Filed to story: Falling for My Ex's Mafia Dad Novel Free PDF (Fay Alden & Kent Lippert)
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“Anything you want me to pass along to Fay, tonight?” Ivan asks as he flips through his notes after a long interrogation session with Kent. He watches carefully as Kent declines to reply, smirking when he sees Kent’s shoulders raise in a deep sigh.
“Seriously,” Ivan says, slapping the notebook shut and leaning back in his chair, looking Kent over from head to toe. “I don’t mind. I’ll pass on a message whatever it is you want to say.”
Slowly, Kent raises his head to meet Ivan’s eyes. He blinks once and just shakes his head at the kid, knowing that he’s needling him again. Kent’s determined not to let it work, but as Ivan’s said before he knows his weak spot.
Ivan’s mouth spreads into a slow smile. “She’s getting bigger,” he tells Kent, his voice soft. “Not fat just…a cute little belly, like she’s smuggling a melon under her dress.”
Kent’s heart seizes when he hears it, and he believes him. Not only does Ivan have any reason to lie but…well, that’s how he imagined Fay would look. Keeping his gaze, Ivan leans forward to rest his elbows on his knees.
“She’s sick all the time now too,” he whispers, “just…morning sickness, all hours of the day. And when she runs to the bathroom? Sometimes I go with her. To hold her hair, rub her back…really, anything that she needs. That’s what a good guy does, isn’t it? He’s there for his girl, when she’s sick. A good dad, too.”
Kent just closes his eyes and looks away. Because even though he knows exactly what Ivan’s doing…well, he’s right, isn’t he?
That is what a dad should be doing for the mother of his child.
And here he is, rotting away in jail.
And there Ivan is, more than happy to take his spot.
“Why don’t you let her husband do those things,” Kent murmurs, not knowing why the hell Daniel keeps letting Ivan into the house. Unless Fay has a reason for it…
…or Fay is…considering him. Considering Ivan as a real replacement.
But the bare thought of that threatens to crush him, so Kent dismisses the idea.
“Daniel’s distracted,” Ivan says with a casual little sigh. “Working for Alden now, and he’s got Jerome to think about don’t want him getting jealous “
Kent’s eyes flash open at this and his head snaps to look at Ivan. What?
“Oh,” Ivan says, genuinely surprised. And then Ivan laughs, delighted, as he leans back in his chair. “Oh, you didn’t know about that, did you?”
Ivan’s in a particularly good mood that night when he comes by tonight, but I don’t find out why until just before he leaves.
“Oh, by the way,” he says, glancing over at Daniel and Jerome with a friendly smile as he flattens out the empty boxes of the pizza that he brought all the way from the city. “I think I let a little something slip this morning when I probably shouldn’t have. Sorry about that. I thought he knew.”
Daniel sits up straight in his chair, staring at Ivan. “What are you talking about?”
Ivan can’t keep the smile from his face as he runs a hand through his hair, and I shake my head at him, seeing through his apology act. He’s loving this. “I may have let something slip,” he says, giving a little shrug as he points a finger between Daniel and Jerome, “to Kent. About you two.”
“WHAT!?” Daniel shouts, jumping to his feet.
“Whoa,” Ivan says, pretending to be surprised and stepping back with his hands up, though I just sigh because I know he’s faking it. “I said I was sorry could have happened to anyone ”
“Bullshit,” Jerome snaps, glaring. “You knew precisely what you were doing.”
“I promise ”
“Welp,” my dad says, getting to his feet and slapping his hands loudly against his thighs, interrupting everything. “I guess it’s about time to get to bed.” And then he gives Ivan a hard look, letting him know without any further words that it’s time for him to make himself scarce.
Ivan gets the message and cheerfully says his goodbyes. I walk him down to the driveway in silence.
“Did you have to do that, Ivan?” I ask quietly as he turns to me at the driver’s-side door.
“I didn’t do anything,” he protests, but then he just laughs a little ruefully when he sees the knowing look on my face. Because he didn’t fool me or frankly any of us. Not at all.
“I actually didn’t mean to do it,” he says, slipping his hands into his pockets and leaning back against his car. “This morning, when I said something to Kent? It really was innocent. I thought he knew it’s so obvious.”
“Not to Kent,” I murmur, glancing up at the house where I know Daniel is probably flipping out. “But you didn’t have to do that to Daniel. It was mean.”
“Yeah well,” Ivan says, looking down at his feet a little guiltily now. “You shouldn’t lean on them as much as you do anyway, Fay. They’re going to leave you at some point, after all.”
“What?” I ask, confused.
“They’re together,” he says, looking up at me. “I mean, I get why you married Daniel for the baby but eventually? Those two,” he says, pointing up at the house, “are going to leave you.”
“So, what’s your advice,” I ask dryly, crossing my arms and staring at him. “Put all my eggs in your basket? Hang out with you?”
“Well, obviously, yes,” Ivan says, giving me that smile, the one I can’t resist returning. But then his face gets serious again. “But really, Fay, why do you trust this Jerome guy?”
“What?” I ask, confused. Jerome…I trust Jerome completely. He’s never given me a reason not to has always been there. He’s my best friend and husband’s boyfriend my literal partner in crime now. Why wouldn’t I trust him?
“That guy, Fay?” Ivan asks, standing up now and moving close to me so he can talk quietly. “He’s shady as hell. He’s always looking to get higher always clinging on to the most powerful person he can and telling them whatever they want to hear. I’ve done my homework on Jerome Rosello, Fay he was born with nothing, and now he’s shacked up in a million-dollar shore house, living for free, sleeping with the heir to the Lippert and Bianci fortunes? I mean, come on.”
I frown at Ivan, shaking my head, completely unwilling to believe it.
“I mean,” Ivan says, truly asking now as he glances up at the house, “is he even actually gay?”
And my mouth drops open as I remember, quite suddenly that…that Jerome hit on me like a lot before I found out he was with Daniel. Part of my shock at them being together was because I was thoroughly convinced that Jerome liked me.
I say nothing, but when Ivan looks back at my face he grins a little, shaking his head. “See?” he says, reaching out to put a hand on my shoulder. “I’m onto something there. Don’t trust him, Fay.”
But I frown and pull my shoulder out from beneath Ivan’s hand. “You should go.” I say, hard. Because even if Ivan has a point? Jerome has done nothing but be good to me, and help me, and prove himself a good and loyal friend. And I’m not going to let Ivan shake that faith now not when he directly benefits from it.
“Fay,” Ivan says, his face suddenly sad. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to ”
“Yes, you did,” I snap, glaring up at him. “You were deliberately nasty up there tonight, to Daniel and to Jerome you threw that in their face and couldn’t keep the smile off your mouth. And now you’re trying to drive a wedge between us. You’re being deliberately manipulative, Ivan,” I say, shaking my head at him, “and it is not a good look on you. So would you please go, and stop trying to destroy what’s left of my life?”
Ivan purses his lips as he looks at me, but I can see that he’s well aware that what I’ve said is fair.
“I am sorry, Fay,” he murmurs, and then he sighs and looks down again. “You’re right. I…wasn’t trying to be nice.”
“Well at least you admit it.” I sigh, stepping away from him.
“Can I at least ”
“Good night, Ivan,” I snap, glaring at him. And Ivan sighs and meets my eyes again.
“I’ll see you soon, okay?” I don’t respond, and after a few seconds he climbs into his car and drives away. I stand alone in the driveway for a few minutes after he’s gone, thinking through what he said.