Ch. 191..195: Fall For My Ex’s Mafia Dad Chapter 191-195

Chapter 191

"Okay!" Janeen says, clapping her hands and putting on a false little smile as she responds to the clear tension in the room. My dad stands at her side, awkward and sad, looking at Daniel like his heart breaks for him.

My own heart surges for my dad, who I told the whole plan to yesterday. But he, like Janeen, hasn't decided what he's going to do.

"Is there anything else, big, that Daniel needs to know, Ivan?" Janeen asks, coming to Ivan's side and looking over at Daniel and Jerome, who are having a heated whispered discussion.

"No," Ivan says. "Everything is...as expected. Kent will be transferred to the state penitentiary at noon tomorrow. It's done."

"All right then," Janeen says, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Why don't you and Fay...step outside then. I'll bring you something cool to drink."

I nod to Ivan, looking anxiously at Daniel, and together we walk past him and out onto the back deck, where the sun is halfway below the horizon.

We're alone for a minute as we sit down in the two chairs seated close together facing the ocean, which provide more privacy than the table. We're both quiet for a second, feeling the cool sea breeze play over our skin. Ivan is more reserved than he usually is, clearly reading the grief in this house. It's a mark in his favor that he isn't being smug, as he's been before but...

Well. It also doesn't matter - not anymore. The plans are already in motion.

"How are you, Fay?" Ivan asks, taking off his suit jacket and hanging it over the back of his chair before rolling up his sleeves to be more comfortable. I look up at him, studying his quiet face.

"I'm okay," I say, shrugging.

"Are you sure?" he asks, hesitant. "Because, I mean I know that Daniel's reaction was the most dramatic but..." he glances down at my stomach here, "it's not as if you don't have your own stakes in this. It would make sense if you were upset too." "I'm...not not upset," I say, considering. But then I sigh and look down at my hands. "But, I mean...I think that I came to terms with this a long time ago, Ivan. Or not a long time ago but...you know what I mean, right?"

"Yeah," he replies, and I look up to see him slowly nodding, studying me. "Do you feel like you're...moving on from it?"

"I think that I'm starting to make new plans," I say softly, and I let my eyes fall here to the tattoo on his arm visible below his rolled-up sleeve - the one he told me, a long time ago, was for his dad.

We're interrupted for a moment as Janeen does as she's promised, bringing Ivan a beer and me a glass of seltzer water with lime - the nausea was bad today - and chatting with him for a moment before sensing the tension between us, my desire for privacy. When she heads back inside, Ivan turns to face me, tapping his beer against the edge of my glass. "Tell me, Fay," he says, his voice soft. "I need to know what you're thinking. Clearly, it's bothering you."

I take a moment to organize my thoughts. "Ivan," I say quietly. "You said some really cruel things to me the night Kent was arrested."

I look up at him then, taking in his sorrowful face, apology written all over it. "I know," he says quietly. "I'm sorry. I regret them."

"You told me I was an idiot for letting him knock me up -"

"I just found out you were pregnant, Fay," Ivan murmurs, shaking his head, "I was devastated -"

"You also listened into all of my private conversations in that house - with Kent, and with Daniel - and many of those conversations had nothing to do with your investigation -"

"I had to listen to everything to decide what was important to the investigation!"

I look up at him then, shaking my head.

"You also told me that Kent killed your dad."

Ivan deflates at this, blinking at me in surprise. Then he looks away from me, his jaw tight as he glares out over the ocean. "Well that I'm not sorry about," he says, his words clipped. "That's true." "Is it?" I ask, leaning forward. "Ivan - that's something I need to know."

"Well, he already told you about it," Ivan snaps, turning back to me. "The night before - when you were... in your room. He told you that he killed a cop. The guy he was talking about was my dad." "What happened?" I keep my voice soft.

Ivan's face is stony for a long moment. "I was just a kid," he says softly. "I - it took me a long time to find out about the details. But in short - it was a raid, on a mob family, like the one I performed. And Kent was there - he doing a deal with them, he wasn't the target. He was a low-level guy at the time, just scraping by - kind of like your boy Jerome was doing when you met him. But all of the police reports are solid on it: Kent Lippert was the one who shot the bullet that took down my dad. And it wasn't in self defense. It was cold blood."

We sit quietly for a moment, and I let Ivan piece himself back together, understanding that that was a lot to confess. And as much as I try to keep myself cold, my heart does reach out to him. Because....damnit, I don't hate Ivan. I can't.

And my heart breaks for the little boy whose dad didn't come home that night.

But I put my grief for him aside, because I have to. There is work to be done.

"So, is all of this..." I start, keeping my voice soft as I reach out and brush my fingers over that tattoo on his arm, "is it...revenge?"

"It's justice," he murmurs, and I look up to see his eyes on my fingers. A long moment passes before he speaks again. "But...there's a little revenge in there, Fay, yes. I became a cop because I wanted vengeance. It...changed as I got older, as I went through it all, and especially as I went undercover and understood the criminal world more." He exhales a deep breath then, blinking and shaking his head. "It's...crazy, Fay. The things I figured out when I was undercover. So no, it's not all for vengeance, but it... it is to get these bosses off the streets. Because they're hurting people."

