Filed to story: Falling for My Ex's Mafia Dad Novel Free PDF (Fay Alden & Kent Lippert)
“No, you played your role very well,” Gio says, leaning his weight back into his hind foot as he crosses his arms a move so like Kent and Daniel that it makes me smile. “But the baby,” Gio says, gesturing towards my belly, “with Daniel as the father?” Gio clicks his tongue, shaking his head. “That, I knew, was impossible.”
“It’s not impossible,” Daniel scowls, narrowing his eyes at his cousin. “Your dad bought it.”
“Dad does not know you like I know you,” Gio says, smirking at Daniel. “Do I need to go into detail about the midnight meetings with the boys from town you thought were so secret? Or should we…”
“Yup.” Daniel says, nodding sharply, a quick blush rising to his cheeks. “Moving right on from that.”
“So, the question of who was the father of Fay’s child,” Gio says with a shrug, “was pretty easily answered.”
“It could have been any random guy,” Kent protests, a little tense behind me. I give another squawk, protesting his language as I turn my head to glare up at him. Kent ignores me.
“It could have,” Gio says, smirking at him. “Until you passed her the salt at dinner, Kent, before she asked for it.”
“What?” Kent breathes, a little shocked.
I give a little wiggle of triumph. “The Lipperts were the weak links this time!” I say, unable to stop my broad grin, “not the Thompsons!”
“You’re a Lippert now, Fay,” Daniel reminds me with a little glare.
“What does a little salt have to do with it?” Kent asks, his eyes still on Gio.
“You watch her, Kent,” Gio says quietly, holding his uncle’s stern gaze. “Without even realizing it. More than I’ve seen you watch other women even those who were your…uh girlfriends? Paramours?” He shrugs. “I don’t know the word.”
I wiggle again, a little smug, but Kent just laughs. I look up to see him shaking his head.
“You’re good, Gio,” Kent says, smiling at his nephew. “I’m impressed.”
“All right, but what about me?” Jerome says, smirking at Gio. “When did you figure out me and Daniel?”
“That one was almost instant,” Gio says, his face bursting into a grin. “You are ah what is the phrase in America? That you are his type.”
We all burst out laughing at this and Daniel covers his face with his hands to hide the blush that reddens his entire face.
“New subject!” Daniel insists, the words blurred by his hands as Gio pats him on the back.
“So, the only one of you with any mystery left at all,” Gio says calmly, looking around at all of us until his eyes fall on Janeen, “is this one.”
“Who, me?” she says, perking up a little and pressing a demure hand to her chest. “I don’t have a secret in the world.”
“We’ll see,” Gio says, turning his head and looking her over, assessing. “That’s just what you want everyone to think.”
“Damn, Gio,” I say after Janeen drops her hand, looking at our newest familial addition in surprise. “Are you sure you shouldn’t have gone into psychology? Or like, fortune telling? You read us all like a book.”
“Maybe it’s what I’ll do next,” Gio says, giving a little sigh. “Once this next job is done.”
“Speaking of which,” Kent says, heaving a little sigh as he steps away from me, gesturing towards the dinner table. “I think it’s time that we all sat down and had a chat about this. Because there’s one last job Bianci has asked me to do, and I’d like to ask each of you for your help.”
He pauses a moment, looking around at each of our faces. “And I’ll tell each of you precisely what I’m asking of you so that you can decide whether or not you want to do it.”
“Kent,” I say, stepping closer to him and pressing a hand to his chest. “Of course we’ll do whatever you need you know that ”
“No,” he says, interrupting me even as he puts a hand over mine, pressing it tight. “This is different, Fay that last plan? They did that to help you. This one?” He shifts his eyes from mine now, looking around in the room. “I’m asking you to do it for me, and I’m well aware that that’s different. I will understand if you want to say no.”
“Okay, Kent,” Janeen says, more serious than she usually is. I turn to look at her in surprise. “Let’s hear what you’ve got.”
Kent nods and as one we all move to the table.
I leave my coffee behind, my heart beating fast enough now that I don’t think I’ll need it.
I grab Janeen’s arm on the way to the table, pulling her back just a little. “You’re going to do whatever he asks you to, Janeen!” I hiss, glaring at my sister.
“I’m going to hear him out, Fay!” Janeen says, gesturing towards the table.
“What!?” I gasp, appalled at her lack of instant assurance.
“He’s right!” Janeen says, stopping to argue with me in whispers while the men begin to settle themselves at the table, leaving a space for me at Kent’s right-hand side. “I mean, I’m probably going to say yes, Fay, but Kent does not get the same blank check that you do! I want to hear what he’s asking first!”
“He’d never ask anything of you that ”
“He would,” Janeen says, raising her eyebrows at me. “You think I didn’t read every article I could on this guy during those months he wouldn’t let us talk to you, Fay? I know you’re in love with him, and I’m certainly becoming aware that there’s more to him than just the ruthless mafia boss, but if you think he’s not capable of throwing people under the bus to get what he wants then you’re being naïve.”
“Not people he loves,” I growl, glaring up at her. “Not people I love.”
Janeen’s mouth tightens as she looks down at me. “I said I’d hear him out,” she says. “But I did not sign up to join the mafia, Fay. I’m here for you,” she says, pointing in my face, “and this baby,” she moves her finger to point at my stomach now. “Not for him.”
“It’s one in the same,” I snap, baring my teeth a little at my sister.
We stare at each other, each locked in our stubborn glare, but I flinch out of our standoff when I hear someone clear their throat.
Together, Janeen and I turn to see the entire table of men looking at us.
“It’s fair, Fay,” Kent says, looking at me evenly. “She has a choice.”
I glare at my sister again before stalking to Kent’s side and sitting down there, making my own loyalties perfectly clear. Janeen keeps her face even, sitting down quietly at the far end of the table next to Jerome.
As soon as Janeen is seated, Kent begins.
“It’s a heist,” Kent says, looking calmly around at all of us. “Casino de Monte Carlo.”
I blink at him in what feels like slow motion. “W-what?”
He turns to look at me, a little line forming between his eyebrows. “I said seven words, and you already have questions?”
My mouth falls open a little bit. “You say those seven words and expect me to believe that you’re describing what we’re going to be doing for the next four months and not the plot of the next James Bond film?”
“They already kind of did that one, actually,” Jerome says with a little grimace, and I gesture towards him as proof of my claim.
“Regardless,” Kent says, crossing his arms and looking around at us. “That’s the deal.”
“Bianci said this was in your wheelhouse, Kent,” I say, peering at him closely. “Have you…done this sort of thing before?”