dad.
â??And Gio?â? I ask, wanting more details.
Daniel laughs a little. â??You know, he actually had to run away from home to go to college to be a nurse?â?
â??Really?â? I ask, kind of tickled by the idea of someoneâ??s great rebellion being enrolling in medical school.
â??Yeah,â? Daniel says, shaking his head and laughing. â??But even after he got it and continues to work in the field,â? Daniel shrugs, â??his entire family pressures him to give it up. They want him to inherit after Alessi.â?
â??But doesnâ??t Alessi have other kids?â? I ask, confused.
â??Yeah, five others,â? Daniel says, raising his eyebrows at me. â??And Tonio â?? heâ??s second-eldest, after Gio â?? would be more than happy to take the spot. But,â? Daniel shrugs, â??family is very important to the Bianciâ??s, and the job goes to the eldest.â?