He looks at me now, his eyes a little hungry for understanding, for reassurance.

And I give it to him, nodding, leaning forward. "I get it," I murmur, and I turn my face upwards towards him. "You're doing the right thing."

He leans forward to, reaching his hand out for my face.

But before he can touch me, I glance towards the house, anxious. "Ivan," I breathe, but I say his name fast, like it's a great risk.

"What?" he asks, freezing, going tense beside me. "What is it?"

I shake my head, glancing again at the house, though I can't see anyone inside it - which means they can't see me. "I - I think you need to be careful with Daniel," I murmur.

"Why?" he asks, sitting up straight so that he can peer over the backs of our chairs and through the window to the house, but I hiss his name and pull him back down.

"Because," I growl, letting my eyes flick to the side a little like I'm deciding what to do, "if you...if you understand that need for vengeance...I think you should probably understand how Daniel is feeling right now."

"What are you saying, Fay?" Ivan asks, all cop now - leaning forward to peer into my face. And I steel myself inside, knowing that I have to be very, very careful with what happens next.

I screw my lips to the side and stare up at him, as if deciding whether or not to say anything. But then I close my eyes and let out a big exhale of breath, my hand going to my stomach. "I want to do the right thing, Ivan. But...I think he's planning something," I say, all in a rush.

"What?" Ivan hisses, pissed and a little scared all at once. "What - what do you mean? When? How?"

"I don't know," I say, shaking my head a little as my eyes open and I lean forward to confess. "Obviously he and Jerome don't tell me everything - they just want to keep me safe, I think. But - I've heard them talk. About...about tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Ivan asks, his eyes going wide. And then he tries to glance back towards the house again but I grab him by the shirt, hauling him back down. "Tell me everything you know, Fay," he demands through his teeth. "Every single word." "I don't know," I say, desperate, "Ivan, please don't hurt him -"

Ivan groans now, leaning his head back and closing his eyes, clenching his teeth - clearly torn between wanting to do his job and wanting to promise me that Daniel - who he knows means so much to me - will be okay.

"I'll do everything I can, Fay," Ivan murmurs, covering his eyes with his hand. "I promise. But you've got to tell me everything you know."

"Promise me, Ivan," I beg, tugging on his shirt, making him look at me. He obliges me, staring into my eyes with his own serious grey gaze. "Promise you'll keep him safe."

"I promise," he agrees, sincere. "Now tell me."

"I don't know much," I murmur. "But - they said something. About - about a perimeter on the state penitentiary. About a coffee shop, and an intersection? About...some flaw in the process - and how...how they think they can get him. Tomorrow."

"Shit," Ivan growls, letting out a frustrated huff. And then, as I predicted, he starts to stand up. But I don't let him, tugging him back into his chair with my hands wrapped in his shirt. "Let go, Fay," Ivan says, his voice serious. "I have...I have to get back to work. We have to prep for this."

"Please don't tell him I told you," I beg, scared, letting my lower lip tremble. "I - it would break his heart to know, Ivan," I say, shaking my head. "He can't know I betrayed him, like...like I did Kent -"

"Fay," Ivan whispers, putting his hand on my cheek. "You didn't betray Kent. You didn't know."

"But I did just betray Daniel, didn't I?" I say, guilt in every word. I allow my lower lip to tremble, just a bit.

"You did it because it's right," Ivan murmurs, leaning closer to me. "You have a good heart, Fay. I see it in you."

"Promise me it will all turn out all right," I whisper, desperate.

"I promise," he says, his face inches from mine now. "It will all come out right. And I'll...we'll...

But I don't let him finish, because I lean forward, and I kiss him.

 

Chapter 192

I kiss Ivan like I can't help it, like I give into what I've wanted for a long time now. And it kills me, a little, to hear him moan softly as he kisses me back, as he buries his fingers in my hair and rests a hand on my cheek like I'm the most precious thing in the world to him. He breaks the kiss sooner than I thought he would, shaking his head at me. "I have to go. But Fay - you did the right thing, okay? I'll make sure that this turns out right. For us."

"Okay," I whisper, nodding to him.And then he kisses me again, swiftly, and gets up, and heads into the house. I watch him go. And when he walks down the stairs, I drag my forearm across my lips, wiping the taste of him away. Because Ivan thinks that I'm good, and that I'm right, but he's forgetting one essential thing:That I was born into one mafia family, and that I married into another, and that I've got a mafia baby growing in my stomach. And as much as Ivan sees the good in me, sees the fawn? He's missing the viper. But that part of me is there as well. Kent never made that crucial mistake. He sees all of me, and loves it - all of it. Ivan just sees half. "I'm coming for you, Kent," I murmur, taking a moment to turn my heart to steel, because I have long hours ahead of me and they're going to take everything I have to see them through.

I take a deep breath and place a hand on my stomach. "We both are."Janeen, seeing me standing alone in the dark on the back deck, staring into space, comes outside and shuts the door behind her. "Well," she says, raising her eyebrows at me. "That was good and steamy. Did you guys just kiss?" "Yeah," I say, screwing my lips to the side, a little ashamed. "Kinda. Just a little bit.

