Filed To Story: Falling for My Ex's Mafia Dad Novel Free PDF (Fay Alden & Kent Lippert)
As I consider it, my mind flashes â?? unwillingly to Kent for a moment as well. He doesnâ??t have any tattoos, I note, or at least, none that I can see but otherwise, these two are pretty similarâ?¦
I dismiss the thought, though, bringing my attention back to Ivan. He sees me focus on him at that moment, a slow smile building on his face. He intuits, I think, that I like what I see. That I am, begrudgingly, impressed.
I bite my lip, letting him see me do it.
His words falter for a moment as his eyes flash to my front teeth pressed lightly against the red flesh of my mouth. Then his eyes flash back up to mine and he smiles, continuing his story. Pretending that he wasnâ??t distracted, though we both know he was.
Damnit, I think. I like that. I like that, maybe, a little too much.
â??What the hell is going on here!?â?
I gasp a little the words surprise me â?? and jump in my seat, looking up at the fire-lit person standing in front of me â??
Firelight? When had the sun gone down â??
My eyes focus, then, and I realize that itâ??s Daniel standing there â?? his shirtless form a little sweaty from all the volleyball.
â??Daniel,â? I say, sitting up straight â?? not knowing, really, how to react.
â??Come on, Fay,â? he says firmly, angrily, grabbing my arm and pulling me up from my seat. â??Weâ??re leaving.â?
â??Hey man,â? Ivan says, frowning and standing up. â??We were just talking â??â??
â??Whatever,â? Daniel murmurs, dragging me forward.
Shocked, I let him pull me, glancing back at Ivan â?? not quite saying sorry, but, in fact, a little sorry â?? and embarrassed â?? to be dragged away like this â??
â??Daniel,â? I say, pulling against the hand wrapped around my upper arm. â??Let me go.â?
â??No, Fay,â? he says, still pissed off. â??Do you even know who that was? Who you were talking to?â?
â??Itâ??s just Ivan,â? I say â??
â??Just Ivan?â? Daniel repeats, whirling on me.
I look around, embarrassed to see that everyone is staring at us. I open my mouth to respond but Daniel keeps going.
â??Just Ivan?â? he says. â??My dadâ??s greatest enemy? The guy who tried to kill us not too long ago?â?
My mouth just hangs open â?? I honestly donâ??t know what to say â??
â??You will release my daughterâ??s arm, Mr. Lippert,â? a voice says, and I turn my head to see my father standing there, glaring at Daniel with a heavy gaze.
Daniel grits his teeth and doesnâ??t release me. â??Thank you for the lovely evening,â? he bites out towards my father. â??But weâ??ll be going now.â?
My father doesnâ??t say a word, just looks, again, at Danielâ??s hand. To my surprise, Daniel hesitates, and then drops my arm. â??Come on, Fay,â? Daniel says, not looking at me and storming off towards our car. â??Weâ??re leaving.â?
I glance after him and then back at my father, torn. â??Um, thank you,â? I say awkwardly. â??Thank you for a lovely afternoon.â?
Then, I hurry after Daniel, our guards following after us.
As I reach the car, though, just as Iâ??m about to climb in, I take a moment to glance back at the beach.
Ivan is standing there, right where I left him, watching me. He raises one hand in farewell.
I canâ??t help the little smile that pulls up at my lips as I give him one long, final look and then climb into the car after my fiancé.
Daniel wonâ??t let go of my hand once weâ??re back in the house.
â??Daniel,â? I say, exasperated, trying to yank my hand free while he pulls me down the hall. â??Let go â?? are you seriously going to tattle on me?â?
He just shoots me a look over his shoulder, saying nothing as we arrive at the doors to his dadâ??s office. He knocks loud, twice. I sigh, shaking my head at him while we wait.
Honestly, itâ??s not that I think Daniel is being ridiculous â?? if I had found him flirting with someone who had tried to kill us only a little bit ago, I would be equally pissed. I just donâ??t really want to have this conversation with Kent.
The door pulls open, Kent on the other side. He takes one look at us before stepping back and allowing us to enter. Daniel doesnâ??t drop my hand, but not because heâ??s trying to give me any love and support in the face of his fatherâ??s judgment. Iâ??m his prisoner and heâ??s not letting me go.
Daniel pulls me over to stand in front of Kentâ??s desk as Kent walks around the other side. None of us sit.
â??What happened,â? Kent demands, folding his arms over his chest.
â??Fay,â? Daniel glares at me, saying my name like itâ??s a dirty word, â??had a nice intimate chat with her new buddy Ivan tonight. Drinks too. And it looked like it was going somewhere.â?
Kent frowns at Daniel then, surprising me. â??So what?â? he asks his son, shrugging a little. â??Is this some kind of loverâ??s quarrel? Your fiancé talked to another man, and you want me to do something about it?â?
Danielâ??s jaw falls open at this. â??Wha-â?? he sputters. â??No, dad, thatâ??s obviously not the issue â??â??
Yeah, I think to myself, resisting the urge to roll my eyes, itâ??s not the issue because youâ??re not actually jealous â?? because youâ??re not actually into me.
Daniel gestures to me then, his eyes still on his father. â??Did you not hear what I just said? She was talking to Ivan. Your enemy.â?
Kent does shift his gaze to me at that moment and I can see him consider the situation, processing the details. I donâ??t move a muscle. Instead, I just hold his stare, my hand still in Danielâ??s fist.
â??Well?â? Kent says finally, his face impassive. â??What did he say?â?
Daniel looks between us, agape. â??Wait â?? are you serious?â? He shouts at his father. â??Youâ??re not going to do anything about it?â?
Kent snaps his gaze to his son, glaring at him. â??And what would you like me to do about it, Daniel? Go back in time and stop her?â?
My lips twitch in pleasure at this. I, like Daniel, had been expecting Kentâ??s anger to be directed at me. But apparently, at least for now, Iâ??m off the hook. Still, I quickly wipe the expression from my face. I donâ??t know where this is going, not really, and I donâ??t want to incur anyoneâ??s wrath.
Daniel scowls, dropping my hand and crossing his own arms across his chest, looking like his fatherâ??s double in this moment. I look between the two, struck again by their similarities.
â??Obviously, dad, that is not what I want,â? he says, frustrated. â??But she betrayed us tonight â?? and made me look like an idiot!â?
Kentâ??s eyes shift back to me. â??Is that true?â? he asks. â??Did you make Daniel look like a fool?â?
I exhale, exasperated, spreading my hands innocently. â??I didnâ??t do anything, okay? If anything, my father made Daniel look like a fool. The whole thing was a setup â?? he threw the party so that he could introduce me to all his friendsâ?? single sons. By the time I figured it out â?? what was I supposed to do, storm out of there?â?
Kent nods slowly, figuring out the darker motives behind my fatherâ??s little party, considering the consequences for himself.
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