Filed to story: Falling for My Ex's Mafia Dad Novel Free PDF (Fay Alden & Kent Lippert)
“What’s up, Dan,” Kent asks, turning to look at something else, having no real time or patience for anything extraneous this close to the launch date.
“Jerome and I are going to town for groceries,” Daniel says with a little shrug. “We wanted to see if Fay wanted to come.”
“Ohhh!” I gasp, clasping my hands under my chin. “Yes yes yes! Let me just get my bag ”
I dash for the door but Kent puts out a hand, touching me lightly on the arm. “Fay,” he says, his eyes worried as he glances over me. “Are you sure ”
“Kent!” I almost shout, frustrated. “You’re so worried that I’ll go into labor that you won’t let me go to town, but you’re not so worried that you’ll go to Monaco for four days?” I roll my eyes at his hypocrisy.
Kent’s lips tighten and he shakes his head at me. “I just think you’re safer here,” he says, slipping his hands into his pockets. “Why risk it? Why risk anything?”
“Because it’s not a risk,” I say, my shoulders slumping. “Kent, I haven’t been off the property in a week I am dying to see something besides this incredibly beautiful house and your incredibly beautiful face. Please?” I ask, stepping close and pressing my hands to his chest as I look up at him. “Don’t be mad at me if I leave for one hour?”
He narrows his eyes. “One. Hour,” he growls. Then he raises his eyes to glare at Daniel next. “One hour.”
I give a little squeal and step on my tiptoes to kiss Kent on the cheek before scurrying out of the room after Daniel. I move quickly, dropping a little kiss on my dad’s cheek as he watches American sports on the big-screen TV we had installed for him. He waves me off fondly, his eyes fixed on the screen. Then I slip on a pair of flat loafers by the door and sling my little purse over my shoulder, practically jumping with excitement.
“Geeze, Fay,” Jerome says, laughing as he comes to give me a kiss on the cheek. “Don’t be too excited it’s just groceries.”
“It’s not just groceries,” Daniel says, laughing and grabbing the keys to our silver BMW. “It’s breaking her house arrest.”
“Oh, Kent’s just overprotective because I’m about to pop,” I say, rolling my eyes and pulling the door open, stepping happily into the sunshine and turning my face up towards it.
“You’d better hope that’s true,” Jerome laughs, slinging an arm around my shoulder as we walk to the car. “What if this is just…who he is now? Your overprotective Mafia don boyfriend, keeping you barefoot and pregnant, locked in the house for the rest of your life?”
“One, he’s still buying me shoes, so I don’t think the barefoot thing is going to happen,” I say, climbing into the back seat. “And two, he’s getting a second vasectomy the same day I give birth, because we are not doing surprise baby ever again.”
Daniel laughs as he climbs into the driver’s seat and starts the car, Jerome buckling his seatbelt on the passenger side. “The first vasectomy one didn’t take, what makes you think the second one will? Lippert sperm is just…very virile, Fay.”
“Oh, really?” I ask, sarcastic. “The all-powerful Lippert sperm is to blame here? Well then, Jerome, when are you due?”
Jerome bursts out laughing as Daniel grins, shaking his head as he pulls down the drive towards our gate.
I relish every minute that we’re outside of the house. It’s not that I don’t enjoy our gorgeous home, or all the time that I get to spend with Kent working on an elaborate high-stakes puzzle
But, well, it’s Sicily. And it’s gorgeous, and charming, and I’ve spent very little time taking in the sights and actually enjoying myself here. And it’s all so, so close honestly, just a few more days, and Kent will be free!
And soon we’ll have the little baby, and we’ll just live…a really happy little life.
At least, that’s the plan and I, unlike Kent, prefer not to consider any unhappy alternatives that could get in the way.
Kent really did pick a pretty little town for us to live near, too. Daniel, Jerome, Janeen, and Gio go in frequently at night to the few little bars that scatter the streets and of course I’m always invited. But, well, I’m in mafia mode, and mommy mode too usually I’m busy planning, or exhausted from planning, and the idea of sitting around jealousy watching my friends have fun getting drunk doesn’t appeal. So instead I just stay curled up with Kent, reading or watching something mindless on TV, passively turning over the details of our heist in my head so that I can get everything…just perfect.
I’m very much looking forward to the day when I can toss this baby at my dad, who loves little kids, and drag Kent out with me to these bars with my sister and my friends but until then? There is something nice about quiet nights at home.
But as we drive down the cobblestone streets of our little town and I look at all the charming brightly colored buildings, my smile and my anticipation grows. Because soon I’ll be able to go out here, and also take my little baby on strolls.
