Filed to story: Falling for My Ex's Mafia Dad Novel Free PDF (Fay Alden & Kent Lippert)
“The moment you’re ready,” he says quietly. “We’ll go. All right?”
“Okay,” I say, smiling at him and then taking another bite of my buttered roll, the only thing that I feel like I can stomach at the moment. My usually voracious appetite has been dulled by the stresses of the day. I’m sure it will come back soon but…I take a deep breath, willing myself back into cheer.
Because it’s a happy day, it really is. I got what I wanted and it all went off without a hitch. And I planned it, after all I knew the cost. I paid it gladly, even if I did take an emotional hit.
Daniel hands Kent his glass one ice cube, as usual and Kent takes a moment to take a long, lingering sniff of it.
“Oh god,” my dad says, across the table, coughing and sticking out his tongue as he stares down into his glass. “This is rough. Do they have any 7-Up in the kitchen?”
Kent laughs a little, shaking his head before taking a lingering sip. “I’m going to have to disagree with you there, Thompson,” Kent says, his eyes closed. “This is the good stuff.”
And as his hand tightens again on my knee, I know he doesn’t just mean the drink.
Dinner goes smoothly after that, I think the liberal pouring of whiskey helps us find our rhythm. Kent is by no means an easy addition to any party he’s too commanding a presence, and Daniel and Jerome fall too easily into their habitual fear of him. But Janeen and I work hard to cajole the boys, getting them back to the playful banter that we relied on so much to keep our spirits up at the beach house.
And it works it’s only a short while before I see the tension leave Daniel’s shoulders, before he leans unconsciously towards Jerome, before Jerome slides an arm around Daniel’s waist without even thinking about it. I glance at Kent when this happens, curious, but Kent gives no indication that he even notices even though I’m sure he does. “So,” Janeen says, grinning around at everyone and refreshing some glasses after we’ve all eaten our fill of the surprisingly hearty meal Swedish meatballs over egg noodles.
“Why don’t we let Kent in on the secret of where we’re headed. And me too, for that matter, because I never reached the level of security clearance enough to be told.””Yes, you did, Janeen,” I say, sending her a little glare over my little dish of vanilla ice cream. The cook noticed that I didn’t each much and generously brought it out to me, hoping to tempt my stomach or my tongue. I raise a small spoonful to my mouth, taking a small bite. “We never kept it a secret from you.””Well then why don’t I know?” she asks, saucy, leaning back in her chair and taking a liberal sip of her drink.”Because,” I say, looking peacefully down at my desert. “I don’t know where we’re going.””What?” Kent bursts out, baffled. I just shrug, looking at him first and then around the table. “I mean, the ship is headed to many ports in Europe. And I’d prefer to get off at one of the earlier ones for poor Heathcliff’s sake ””You brought the horse?” dad asks, shocked. “He is family, dad,” I reply, amazed that he thought I’d leave him behind.
“We seriously have…no destination…” Kent interrupts, still staring at me in shock. “We figured we could make it a group decision,” Daniel says, taking my side. “Fay finally decided to give up her death grip on her reign of terror. I, frankly, think that we should be grateful to her for giving us the opportunity to provide some input.””You’re welcome, baby,” I murmur, winking at him and pointing my spoon briefly in his direction before scooping up another bit of ice cream.”So, where do we think we should go?” Jerome asks, his cheeks flushed with excitement and I think quite a bit of whiskey. “France? Italy? Portugal, I hear, is gorgeous.”
“We seriously have…no plans?” Kent asks quietly, leaning towards me as Janeen starts to ask questions about these unfamiliar ports and the kind of men who live there. “We have plans,” I answer with a shrug. “We can just…do them from multiple places. And we should settle down somewhere. I thought you’d want input on this, and I’ve never even been to Europe, and I couldn’t rely on Daniel to decide,” I say, gesturing towards him, “he’s just going to pick wherever has the best coffee and bookshops
“”Both of which go to Paris,” Daniel says, nodding sagely. “So that’s a vote for France from me.”Kent ignores his son, staring directly at me, and I can see his emotions warring in him. Because half of him wants to lay into me, I know, for just…heading to sea without the next step planned. But another part of him the bigger part, I’m betting is pleased to have some say in our fate, to be able to take some semblance of control over what happens next.I watch him as he figures this out, as the smile comes back to his face. “You pick,” I say, reaching out and brushing my knuckles across the skin of his cheek. Kent leans into my hand a little before he nods. “All right. Any deadline on when the decisions have to be made?””About ten days to cross,” I say quietly.
