Filed to story: Falling for My Ex's Mafia Dad Novel Free PDF (Fay Alden & Kent Lippert)
“They go hand in hand,” he says, opening his door and stepping out to give Ivan a too-warm welcome, clapping him on the shoulder before heading to the house at Jerome’s side.
I watch them go as I walk over to where Ivan is waiting for me, unmoving. “Was I expecting you?” I ask, unable to keep the exhaustion out of my voice.
“Where were you today?” Ivan snaps, and I blink at him, actually surprised.
“Is it any of your business where I went today?” I ask, starting to get pissed.
“Answer the question, Fay,” he replies, quick more the police interrogator than the lovesick boy I’ve seen lately.
“I went to lunch,” I say immediately, crossing my arms over my chest and looking Ivan up and down.
“Long ass lunch” he murmurs, leaning forward and studying me.
“Yeah,” I say, nodding and not backing down. “It was. Now, why the hell do you care?”
“Because I was at the jail today,” Ivan snaps, still watching my face for any reaction. And suddenly I realize precisely where this is going, and that I have to be very, very careful.
God damn it, I knew a phone call was a bad idea. I’m going to kill Jerome.
“And,” Ivan continues, “while I was there, Lippert took a very interesting call.”
I sigh and then clench my jaw, letting him see my frustration. “What does this have to do with me, Ivan?”
“Were you on the phone with him? Did he call you?”
Good, I think to myself. He wasn’t listening in. Because if he was, he would definitely know that I was, and then this would be a different conversation.
“No,” I say again, shaking my head. “He didn’t. Why? Did you think I was?”
Ivan grits his teeth now. “I’ve been interrogating Kent for a month, Fay,” he says, “and the only time he gets worked up like that is when I bring up you. Now tell me the truth: were you talking to him today?”
“I wasn’t,” I say, and then I sigh, as if I’m over this whole thing. “But honestly, Ivan, why would it even be any of your business if I was?”
His eyes flare then and I realize with pleasure that it was the right thing to say. Because now we’re not talking about me anymore: we’re talking about us.
“Because, Fay,” Ivan growls, wrapping his hand around my upper arm not cruel, not hurting me, but possessive. “I care about you and I have been caring about you this entire time while he has just been sitting in a jail cell spilling his guts to the state. I thought that that we “
And then he snaps his mouth shut and looks away from me. I study him, feeling suddenly a little guilty about the sincere jealousy on his face. Because Ivan, I realize not that I didn’t know it before he really is trying. He wants this to work he wants to be with me.
And I am using him, brutally, to get what I want.
But damn it, he started it when he slipped that listening device into the jacket he gave me. Whatever happens next is his own damn fault.
“Hey,” I say quietly, stepping closer to him and raising a hand to cup his cheek. “Ivan, I didn’t talk to Kent today, all right?” I say, shaking my head and looking up into his pretty grey eyes. “You can always tell when I’m lying, right?”
It’s a gamble, I know because Ivan’s internal lie detector is actually pretty good.
But it’s a gamble I’m willing to take.
He studies me for a moment and then exhales a long breath. “Yeah,” he replies, nodding a little bit. “All right, Fay. All right.”
“Come inside,” I murmur, taking another step closer so that my baby bump almost presses against his stomach. Almost but not quite. “Let’s get you something to eat, okay?”
“Okay,” he says, though I can still see his mind whirling, probably wondering what got Kent so worked up if I wasn’t me. Then Ivan reaches up and takes my hand from his cheek and holds it in his as we walk inside.
He’s still holding my hand as we get to the top of the steps and enter the kitchen, where everyone is waiting and pretending to be busy.
As soon as we walk into the room, Daniel’s eyes fasten immediately on Ivan’s hand mine.
And I honestly can’t tell if the anger and jealousy on his face is real or fake.
I drop Ivan’s hand and clear my throat, looking away as if there’s a blush on my face. From the corner of my eye, Daniel glares hard at Ivan, his jaw clenched. Luckily, my dad steps in, as I hoped he would.
“Hey, Ivan,” dad says, coming forward with a smile to clasp Ivan’s hand. “You want some pizza? We’ve got plenty.”
“No, thank you, sir,” Ivan says, friendly. I cross to the fridge and grab a bottle of water before coming back to Ivan’s side. “I’d hate to deprive Fay of any pizza; I know she’s going to be up in the middle of the night wanting a slice.”
“Considerate,” I say, raising my eyebrows at him with a little smile before nodding towards the back deck. Ivan nods in agreement and, after some murmured hellos to everyone else in the house, he follows me out onto the back deck. We settle ourselves into two little deck chairs that are seated close together facing the ocean and I wrap a waiting throw blanket around my shoulders before turning to him.
He’s charming, over the next hour or so, as he always is, but I force myself not to fall into the ease into which he usually lulls me. Instead, I keep my answers tensed and clipped wanting the evening to be more awkward than our usual ones. I find that it’s harder than I thought it would be, though Ivan’s a great conversationalist.
A lull falls between us after a moment and I stare out at the sea. I jump a little when I feel a hand gently touch my forearm.
“You’re tense, Fay,” Ivan murmurs, and I turn to look at his worried face. “Are you…anxious? About what’s coming next?”
“I guess so,” I say, shrugging and speaking a truth that I know he doesn’t understand, because Ivan I’m absolutely positive suspects nothing of my plans. That much I’ve done well.
“Tell me,” he says, letting his hand linger and softly starting to stroke my arm.
“It’s just…” I say, hesitating, and then I sigh. “It’s so final, Kent getting sentenced to twenty years in a few days, and then being sent off to the state penitentiary. I mean, we knew it was coming but…”
“Something about it?” Ivan prompts, being genuinely kind. “Feels different?”
“I guess so,” I say, smiling a little. “Just…door slammed shut, you know. And…it kind of stinks that Daniel isn’t going to be allowed to be there for the sentencing. This one’s not public, you know? So,” I shrug. “I hate to see him hurt like that.”
“I know you do,” Ivan murmurs, “you’re a good person, Fay.”
I laugh inside at this, but the laughter doesn’t give me any real joy. I wish I was a better person than I am, or am going to become in a few days’ time.
“Do you want me to come and tell you?” Ivan says softly, and I turn my head to the side, inviting him to say more. “What happens at the sentencing,” he clarifies, and I blink as if in surprise.
“Will you be there?” I ask, even though I already know the answer.
He nods. “I’ve done a lot of the questioning. I’m actually one of the ones who signed the paperwork saying that his testimony has been satisfactory so, I’ve got to be there, in case the judge has questions. If you’d like…I could come by afterwards, let you guys know, so that you too can ask questions.”
“Ivan,” I whisper, reaching out to place my own hand on his arm the most intimately I’ve touched him in months. “That would be incredibly kind and Daniel might feel complicated about it, but I know in the long run he would appreciate it. Would you?”
“I will,” Ivan promises, giving me a steady nod. “I’ll come after it’s done.”
“Thank you,” I murmur, leaning towards him.