""So proud of you, sis," she murmurs, coming and wrapping an arm around my waist. "You know, I never thought you'd make a good stripper -"I gasp, insulted, and turn to stare at Janeen, who laughs at me."Let me finish!" she says, shaking her head at me and putting a hand up."Why did you think I'd be bad at it!?" I ask, frowning."Because one, you have no rhythm," she says, and she just speaks over me when I start to protest, "and two! Because I thought you'd probably fall in love with your clients. But what I realized tonight is that you're a stone cold bitch, baby," she says, pulling me tight against her, "and I love that for you! I'm proud."I laugh a little but then look down at the floor, shaking my head. "You don't...think I'm a terrible person?" I ask, quiet. Because...well, honestly, after everything I put into action these past few months, I do know that I'm a terrible person. And after what I do tomorrow... "I'm definitely going to hell.""Well, then at least I'll have someone to keep me company," she says, making me laugh darkly. But then, as I stare at the floor of the deck, doubting myself, Janeen puts her finger under my chin and makes me look at her. "Hey," she says. "You all right?""I just..." I say, shaking my head at her. "I'm in so deep, Janeen. And the closer we get, the scarier it is - and I'm a person -""You are," she insists, and I cock my head at her, raising my eyebrows. Because she knows my plan - she knows what's coming up. But she just shakes her head at me again. "You're playing by different rules than the rest of society, Fay," she says quietly, "and you didn't start this game - you were into it. What does a good person get, in your world?" she asks, and I cock my head to the side, thinking about it."That's right," she whispers. "If you were a little mafia girl, you'd be married off to whoever your dad picked out for you, a miserable little pawn for them to play with. But?" she says softly, "my brave, smart sister? You took this game into your own hands. People did you wrong, and now you're giving it back to them. So stop judging yourself for surviving - for thriving, okay? Kent wouldn't judge himself for doing the same. Neither would your father. Neither does Ivan, for that matter - who is just as cold and calculating as the rest of them, even if he has a shiny badge that lets him pretend he's a good guy."'I stare at my sister in surprise because...I definitely didn't think of it that way before.

"When did you get so perceptive," I murmur, looking her up and down. "Oh, I've this perceptive," she says, grinning at me and squeezing my waist, pulling me towards the house. "I've just been hanging out with you for long enough now that I have the vocab to tell you about it."I burst into laughter at this, and I'm still laughing when I come into the house. Daniel and Jerome stand up from their spots on the couch, smiling at us. "It's good to see you looking so cheerful," Daniel says, crossing his arms over his chest. "I think it was Ivan's kiss that did it," Jerome says, smirking at me, teasing. "Don't be gross," I murmur, shoving his shoulder. "That kiss was part of the -""I'm just saying," Jerome says, holding up his hands innocently, "it have been a hug - someone was getting their last taste before -

"But I give a little shriek of protest and smack him again, making him laugh and give it up. Then I take a deep breath, looking around at my team, and my dad in the kitchen, who declines to join us. "Okay," I say after a moment, looking around at them. "So....this is it. Only a couple of hours now. Everything is in place and all that's left to do is...rest." "Yeah, like you're going to be able to sleep, Fay," Daniel says, smirking at me. "Well, no," I sigh. "But you should, if you can. You all should."They're all quiet for a moment before Jerome speaks. "Well, I'm going to stay up," he says, grinning at me. I look at him in surprise, but he shrugs. "I never went to college, never got to do the all-nighter thing, so. Why not give it a try?""Ohh, me too!" Janeen says, suddenly eager. "What do we do? Take a bunch of amphetamines?"I look at her in horror but she just laughs at me, shaking her head.

"Seriously, Fay, everything that you have planned and you're appalled by the idea of some stimulants to help us stay up?""Excuse you," I reply, joining my hands below my pregnant belly, a little shocked to notice that it's starting to get difficult to do that, "of us are pregnant.""My scary little pregnant mafia wife," Daniel says, laughing and putting an arm around me, leading me into the kitchen. "We'll get a snack. And then the rest of us will indulge in some nice caffeine supplements.

"I smile and let him lead me away, Jerome and Janeen smiling as they follow behind. When we get into the kitchen, dad reaches out an arm for me and I go to him, letting him wrap me in a big hug. "How you doing, little girl?" he murmurs, rocking me back and forth the way he always did when I was a kid. "You all right?""I'm okay," I reply, and then I look up at him. "Did you think about it, dad? About what you want to do?""I'm still thinking on it kid," he says, his lips twisting a little with apology. "I'm afraid it might come down to a game-time decision. I'm sorry about that but...it's a big choice."

"I understand," I say, nodding."You know I support you, though, right?" He asks, rubbing his hand warmly up and down my arm. "In everything you've got planned, baby. I stand by you."My eyes fill with tears to hear him say it - because while I know Janeen and Jerome and Daniel understand what I'm doing? It's a little different to tell your dad that you're about to commit several felonies and ruin some lives. "Really?" I ask, kind of baffled by it."I trust you, daughter," he says, kissing my forehead. "If you decided to do it...it must be the only thing you could do. And I'd rather see you cut them all down then let them do it to you.