“There’s time.”He turns his head then, pressing a kiss to my fingers and closing his eyes, promising me silently to make good use of that time. And I smile, my stomach turning over with joy and anticipation.Because, damn it, I have these ten days of peace. And I intend to enjoy myself. Neither Kent nor I realize that the table has gone quiet, with everyone watching us, until my dad clears his throat. I snap my attention back to the table but Kent sighs, hanging his head for a moment as he realizes that he has been…perhaps a little indiscreet in front of my dad. Kent takes a moment before he turns and looks at Papa Thompson.
And though I and probably Daniel can read the apology on Kent’s face as I drop my hand and grin at Janeen, my dad just looks at Kent sternly. “I think it’s time,” dad says, standing up from the table, “that you and I had a chat, Kent.” He doesn’t say it angrily, or with any intent to be intimidating. But he is firm as he nods towards the door, letting Kent know that this is happening now. I clench my teeth together, willing myself not to laugh as Janeen beams at me, loving the drama. Kent stands up and drops his napkin on the table.
“All right,” he says, nodding to my dad. “Lead the way.”And then, both stoic and silent, dad and Kent head out of the little dining room together.The moment the door shuts behind them Janeen and I howl with laughter, unable to hold it back. Daniel and Jerome look at each other, delighted, and then they join in.”Oh my god,” Daniel murmurs, taking a big sip of his whiskey before pouring a refill. “I don’t think there is a conversation that Kent wants to have in the world right now than this one with your dad, Fay.””Well, what about my dad!” I say, laughing and leaning forward, eager. “He already got the son in law he always wanted one who doesn’t even touch me. Now he has to have a stern chat with my baby daddy, who has a reputation as the most ruthless mob boss and ladies’ man that our city has ever seen?””Call him your baby daddy to his face,” Janeen eagerly pleads, “but do it when I’m around. I want to see it. do it for me my birthday is coming up ”I laugh and shake my head. “Nooo, be nice to poor Kent, he’s been all cooped up in jail for months.””Yeah,” Daniel says, smirking at me. “And then the first thing you do is load him onto a container ship?””Oh,” I say, my eyes going wide. “I didn’t think of it that way…””Don’t worry,” Janeen sighs, smirking at me. “I’m sure will find a way to make his stay pleasant. Unless Kent had some gentleman company in the jail,” she says, blinking innocently. “Ugh, you always take it too far, Janeen,” I sigh, but I can’t help laughing anyway. But as I sit back in my chair, relaxing, I feel a familiar twinge of nausea in my stomach and I moan a little. “Oh jeeze,” Janeen says, sighing for me with pity
. “Baby acting up again?””Yup,” I say, working to stand up. “Probably why I didn’t eat much. Can you help me down to my cabin?” I ask, reaching for her. “Sure,” she says, coming to my side and wrapping an arm around my waist. “You two stay here,” she says, pointing over at Daniel and Jerome. “We’re not done drinking. And dad will come back and give us all the details.””Aye aye, Captain,” Daniel says, giving her a wink and blowing me a kiss. Jerome gives me a fond wave just as my face starts to turn green.”Come on, Captain,” I murmur to my sister.
“We’ve got to hurry.” _______________ Kent takes a deep breath as he follows David Thompson out into the fresh air on deck. It’s by no means a picturesque spot just metal walls, ceiling, and floor on three sides and the sea beyond. But it’s a bright, crisp night with the moon shining out over the waves. Kent shrugs a little, thinking it’s not such a bad spot for a conversation he thought he was far, far too old to have. The parents of most of the women he’s dated recently have been dead or out of the picture. So, this? It’s…unique.Thompson leans against the rail of the ship, swirling the whiskey in the glass in his hand and nodding at the spot next to him. Kent obliges, leaning against the rail and looking evenly at the older man. But as Kent stares at Fay’s adoptive father he blinks, realizing that Thompson is…what, at most eighteen years older than him? God, less than the difference between himself and Fay. Kent grimaces inwardly, but he doesn’t let it show on his face. Instead, he waits for Thompson to begin. Thompson sighs, and looks out at the sea. “You’d better do right by her, Kent,” he murmurs quietly.
“Because I know I’m supposed to be scared of you and everything, but I swear to god, if you don’t? I’ll kill you.” Kent finds himself taking a deep breath and smiling as he looks down at the floor, trying to hide it because he doesn’t want Thompson to think that he’s mocking him. Because honestly, he likes it. It’s precisely what he’d say, if he had a daughter.