Soon it’s all going to happen so soon!
Unfortunately, our little errand today is a short one. I look longingly at the little coffee shop down the street, considering making Daniel and Jerome go for a quick espresso with me, but…
Well, Kent was serious about one hour, and if I’m not back he will get worried and come looking for me. I roll my eyes at how annoying he’s being as Daniel parks the car and we all climb out, starting start into the charming little grocery store at the edge of town.
I breathe deeply as I grab a basket and start to wander the aisles, staring at all the products labeled in Italian that contain…I have no idea what. I smile to myself, making a mental note to start learning Italian more diligently soon, because I think it looks like we’re going to settle here and I want to be able to shop in the market by myself and not just buy a bunch of mystery items.
Daniel and Jerome move more purposefully through the store, gathering what we need for dinner tonight as well as what I’ll need to stock the house with while they’re all gone for a few days. They don’t give me a list of any items to put in my basket, though, instead allowing me to just enjoy myself.
I pout a little as I wander down the aisle with row after row of wine, and then I feel a sharp twinge low in my stomach that makes me huff out a breath, my hand pressing low there until it passes.
“Oh, little baby,” I sigh, rubbing my belly and shaking my head down at my tiny friend, big as a mini watermelon now. “Go easy on mom.”
A contrary little kick comes next, making me laugh. “You telling me something, baby?” I ask, and then I look up and grin as I look at the wine. “You want a nice bottle of wine, baby?”
The baby kicks again, almost in confirmation, making me laugh harder. But I just shrug and think…why not? And so I start to fill my empty basket with whatever I want.
All the things I’ve been denied my whole pregnancy go into it a couple of dusty bottles of red wine, and that bottle of fancy champagne that Kent promised me, and then I move to the cheese aisle and start stocking up on all of the unpasteurized soft cheese, and the delicious cured meats, and a bunch of crackers and bread to go along with it. I toss a can of tunafish on top, even though I don’t really like it.
I just want it because I can’t have it.
Daniel laughs at me as I carry my heavy haul to the counter, where the cashier is checking out our fairly massive amount of groceries. “What’s all this?” he asks, and then he laughs and shakes his head at me. “Fay! You can’t eat any of this!”
“So what? Kent’s paying for it, and I want it.” I’m stubborn now, as well as gleeful. Also, I’m rich for the next couple days until I turn my companies over to Bianci in addition to the proceeds of the heist. Why shouldn’t I get what I want?
I plop the whole basket on the counter, determined. “Do you think they have Aperol?” I ask, looking around. “I want a spritz ”
“Fay,” Jerome says, looking over at my selection. “Half of this is going to go bad by the time you have the baby.”
But I just shrug, not caring, and…
Well.”Wait,” Daniel says, reading me openly. “Wait, Fay, do you…do you know something?”
“I don’t know anything,” I say cagily, looking away so he won’t see the smile on his face.
“Seriously, Fay,” Daniel says, spinning me so that I look at him, his words worried and sounding a lot like his dad now. “Do you is something happening? Are you going to ”
“Oh, nothing’s happening,” I say, knocking his hands off my shoulders and cupping my hands beneath by belly to support it. “I’m just having some…pains. But Gio says they’re Braxton hicks fake contractions! It’s just getting me excited,” I say, giving a little shrug. “Just let me have the cheese, okay? If I don’t have the baby by the time the cheese goes bad I’ll make dad eat it!”
“Fay,” Daniel sighs, looking me over worriedly and lecturing me on safety, but suddenly the woman behind the counter laughs and waves her hands at me, smiling and shaking her head at him.
“What did she say?” I ask, grinning at Daniel.
He laughs too, heaving the sigh. “She said to let you have the cheese if you want the cheese that we shouldn’t say no to you when you’re so pregnant. Fine, fine! Whatever pregnant Fay wants.”
“Damn straight,” I say, smiling as I stand on my toes to kiss him on the cheek. I do the same to Jerome before giving my benefactress behind the counter a happy smile. She nods to me warmly and continues to ring up the groceries, putting them in the canvas bags that Daniel brought with us.
I sigh, content, and move to the window to look out at what I can see of the little town. But as I peer, the most wonderful sight catches my eyes.
“Oh!” I say, clutching my hands to my chest in delight. “Daniel, Jerome! There’s a farmer across the street, and he brought his puppies to sell at the little road-side stand!”
“Noooo,” Daniel groans, freezing and looking at me. “No, Fay! Do not go look at those puppies we are not ”