""Thanks, dad," I murmur, burying my face against him. Because that might be the last little bit of support I need to push me through to the end. "Please think about it - about coming with us.""Oh, I am, kiddo," he says with a sigh. "I'm thinking."But before we can go anywhere else with the conversation, we hear a set of heavy footsteps coming up the stairs.

I turn with a smile to see Donnie's tanned face at the top of the stairs, looking curiously around. "Hey!" he says, lifting up a box in his hand. "Nice house. I brought pizza!""Oh Donnie," I say, laughing and walking forward to take the box from him and stand on my tiptoes to give him a kiss on the cheek. "You're the best. Thank you so much for coming."

"No problem," he says, grinning at me. "I've never made an easier ten grand in my life."And then everyone else comes forward to say hello to our final guest before we all head into the living room to while away the next few hours together.

As predicted, no one sleeps - no one's able to. Instead, there's a lot of happy chatter about nothing.I'm the only one who's really quiet, though Daniel next to me gives me a run for my money. Because as much as everyone else knows that these are the last few normal hours we're going to have for a long time...I think that for Daniel and me? It's the most real. We look at each other as 2:00 AM draws closer, and I know that the same thought echoes in both of our heads. That this is it. That tomorrow - or today now, at this point it all ends. And something new begins.

 

Chapter 193

At 2:30 in the morning, I stand up and take a deep breath. The conversation awkwardly fades out around me, but I wave my hands at everyone. "I'm just going to go take a shower," I say, smiling around. "Ignore me - keep going -"

"No, that's a good idea," Daniel says, looking over at Jerome. "I'm going to go get ready too."

"I'll help you, Fay," Janeen says, standing up and coming to my side.

Donnie, still sitting on the couch with my dad - who fell asleep hours ago - gives us a thumbs up and grabs for the remote. "I'll just hang here!"

"You don't need to help me," I say to Janeen, frowning a little, "I'm not that pregnant -"

"Well then I'll just stare at your beautiful face," she says, raising her hands to my face and smushing my cheeks between her palms.

I scowl and swat her hands away, but she laughs and gives me a little shove towards my room.

Then, my sister and I very quietly get me ready for what is surely going to be the most stressful day of my life. I shower, and then put on very carefully-selected makeup while Janeen lays out my clothes. Of course, everything of importance is already packed and out of the house. Even if I wanted to decide on a change of clothing, this is the only dress that I have left.

"Black," she says, looking down at the prim little maternity dress spread out on the bed. "Appropriate. Very goth. Very...black widow. Very Regina George with the burn book."

I laugh at my sister, whose mind sometimes goes places I don't understand. But then again...who am I to talk.

"I'm a badass mafia donna now," I murmur as I comb out my wet hair, hoping it dries into pretty curls instead of the crazy frizzy mess it sometimes chooses. "I have to wear black, or else no one will take me seriously."

Janeen helps me apply my eyeliner - she's always been better at makeup than me - and then slips my black pumps onto my feet before helping me stand up.

"All set, baby?" she murmurs, looking me up and down.

"I am," I say, sure of it. Because I have to be.

"For what it's worth, you look beautiful," she says with a shrug and a smile.

"Janeen," I say, my face serious as I put a hand on her shoulder. "Come with us."

"I have to talk to dad," she replies, her smile falling from her face as she glances towards the doorway. "I can't leave him alone."

"Okay," I say, nodding my understanding. "Just...convince him to come too. It will be good, I promise."

"Oh, color me tempted, Fay Thompson," she says, leaning in to kiss my cheek and wrapping an arm around mine as we walk to the door. "I'm on board - but yeah, I'll talk to him."

"Fay Lippert, now," I say as we step out of my room and my handsome husband turns to me, neatly dressed in his own black suit.

"Damn right you are, little wife," he says, smirking at me and opening his arm to me. I hurry my steps a little to get to his side, letting him pull me close.

"Wait," Donnie says from the couch, leaning forward and frowning at us. "Yous two...you're married?"

We laugh and nod to him. "It's complicated," I say, wrinkling my nose in his direction. "Don't worry about it."

"Trust me," Donnie replies, leaning back on the couch and giving us a smile. "I am anything but worried."

"You understand your job?" Daniel asks Donnie. "Any questions?" Jerome comes to my side as Daniel speaks, dressed in jeans and a button-down shirt, sunglasses perched on his head. He gives me a kiss on the cheek and a little wink to let me know he's on board. I smile at him, but something roils in my stomach as I remember what Ivan said about him the other day - about Jerome not being trustworthy.

He's...he's got such a big role to play today. If he betrays us...

But no. I wipe the thought from my mind, because Jerome...Jerome loves Daniel, and he loves me. I just have to have faith.

"Of course I know my role," Donnie says, grinning and nodding. "Never been easier. 10:00, get in the car downstairs, take your phone with me. Put the address in the GPS, drive to that coffee shop and have a nice cup of coffee. That's it." "That's it," I say, smiling at him. "Thank you, Donnie. We're very grateful."

He waves off our thanks and my eyes shift to my dad, still asleep on the couch.

