Ch. 51..55: Fall For My Ex’s Mafia Dad Chapter 51-55

Chapter 51

I gasp air back into my lungs after a moment of real fear when I couldn't pull any in-

It aches as it fills me, having been so roughly knocked out of me in the first place -

God damnit, I think, shaking a little with the shock of falling off a horse for the first time, of the sudden violence that caused it -

I roll over on the ground, pulling myself to a seated position, pressing my eyes closed as I work to steady my breath.

Someone is there next to me, almost instantly - I feel a hand on my shoulder, a tremulous voice asking if I'm okay -

When I open my eyes, I'm shocked to see it is Kent kneeling next to me, concern written in every line of his face.

"Are you serious?" I shout at him, anger mixing with the fear running through my veins. I brush his hand off my shoulder. "We would all be fine if you didn't rush in here like a crazy person! What the hell -"

Suddenly, I remember my horse and spin my torso around, looking behind me to see Heathcliff at the other side of the arena, looking at us with wide and frightened eyes.

I push myself to my feet in a moment, heading towards him -

"Fay," Kent says behind me, grabbing for my arm. But he's too slow, and I'm able to pull out of his grasp, glaring at him over my shoulder as I hurry over to my poor horse.

Behind him, I can see Jerome starting to stand up as well, a hand on his jaw, looking anxiously between us.

Still, I don't have time for that. I slow myself as I cross the ring to Heathcliff, knowing that he'll shy again and be further spooked if I run at him in a rage. So, instead, I force myself to adopt a casual stroll, talking soft nonsense to him as I approach.

I see the horse physically relax when he sees how calm I am - or at least, how calm I'm pretending to be. When I hold my hand out to him, he stretches his neck forward, pressing his nose into my palm, trusting me. I take a moment, then, as I take his reins in my left hand, to stroke his neck and tell him how pretty and wonderful he is, hoping to calm him even further.

But the whole time I'm being nice to my horse, I'm getting angrier and angrier inside.

Who the hell does Kent Lippert think he is?

Well, something inside me prompts, the most dangerous man in the city, for one.

But I quickly dismiss the thought because seriously, who the hell storms into a riding lesson and punches the instructor?

I glance at the two of them, then, and see that they're standing right where I left them, Kent staring worriedly at me. Jerome, though, is anxiously looking at Kent. He could very easily lose his job over this, we both know it - just because he put his hand on the wrong girl's knee.

But who the hell was Kent to decide who could put their hands on my knees?

He's not my fiancé, or my father. He's just some jerk who thinks he owns me.

God damnit, but I hate him right now.

I try to continue keeping my body calm as I walk Heathcliff forward towards the gate at the entrance to the arena, which is still standing open. As I pass him, Kent puts out a hand, apology on his face. I know that he's sorry - but not because he hurt me, or Jerome. No, Kent is sorry because he lost the control that's so damn precious to him.

"Fay," Kent calls after me, shaking his head, but I ignore him, walking Heathcliff towards the stables.

I pass Jerome in the same manner, giving him a dirty look as well. He still presses his hand to his face, which is expressionless as he watches me pass.

I'm not blameless in this, I know. I let Jerome continue, I liked the way it felt when he paid attention to me, flirted with me, told me I was pretty and let me wonder what it might be like to let him teach me how to ride the way Western girls ride. What it might be like to kiss him at a campfire under the stars.

But he knows better than that, and so do I.

I'm no cowgirl, even if I wanted to be. It's an impossibility.

Because I'm the daughter of one major crime lord and the fiancé of another. Where the hell did Jerome think this was going to end? Where was the happy ending here, for either of us?

I'm fuming as I get Heathcliff into his stall, as I begin to take off his saddle and tack. Out of the corner of my eye I see Jerome pass the stall too, walking to the front of the stable where he had parked the car a few hours ago.

Jerome looks worried, as he goes, and catches my eye, but he doesn't say a word to me.

I'm just so mad in this moment, as I continue to care for my horse. So angry and sad at myself all at once. And sore, physically sore, where I fell on my chest and stomach.

Poor little rich girl, I think bitterly, my inner voice rich with sarcasm. Seriously, Jerome aside, what the hell did I think I was playing at? And what business did I have feeling sad, when so many people - Jerome included - had it so much worse than me?

After all, he was going to get the brunt of the punishment for this. I was going to skate on by. Because - again - I'm the daughter of a major crime lord, and engaged to another. And Jerome is a nobody. I feel horribly guilty as I think about it, where my choices lead him.

"Fay," Kent's voice surprises me, then, as he lets himself into Heathcliff's stall.