And Kent realizes quite suddenly that he really be in Thompson’s shoes in a little more than eighteen years if he and Fay have a daughter, which they very well might…Kent groans audibly then, putting a hand over his face.
Thompson laughs and Kent peeks through his hand at him. “Just figured out the irony of our age difference, didn’t you?” he says, grinning.
Slowly Kent nods, pulling his hand away from his face with a sigh. “Well?” Thompson asks, smiling more kindly at him now. “What are your intentions with my daughter, Kent? I need to know whether I have to throw you off this boat right now. Because I’m about mad enough to do it.
She broke about thirty laws today big ones to make this happen. And I let her because I’m not sure I can tell her not to, and because I saw she couldn’t live without you. But if you don’t feel the same…”Thompson sticks out his thumb and flicks it over the side of the rail, giving a little whistle as he does so.
Kent nods, getting the message. “I don’t think it’s a problem,” Kent says, standing up to his full height, because he figures he should be standing straight at a moment like this. “Because I intend to marry her at the first chapel we can find. If you’ll give me your blessing, of course.”
Thompson smirks at Kent, not letting him off that easy. “How can you do that?” he asks. “She’s already married.”
A muscle flicks in Kent’s jaw. “They’ll get divorced. We’ll have the paperwork drawn up immediately.”
“I’m not sure any court in America is going to process their divorce right now,” Thompson says, laughing and looking out over the water. “Considering you three are probably America’s Most Wanted.”
Kent grits his teeth, realizing that this is probably correct.
“Besides,” Thompson says, sighing contemplatively. “I’m not sure that’s part of their plans.”
“It isn’t?” Kent asks, confused. Because, with him out, why would they…
“They got married for more than just fun,” Thompson says quietly, “and to make the baby legitimate. They made those nasty Italians come over, did a paternity test for them and everything.”
Kent’s eyebrows go up, but then he raises a hand to the back of his head, remembering the little patch of hair…
He frowns, confused and hating that he doesn’t know what the hell is going on here.
“So, I guess you’d better ask Fay,” Thompson continues, turning back to look Kent up and down. “She might have her own opinions about whether or not you two should get hitched, and I’m sure it has nothing to do with my blessing.”
“Still,” Kent pushes, wanting it. Because despite his line of work and the hundreds of laws he’s broken in his life, there are some traditions that matter to him. “I’d like to have it.”
Slowly, Thompson shakes his head, looking at Kent with a sternness that is unnatural on his kind face. But still, in the man’s eyes Kent reads a grief and protectiveness for his daughter that makes him…envious.
And suddenly, quite suddenly, Kent desperately hopes that the baby is a girl.
Thompson sighs, and with effort, Kent pulls his attention back to him, even as the hope takes firm root in his chest.
“I don’t want this life for her, Kent,” Thompson says quietly. “This was…she pushed through these months, planning this, putting it all in order, worrying about you, doing what she didbut this? For the rest of her life?” he shakes his head. “I know my girl, Kent, and she is strong but before long, this life of yours will break her.”
Guilt and grief sweeps through Kent in a wave. He locks his muscles against it, not willing to give in. “What did she do?” he whispers, shaking his head. “Everyone alludes to it, but no one will tell me.”
“Well,” Thompson says, giving a deep sigh and looking down at the ground. “I won’t either. That’s her story to tell.”
They’re quiet for a long moment, Thompson turning to look out over the sea, and Kent studying this man who loves Fay as much as he does.
“This ends,” Kent says quietly, and Thompson turns back to look him in the eye, “as soon as I can end it. I swear it. It will be done before the baby is born, and then we’ll have peace. For good.”
“You swear?” Thompson asks, his voice low and thick.
“On everything that matters,” Kent says, his own voice rough. “I swear.”
“Well then,” Thompson says, wiping discreetly at his eyes before lifting his hand between them. “I guess you’ve got my blessing then.”
Kent clasps Thompson’s hand and shakes it, nodding once.
But Thompson doesn’t let go, instead stepping closer and looking up into Kent’s face. “You’d better try a little bit harder to deserver her, Kent Lippert,” he says quietly. “Because you may have fooled her a bit with your money and your good looks but we both know that you’ve got a ways to go.”
Rueful, Kent laughs and nods. “We agree on that. And I will I promise I will.”
And then, to his surprise, Thompson closes the distance, wrapping him in a tight hug and patting him hard on the back twice before letting him go and turning back towards the door.
“Come on, boy,” he calls, laughing a little and pulling the door open as he nods inside. “I’m sure she’s waiting for you. Go on and find her.”