"Don't," Janeen murmurs as I start to move towards him. I turn back at her, a little devastated at the idea of leaving without saying goodbye. "Don't," she says again, shaking her head. "He...he doesn't like goodbyes anyway, baby. He'll just cry."

My heart sinking, I nod. But I turn back to him, taking a long minute to look him over, to memorize the way that he looks.

And then I take a deep breath, and wrap my sister in a hug. "I'll see him soon?" I whisper.

"I hope so, Fay," she whispers seriously back, holding me close.

And then, when she lets me go, all three of us call goodbye to Donnie, who wishes us luck. Then we troop downstairs to the rarely-used garage where Janeen's old car is waiting.

Without another word, Janeen pops the trunk and Daniel and Jerome climb in. She closes the trunk as I climb into the back seat, laying down on the floor. Janeen closes the door behind me and then gets into the front seat, starting the car and pushing the button that opens the garage door.

When that's all done, Janeen pulls onto our front street and - as casually as if she doesn't have a car secretly packed with people - she pulls away from the house.

"I don't see any other cars," Janeen murmurs. "I think we beat Ivan to it, like you said we would."

"The cops will still have a tail on Daniel's car later," I murmur. "I just hope we left early enough to beat them to it, and they're not being sneakier than I thought they'd be."

Janeen just nods and drives for twenty minutes. When she pulls into the parking lot of Crabby Dicks, I sit up and let myself out of the back seat. Jerome and Daniel climb out of the trunk after Janeen opens it, looking serious and rumpled.

We all look around, but there isn't a sign of anyone anywhere. I feel a great deal of relief at that. If Ivan had been more proactive with a tail...this all could have fallen to pieces much earlier than it might.

"You have the address?" Daniel says, turning to Janeen. "To meet us?"

"I've got it," she says, nodding to him. And then, to my surprise, she wraps Daniel in a big hug. "Good luck, brother-in-law," she murmurs, her voice a little choked. "Take care of my baby sister."

"I promise," he replies.

Jerome comes and bumps my shoulder with his. "No hugs or kisses," he says. "I'm too cool for that."

"You liar," I say, laughing and throwing myself into his arms. He laughs too and twirls me in a little circle before putting me back on my feet. "I'll see you tonight," he says. "And if you're good, I'll bring you something pretty." "You'd better," I say, laughing up into his face. "I'm depending on it."

Jerome winks at me before Daniel pulls him aside for a whispered word. Janeen gives me a last kiss and tousles my hair, making me scowl - it's just starting to dry right. And then, before I know it, she climbs into her car and drives away, and Jerome climbs into another car parked in the lot, empty and waiting for him, and does the same.

And then it's just Daniel and me, alone.

"You ready, little wife?" he murmurs, looking down at me with half a smile.

"I

I guess so," I say with a deep sigh. He turns towards the car but I grab his hand. "Hey, I love you, you know," I say, pulling him back.

Daniel smiles and comes close, running a hand over my hair and tucking it behind my ear as he looks down at me. "I love you too. Even though you're insane and might get us killed."

"What's life without a little adventure," I say, grinning, feeling suddenly a little reckless. Daniel laughs, and kisses me on the cheek, and then we climb into the black town car that we left here days ago. In the back a little leather briefcase is waiting with absolutely everything we'll need.

"Okay," I say, taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out. "Off for a nice breakfast at my father's house."

"Nice for you," Daniel murmurs, pulling out of the parking lot and getting started along our long road. "But if all goes as planned..."

"Not so nice for...others." I finish.

And then, as we hit the highway, I turn my heart to steel.

Eighty miles away, a guard comes to open Kent's prison cell.

"Come on, Lippert," he says as Kent sits on his bed, his head hanging low on his shoulders. "Lots of transfer paperwork to process. We've got to start early."

But Kent doesn't get up. Instead, he just sighs, exhausted.

He hasn't slept in...god, he doesn't remember the last time he slept. He just has no idea what's going on and it's killing him. Daniel stopped answering his phone days ago - did...did something go wrong? They had been planning something - he was relatively sure of it. But...was something still in the works? God, he's completely in the dark, and he hates it.

Kent's so riddled with anxiety about all of it - and so completely shattered by the idea that he can't do anything about any of it - that he can barely think straight.

The guard bangs his nightstick against the bars. "Lippert!" he barks. "Up!"

Groaning, Kent gets to his feet. He doesn't fight the guard any more, but instead follows him down the hall to the intake chamber, which he guesses is where they'll process him for his exit before he is loaded into the transport van that will take him to the state penitentiary.

Kent's sitting quietly, waiting for someone to come do...whatever it is they do...when suddenly he hears a familiar voice.

Kent lifts his head, confused, and listens carefully to the shouted words.

"You've got to cancel this transport!" a man shouts and Kent blinks when he realizes that...that it's Ivan. "I swear to god, something is going down!"

"I'm sorry, Detective," someone protests, "but we have no control over this. This transport is happening! If you want to stop it, you have to go to someone way above me to get it authorized."

There's some grumbling, and a few more harsh words, but Kent can't make them out before he hears footsteps stomping away.