I'm too angry to speak and just glare at him before continuing with my chores, hanging up my saddle and then collecting my brushes to groom Heathcliff after his ride.

"Fay," Kent is angrier this time, clearly insisting on my attention. But he can damn well wait until I'm finished with my horse.

When I don't reply, I can hear the anger grumble in his chest. But he leaves the stall, leaving me alone to finish my work. In silence, I brush my horse, clean his feet, and check his water and hay to make sure that he's all set for the night.

I'm grateful to see, as I give Heathcliff his final parting kiss on his nose, that my horse has come out of everything unscathed. He, unlike me, is again perfectly calm, happily relaxing in his stall.

But when I lock his stall door behind me and see Kent just outside of it waiting for me, his arms crossed, I could burst into flames I'm so damn mad.

"What the hell were you thinking," I hiss at him, striding right up to him so that we're only inches apart, glaring up into his face. "I could have been seriously hurt - Jerome could be seriously hurt -"

I can see what my accusations do to him. His temper was clearly hanging by a thread when he arrived here today - but now? He totally loses it.

"God damnit Fay," Kent says through clenched teeth, advancing on me, his chest bumping into mine and forcing me back a few steps. "He was touching you -"

"What do you care if he touches me!" I yell at him, working to hold my ground as he advances. "Who cares - it was just a little flirting - what, every time someone flirts with me you're going to punch them in the face?!"

I widen my eyes then, feeling a little reckless. "Well then get ready, Kent," I seethe, "because your knuckles are going to get really sore."

"You are engaged to my son, Fay Alden!" Kent grinds the words out from between his teeth. "If you even so much as look at another man, it is an insult to my family -"

"Oh come on, Kent," I say, laughing again, which I can tell really gets him going. His teeth are bared now, his brows drawn together with fury. "You're going to pretend that this is about Daniel? That you punched Jerome for Daniel's honor?!" I cross my arms then, shaking my head, and laugh in his face.

"You're really going to pretend," I say, pushing it, "that this wasn't about how you want to be the one to -"

He grabs me then, unable to stop himself, fisting the front of my shirt in his hand and pulling me close to his face.

"You are mine, Fay," Kent says, his words violent, possessive, dangerous. "No one touches you."

Our faces are close in this moment, our bodies pressed against each other, so close that I can feel his rageful heart pounding in his chest. But it's no match for mine.

"Really, Kent?" I say, my challenging words no louder than a whisper. "We'll just see about that."

Then, roughly, I push him away.

Surprised, perhaps, Kent lets go of my shirt.

I move away from him, but I don't run. I'm not finished.

"Well just see about that," I repeat, fixing my eyes on him. "Because my dad has introduced me to some really nice guys lately. And maybe I want to see precisely where they want to put their hands."

Then, still holding his gaze, I walk past him. Right out of the front of the stables, to where Jerome is sitting in his car.

I pull open the passenger side and Jerome gawks at me, glancing worriedly over his shoulder.

"Fay, I-" he says, nervous to see me here.

"Drive," I say, crossing my arms over my chest and staring out the windshield.

"Seriously, Fay," he tries again, so I turn to glare at him as well.

"I said. Drive."

A command. From the mafia lord's daughter. The future Donna of the Lippert clan.

Without another word, Jerome does as I say and drives me home.

 

Chapter 52

Kent is as cold as ice the whole ride home.

On the way there, he had been burning with fury, his mind racing, desperate to lock her down, to burn down everything, if necessary, in order to secure her allegiance any way he could. And he had... he had just lost it. Twice, at the stables, he had lost his temper, lost his mind.

He was unsettled, in truth, at his reactions to the day's events. His entire life - since his father died - everything had been about control. Control of himself, foremost, because from that spun control over his house, his family, his community, and then his world. Control was the center of his success, his power.

And around her?

God damnit, for some reason, around her he just loses it.

Kent grips the steering wheel tighter as he considers it, remembering the rage he let slip loose when he had watched the boy put his hand on her thigh. Because, Kent knew, it was his thigh-his to control, his to decide who touched it and when.

For some reason, with Daniel, Kent felt no such jealousy. Probably because he knew...well. He knew that Daniel was no real threat.

But Jerome - this handsome, smooth-talking young guy. Kent had been in idiot to ever assign Fay to his care. What the hell did he think was going to happen?

And then the second time - when he had grabbed her - grabbed her shirt and pulled her against him -

Kent scowls at himself, disgusted at his weakness. She was learning his ticks, learning how to manipulate him, learning how to bring him to the edge and just tip him over. And he was falling for it, every time.