And then Kent clenches his teeth as new energy - pure adrenaline, he knows - floods his system.

Because he just got his first hint.

And he's relatively sure, now, that Ivan is right. Something is happening.

And if he's going to survive this - whatever insane scheme Fay has planned - he's going to need his wits about him.

So, Kent sets his jaw, and stares at the wall, steadying himself for whatever is coming next.

 

Chapter 194

Kent does precisely what he's told over the next few hours, signing papers and obeying instructions - standing, sitting, waiting, not giving anyone an ounce of trouble and saying as little as possible. Inside, his mind churns, wanting desperately to consider every single possibility and how he'll react in any situation. But he forces himself to still inwardly as well, knowing that it's impossible for him to know. That instead, his best option - his only option is to remain calm and vigilant so that when it's time to act he can avoid panic.

Kent's breath comes cool and easy as he is loaded into the transport van with two other convicted criminals, all headed to the state prison for their longer-term sentences. As the guard uses a chain from the van's floor to link Kent's ankle shackles, stomach chain, and the cuffs around his wrists, Kent takes note of everything: the driver up front, the cop car that's going to follow behind. From what he knows, it all seems like a standard prisoner transport.

He smirks, just slightly, at the singular cop car and everyone getting ready to move. Looks like the kid had no luck trying to convince the state to make any changes.

After the two other convicts - in orange jumpsuits, like he is - are secured in the row behind Kent, the guard joins the driver up front and slams the door. After a few seconds, the van starts off and Kent takes a deep breath in through his nose, his shoulders tensing despite his determination to keep calm.

Because...something's going to happen any second. He can just feel it.

But as those seconds pass...god damn it, but nothing happens. Kent's shoulders slump in his bewilderment. Was...was Ivan just mistaken? Was he mistaken? Did whatever Fay and Daniel were planning fall through?

While the drive started out with tension and anticipation, Kent has to admit that...well, he's kind of bored. One of the prisoners behind starts to snore loudly and Kent turns to glance at him. They're about thirty minutes into the three-hour drive to the state prison, off the highway for the moment, making some kind of connection through farmland. Kent grimaces a little at the sleeping prisoner's loud snores and then sighs, kind of wishing he could sleep too - because if nothing's going to happen, he might as well get some

rest -

Out of nowhere, the blaring sound of a truck's horn breaks through the peaceful white noise of the transport van's engine -

Kent's eyes go wide as his head snaps toward the sound - he is barely able to gasp in shock and surprise before the eighteen-wheeler slams into the side of his van, hurling it across the road -

The driver screams and the guard and the prisoners do as well -

Kent just clenches his teeth and braces for impact as the transport flies through the air, glass and debris flying everywhere.

I take a little sip of the breakfast mimosa that Daniel made for me, grimacing a bit at the taste of the sparkling cider mixed with orange juice. I scowl at it, thinking that today of all days I should at least have a cocktail before what's coming next. I shift the direction of my scowl to my stomach, thinking stupid baby.

But then I run a hand over my belly, because I don't mean it. I'm actually growing much fonder of the baby now that I can feel it moving more. It's not an absence or a sickness now, but instead a little somebody that comes by to say hello. Which is nice. "It is good to see you becoming a mother, Fay," my father says, smiling at me from across the table as he takes a bite of sausage from his brunch plate.

"Is it?" I ask, putting my drink back down and turning my head towards him. I don't bother to put on the fake smile that I'd usually paste on my face at moments like this. It's not necessary anymore.

"A delight," he confirms, nodding to me. Then he waves his fork towards my plate of mostly-untouched food. "Though I'd like to see you eating more - you should put on more weight. Give me a nice, fat, healthy grandchild."

"You're right," I murmur, looking at my full plate of food. "I'm just not...feeling very hungry today."

Daniel, next to me, nudges me with his elbow. "You really should eat," he says quietly, and I know that he's right. But I just nod to him with a little grimace because, honestly, anything I put into my stomach right now isn't going to stay down. And for once, it isn't morning sickness.

"So," my father says, taking a deep breath and putting his fork down for the first time in about half an hour. "You asked me for this private little breakfast. What is it you'd like to speak to me about?"

I look up at Daniel, who nods to me. Solemnly, I nod back. It's time.

I take a deep breath and turn my eyes to my father, letting him see my true expression for the first time in months. Maybe ever, honestly.

"It's a big day, father," I say, cold. "We came here to celebrate."

Daniel stands now, moving to the sideboard behind my father where a bottle of champagne is chilling. Then he pours three glasses, his back turned to us.

"Celebrations!" my father says, pleased, reaching for the glass that Daniel carries to him. But then my father hesitates as Daniel hands me my own glass and sits back in his seat with his own. "But...Fay, should you be drinking? It isn't good for the child." "Oh, a sip won't hurt," I say, raising my glass of champagne to consider it. Then I turn my eyes back to him. "Though I hope you and Daniel will drink deeply. It's a big day."

Daniel raises his glass then, initiating a toast, and he mumbles some useless words about family, and happiness, and the future. My father, pleased and interested, leans forward and clinks glasses with us. As I suggested, he and Daniel drink deeply, emptying their glasses as I simply take a sip and place the flute on the table away from me.

The champagne fizzes on my tongue, dry and sharp. But I ignore it, staring at my father.

"And what are we celebrating," he says, leaning back in his chair and resting his folded hands comfortably on his belly. "Just familial happiness? Or something more specific?"

I speak quietly, obliging him to lean forward to hear me. "We're celebrating your retirement."

"My retirement?" he says, surprised, and then he laughs, thinking it's some kind of joke. He leans back in his chair and smiles at me. "What do you mean, daughter?"

"I mean," I say quietly, making him lean forward to hear me, "that today is the day you step down as the head of the Alden family, father. Congratulations - you've had an incredible run. You've truly built an empire, father." I take a moment to consider him, my eyes flicking up and down over his face, his body, his hands.

"Or," I continue, "if you haven't built it, you have at least cleverly acquired all of the pieces, stolen them from those who actually did the work. Truly - it is impressive. We can celebrate that."

The smile falls from my father's face as he realizes that I'm quite serious, and that not everything I've said is a compliment. "What is this," he says slowly, turning his attention to Daniel now. "What the hell are you doing?"

"No," I snap, my voice ringing through the room. "You look at me. I did this."

My father slowly moves his eyes back to me, his breath hissing between his teeth.

"What?" he seethes, and then he begins to cough, just a little.

I settle back in my chair, watching him carefully. "Your move against Kent was masterful, father, it really was. It was bold, and fast, and effectively eliminated your biggest rival while neatly transferring his criminal empire to your hands. It was effective. But you made one critical mistake."

My father's face reddens now and he shakes his head, not understanding, his eyes again going to Daniel - which lights a fire in me.

I slam my hand on the desk. "Stop," I command, and his eyes shoot back to me, wide with surprise.

Then, slowly, I stand and lean forward, ensuring that I have his absolute attention. "You underestimated me, father. Not Daniel. Not Kent. Me."

"Sit down, girl," my father growls, starting to realize that something serious is actually happening here. But then he starts to cough harder, his face turning red.

I stand up straight now, raising my chin, letting my actions speak for me. Because I patently refuse to be told what to do - not by this man, this greedy snake.

"I suggest you sit still and listen," I say quietly, looking at him evenly, feeling more calm in this moment than I have for the past few weeks combined. "The more you move, the faster your heart beats, the worse it will get."

"What?" he growls, working to get to his feet, but then he stumbles a little, finding that his body betrays him. He falls back into his chair.

"She's not kidding," Daniel says beside me, lifting his fist to the table and opening it to place the tiny bottle where my father can see it. "This is the good stuff. You'll be dead in minutes. Faster," he says, shrugging, "if you encourage it."

My father, his eyes going wide with fear as he realizes that this is very, very real. Frantic, he starts to look around for his phone, but I just take a deep breath, letting him figure out that it's gone. Because of course Daniel snatched it earlier, when my father was busy stuffing his face with food.

We have thought of everything - everything. Dozens of sleepless nights turning over every scenario, every escape, every way out. I have considered every possibility and defended against it. The result?

There is no way out of this for my father except the very thin avenue that Daniel and I have paved for him. But still, I understand that he has to figure that out for himself.

So I wait, patient, while my father realizes his phone is gone, and realizes that he has no way of getting out of his chair. He opens his mouth and lets out a wide shout - a scream, even. But no one comes.

Of course they don't. Fiona is already in control. Everyone who didn't turn to her side is dead, or currently dying.

"Are you finished?" I ask, my voice bored.

My father growls low in his throat as he glares at me. "I'll have you killed for this," he rasps.

"No, daddy," I say, leaning forward to hold his gaze. "That's what I'm doing to you."

 

Chapter 195

I take a deep breath and lean back as my father gnashes his teeth, clearly still trying to figure a way o "Stop wasting your energy," I snap. "It's done. I want you to listen to me, and do as I say, and if you do My father's eyes go immediately to the bottle, knowing that it can only be one thing.

"We don't have a lot of time, dad," I say softly, "so I'll keep this short. But it's important to me that you keep him under control while you burned his life to the ground and stole his empire? You forgot abou "But you're..." he croaks, reaching out a hand towards me. I don't let him finish.

"Pregnant?" I say with a sigh, looking at him steadily. "Yes. A girl? Absolutely. Young, naïve, delicate? S Kent Lippert never made."

Slowly, deliberately, I smooth a hand down over my stomach.

My father's face reddens with rage as his gaze snaps to my stomach and he puts the pieces together. "That's right," I hiss, leaning forward so that I'm bent over the table now, baring my teeth. "You may ha And then I slam a hand down on the antidote, smashing it down into the table. My father gasps, clearl Slowly, raising my hand, I let him see that the bottle is unbroken. But the message is clear: his life is i Because that's the thing none of these men have considered - all they thought about was destroying And god damn it, I'm going to make them pay through the teeth for it.

Daniel stands up, knowing his cue, and heads to the door. Once he realizes that the antidote is still sa father's eyes go wide as he realizes that it is his notary - the one he uses for all of his business.

My father starts to growl something about him about betrayal, but I snap at him to shut it and rathe helps him set out the intended paperwork, as we've practiced.