Because, god damnit, a large part of him wanted to lose control with her. To do more than just grab her shirt, pull her against him -

He wanted to throw her down when she laughed at him, to wipe that laugh off of her mouth by pressing his own to it, to show her who was in charge.

But he knew he couldn't - he couldn't go that far. When he teetered on that edge, his whole world teetered with it. He had to bring her back under his control, had to have this on his terms.

Nothing else was a real option.

And so, when he pulls into the garage at his house, Kent is all solidity, all icy control. It was a mistake, rushing off to the stables when he was on edge. He should be like this all the time, perfectly in command. He won't do it again, that's for damn sure.

Instead, he would take Fay in hand the old-fashioned way. By force, if necessary.

Kent walks into a quiet house. He's surprised by this - he knows that it's full of people, but everyone is, apparently, walking on eggshells today.

Fine. That's just fine by Kent.

He strides into the kitchen, seeing a group of people at the back table.

The boy is one of them, sitting with the old guys, who give Kent looks just tinged with shame. Not enough to really stand up to him, but enough to let him know that they knew he had lost control.

Kent clenches his teeth and then strides to the fridge, taking out a package wrapped in butcher paper. Then, he walks over to the boy, whose eyes go wide with fear.

"There," Kent says, tossing the wrapped steak on the table. "Put that on your bruise, it will help the swelling."

The boy hesitates, not taking his eyes of Kent, and then reaches for the packet.

"Thanks," Jerome says, his voice quiet.

"Tomorrow," Kent says, looking beyond him towards the back garden, "you wash the cars. Every single one of them." He returns his gaze to Jerome's face. "And I'll check to make sure they're detailed." Then Kent walks away. He can hear the approving sounds of the old men talking to the boy then, patting him on the back.

"See?" One says. "You still got a job, kid. Don't worry - in time, he'll forgive ya."

Kent pretends not to hear, but he's glad he got the message across. He didn't want the kid to think that he's out of hot water - not yet. But at least Jerome knows he's not going to end up in a shallow grave by the road somewhere. Not that Kent isn't tempted. It's just not worth the fuss.

Kent makes his way towards the back door, pausing next to the little window that overlooks the little patio, which stands helpfully open. He glances out of it, seeing the shine of Fay's red hair, hearing Daniel's voice. Then, Kent rests his back against the wall next to the window, listening.

"I don't know, Daniel," Kent hears Fay say, and then to his surprise he hears her sniff. "I just - I don't know if I can do this."

Kent blinks in surprise at the thickness of Fay's voice, clearly choked with tears. She had been a hellcat twenty minutes ago, laughing in his face, challenging him to watch her let other men touch her. And now she's in tears?

Kent hangs his head a little, shaking it. He does not understand this girl.

"It's okay, Fay," Daniel says softly and Kent hears some movement - perhaps Daniel taking the girl in his arms, comforting her. He grits his teeth to think of it.

"He just...he pisses me off, Daniel," she says softly. "And then I say things I don't mean - and I do things I'd never do, just because I know it pisses him off -"

Daniel laughs at her here, just a little, in a comforting way.

"Yeah, he has that effect on people," Daniel says softly. "Though, I have to admit, you're the only one I've ever seen respond like that. He has most people shaking in their boots -"

"Oh, I've got plenty of that going on too," Fay says, and she laughs a little as well, sniffing again. "I just...I don't know. Something comes over me."

There's a pause in conversation, and then Daniel presses her. "So, what are you going to do? What's next?"

"What do you mean?" she asks.

"Do you still want to...go? To run? Leave this life behind?"

Kent blinks, surprised. She was considering running?

Foolish girl, he thinks. There was nowhere she would go that he wouldn't find her. And the trouble she'd cause him as he hunted her down - god damnit, he'd be livid -

But that. Kent checks himself, realizing that he's growing angry again, that it is precisely this side of Fay that fills him with this kind of rage. When she's unpredictable, and stupid, and follows what she wants instead of what he knows is good for her.

"I don't know," Fay says softly, distracting Kent from his thoughts and bringing him back to the conversation. "I don't know...if there's anything to run to," she says, thoughtful. Kent nods, agreeing.

"Not back home? Or to France, like we talked about?" Daniel asks, curious.

"I just..." she says slowly. "I don't know if that world exists for me anymore. Or, maybe it's that the old Fay, the person I used to be? Who fit into that world? I'm not sure she exists anymore."

"I'm sorry," Daniel says, and Kent can hear the guilt in his son's words. "It's all my fault."