"Here's what's going to happen next," I say, my voice sharp and efficient now as I stand up straight and enterprise to either me or to Fiona, as previously agreed by the two of us." "Fiona?" my father croaks, his eyes again wide as he shakes his head at me.

IS.

will give you this." Very carefully, I lift an even smaller vial from the little pocket I sewed into the side of my dress. Carefully, I place it on the table.

e that it's your oversight that put you in this position. Because while you thought of the thousand ways that Kent could retaliate against you, and how to

ean forward now, fire burning coldly in my eyes. "But you let all of those parts of my identity convince you that I'm not a player in this game. A mistake that

cked the king, but you forgot about his queen. You f*****g fool."

ic with worry that it will break, but the bottle just falls flat against the wood beneath my palm, as I knew it would. ands now, and a big part of me is angry enough to let him die for what he did not to Kent, but to me. world, and gave no thought to the fact that they destroyed mine as well.

father's eyes frantically follow Daniel as he opens the door to let in a notary public, who looks around the room with his shoulders anxiously bunched. My surprise he does. A little pleasure stirs in me as I realize that he's finally getting it - that I'm in charge. Daniel leads the notary to my father's side and

my arms over my chest. "Mr. Worth is going to show you where to sign some paperwork. And in doing so, you will pass all of the individual pieces of your

"Yes," I say, turning my head a little as I consider him. "Another of the women in your family treated better by the Lipperts than by you. Or, at least marginally better," I say with a shrug, "Because Kent was not always kind. But I'm a Lippert now, and I've been very generous with her."

My father snarls as Daniel comes back to my side. The notary stands awkwardly next to my father, offering him a pen. "I will never -"

"You will -" I shout, starting to get sick of these protests. "Because it doesn't matter to me if you'd rather die than turn it all over to me now. Because if you die, I get it all anyway."

My father stares at me, confused, and the notary anxiously clears his throat before pulls another document out of his bag, laying it carefully before my father. "Your will, sir. Which you had me change months ago? To make...Fay Lippert, your daughter, your singular heir?" "What?" he gasps.

"The day you hired me," Daniel explains, perfectly cool. "It was a long day of signing for both of us - but I had a few extras page slipped into the packet. But your signature is there," he says with a shrug, "witnessed by myself, and by the notary. It's totally valid." My father looks up at the notary for confirmation. While the notary is clearly terrified, he nods anxiously and taps on the will. "You signed it, sir. I was - it is verified."

My father's breath comes in quick rasps now and he scrambles at the buttons of his collar, seeking air. Time is short now.

"Notarized copies of this will exist in at least three safety deposit boxes across the state, of course," I say, wanting this done and getting sick of all of the divergences. As soon as my father realizes that he's locked into this, the sooner this can be over. And I very much want it to be over.

"So," Daniel says, nodding to the notary, who again holds out a pen to my father. "I'd suggest you sign. Because at least if you do that, you'll live to fight this in court. Or take a shot back at us. Or...whatever it is you want to try. But either way, we're leaving this room with what we want. And your time..." he says, hesitating and looking at my father's purpling face, the veins starting to stand out on his neck, "is running short, Alden."

Frustrated, pissed as hell, my father grabs the pen from the notary's hand and starts to sign the paperwork. The notary, still flustered, flips through the pages as fast as he can, pointing at the places my father needs to sign. As he does Daniel takes a deep breath and moves around the table, to the sideboard, where he pours himself another glass of champagne.

I watch him, curious, wondering if he should have it. Because he still has to drive us after this.

But then I look away from him, ignoring it. Because I have bigger things to worry about it.

As my father nears the end of the pile, I put my two hands on the table and lean forward, speaking to him softly.

"I am sorry it had to go this way, father," I say, meaning it. "But you destroyed my life too, when you destroyed Kent's. And you should have realized that I'd retaliate. I am, after all, your daughter." He raises his eyes now, finishing his last signature, looking at me with disgust. But that just makes me smile.

"Family is everything, after all," I say quietly, holding his gaze. "And the Lippert's are my family now. And you? You're nothing to me. Not anymore."

I straighten as the notary gathers the papers into his briefcase and nods to me. "Digital copies in half an hour," he murmurs. "Physical copies in the boxes by the end of the day."

"Thank you, Mr. Worth," I reply, not looking at him as he scurries to the door. "Your fee will be wired when we have confirmation."

The notary leaves without another word and I lift the tiny vial off the table, intending to toss it across the table so that my father can guzzle it down. His eyes move directly to it, hungry, desperate -

But before I can even wind my hand back, Daniel moves, a flash of silver in his hand -

And I gasp, my eyes going wide, as Daniel swiftly grasps my father by the stray strands of hair growing on his scalp, and pulls his head back, and drags a knife across his throat.

My hands fly to my mouth as blood burbles from the long slash in my father's neck, quickly drenching his skin, his shirt -

There's a horrible, gasping groan before my father falls slack against the back of his chair, his head lolling grotesquely to the side.

"Daniel," I whisper, my eyes shooting up to my husband as my father's life spills red down his chest. "What - what did you do?