"No," she says, quick to assuage him. "I'm not sure...honestly, Daniel, I'm not sure I dislike the person I'm becoming in this world."

Kent is surprised by this, his eyes opening wide.

"The old me is gone," Fay continues, "but...the new me? She's not half bad. I just wish...that your father realized that. That I want to be here. Honestly, I said some stuff to him today about - well, about wanting to explore the relationships with the jerks my father introduced me to the other day."

She laughs then she must see something on Daniel's face as he reacts to her words.

"No, Daniel," she says, her voice a little more cheerful now, "I didn't mean any of it. I just said it to piss him off. I just wish that you dad would figure out that I want to be here, with you, and with...I guess with him. I don't want to be on my father's side. I would be more than happy to pledge myself to the Lippert family. I'm just not going to do it because he forces me to. God, if he were just...a little bit kinder to me."

"More flies with honey," Daniel says, his voice understanding. "That I do get. But I'm not sure that my dad will ever understand something like that. Allegiance, in response to kindness? It's not something that makes sense in his world."

"Well," Fay says, a little pity in her voice. It rankles Kent to hear it. "That's really a shame, isn't it?"

"Enough," Kent mutters to himself, pushing up from his spot against the wall and striding out of the kitchen, towards his office.

As much as he hates to admit it, their quiet conversation outside...it's given him a lot to think about.

The next morning, a car takes Fay to the stables, as requested. It's not Jerome driving this time and she stays quiet on the journey there. She'd been miserable all night, but a smile tugs at her lips as the driver pulls up to the barn. As Fay gets out of the car, her mind elsewhere, she does a double-take when she sees a flash of long purple hair -

What-

"Oh my god," Fay says, standing shocked and still as Janeen peeks her head out of the barn.

And then the sisters both scream, flying across the ground towards each other, colliding and wrapping their arms around each other, holding tight, each hardly able to believe that the other is real. "What are you doing here," Fay asks, unable to stop the tears streaming down her cheek.

"I can't believe you have a horse!" Janeen says at the same moment, laughing.

Fay steps back, holding her sister at arm's length. "Seriously," she says, shaking her head and marveling at her sister. "How did you get here?"

"Lippert," Janeen says with a little shrug. "He came by the club last night and asked me if I wanted to see you. We struck a little deal."

Fay shakes her head, unbelieving. Of all of the people in the world who she thought would help her reconnect with her sister...

The last on the list would have been Kent.

What the hell had changed?

 

Chapter 53

I can't stop smiling at my sister as we slowly walk around the fenced paddock of the stables, Heathcliff happily walking alongside us, my hand loosely holding the lead to his halter. Janeen, unfortunately, is less happy about the company than Heathcliff is. I laugh at my sister. "Seriously, Janeen, calm down - he's a big softie! And he needs his exercise."

"Are you sure he's not going to like, rear or something?" She asks, looking at my horse from the side of her eye. "Or kick me?"

Janeen narrows her eyes at him as Heathcliff looks at her curiously. When he reaches his nose curiously out towards her she flinches back, making me laugh more.

"So, he just...bought you a horse?" Janeen asks. "No questions asked?"

I shrug. "Money is...different, in these circles. They have so damn much of it that giving people expensive things is more about the gesture than what the thing itself is worth. Or something like that."

Janeen raises her eyebrows at me, smirking a little. "Look at you, little rich girl."

I wrinkle my nose at her. "Don't be jealous."

She laughs at that. "I'm not jealous, Baby Fay - I'm making stacks on stacks at the club every night." She flicks her hair back haughtily. "Maybe I'll get a horse of my own."

But she flinches again when Heathcliff gives a little whinny, making me laugh again.

Janeen and I spend the next few hours together, walking Heathcliff around the property. We let him run and roll in the arena as well before taking him back to his stall for a good grooming. I'm pleased when I'm able to convince Janeen to take part in brushing Heathcliff at least, giving her a curry comb and showing her how to use it.

While we work, we talk. I tell her all about my life in the Lippert house, about meeting my biological father, about Kent's warnings about my place within the mafia world. I don't hold anything back, grateful to again have a sister to whom I can tell anything. "I'm sorry," I say, at the end of it all. "About...what I said to you, and to dad, when we first found out about all of this stuff. It wasn't fair, and it was just Kent doing his Mafia Don thing, trying to get control of me."

Janeen just shrugs. "Don't worry about it. Dad and I figured it out, a few days later, when we cooled off. You know we love you - nothing is ever going to change that."

I feel tears prick my eyes as she says that. I did worry. I had been so cruel, and I wondered if they'd ever forgive me. It's so refreshing to my spirit to know that they forgave me immediately and were just waiting for a way to get back into my life. "So," Janeen says, frowning a little and leaning against the stall's wall. "What changed? Why did Lippert suddenly relent and open this doorway for me to be back in your life?"

"Well," I say, studying my horse's flank instead of looking her in the eye. "I don't know, honestly. The last that Kent and I talked he was livid with me, telling me I'm his and I'd better fall in line. And then today, you're here?" I look up into her face, confused. "He blows hot and cold on me. I honestly don't understand."

I frown when I see Janeen's mouth pulling up into a little smirk as she crosses her arms, looking me over.

"What?" I ask, confused.

"What is the deal with you two?" She asks, her smirk deepening. "I mean, you're engaged to this Daniel guy, but all day our conversation has been Kent Kent Kent."

"Well," I say, scoffing a little bit, "Daniel's not really in control of the family and hasn't been making a lot of decisions about my life - that's all been Kent. Honestly, Daniel is really nice to me -"

"Really nice to you?" Janeen says, raising an eyebrow now, adding to her skeptical expression. "Honestly, the way you talk about Daniel, he's just some nice little puppy you play with sometimes. The way you talk about Kent, though," she laughs a little bit, shaking her head at me. "Are you sure he isn't the fiancé?"

"Ew, Janeen," I say, arranging the features of my face into an expression of disgust that, if I'm being honest, I don't actually feel. "He's like...old."

She shrugs. "Some of my older gentlemen are my best clients."

"Well," I say, tossing Heathcliff's comb into its bin and facing her directly. "Kent is not my client. So, you can end that line of thinking right there."

"But why not, though?" Janeen says, leaning forward and smiling eagerly at me. "I can tell you like him - and he's hot -"

"Janeen!" I say, getting upset and stomping my foot like we're four years old again.

She laughs, but backs off. "Okay, sis," she says, coming and putting an arm around my shoulders. "Whatever you say." She pulls me with her out of the stall.

I open my mouth to protest further but she waves me off, looking towards the front of the stables.

"Look, I have to be getting back so that I can help dad with some stuff before work tonight." She turns back to me then, looking me from head to foot. "You going to be all right, if I leave you here?"

I shrug. "I've survived this far, I'll probably make it a few more days at least. Do I get to see you again?"

She gives me a smile. "Yeah, that's part of the deal. Kent is going to let me see you on the regular, which I think is good. I miss my little sister. Any messages for dad before I go?"

I feel tears spring to my eyes again when I think of him. "Just tell him I love him?" I say, sniffing and working to hold them back. "And that I'm okay?"

Janeen nods, wrapping me in a hug. "Be careful here, Fay baby," she whispers in my ear as she holds me tight. "The media has been saying a lot of shit about organized crime in the city right now. I think it's getting bad - like some kind of war is brewing. You stay out of it as best you can, okay?"

She pulls back, then, looking me seriously in the eye. I nod eagerly, feeling every bit the little sister then, following my big sister's advice. "I'll be careful," I say, giving her a smile.

"Good," she says. Then, she glances down at my hand, where I'm wearing my engagement ring. "But if you do die, please make sure to leave me that in your will. I would retire immediately. Buy a yacht."

I laugh, then, unable to help myself. She laughs at her own joke too, giving me a kiss on the cheek and heading out to where a car is waiting to take her home. God, I'm so glad to have my sister back. And so grateful to Kent for setting it up. What ever could have made him do it? I head home, eager to find out.

Chapter 54

Fay knocks gently on the open door to Kent's office that night, leaning casually against it. He looks up, his expression changing from one of irritation to surprise. "Fay," he says, folding his hands on his desk. "What can I do for you?"

"Can I come in?" she asks, tentative. Kent nods, waiting patiently as she comes into the room and seats herself primly in a chair across from him.

"I just wanted to say thank you," she says, her voice soft and earnest. "For my sister. That was so wonderful, today, to have her back in my life for a little bit."

Kent works hard to keep the smile off of his mouth. He's surprised, really, by the pleasure he feels in hearing her apology. He likes it, he decides, when she comes to him to express gratitude. When she sits quietly before him, looking at him happy, grateful. Obedient. Damnit, but it makes him want to buy her a thousand more sisters or horses or whatever it is that makes her happy.

"You're welcome," he says simply, leaning back in his chair and studying her. He waits for her to continue the conversation.

"Is there, um," she says, squirming a little in her seat, "anything I can do? To pay you back?"

Slowly, he shakes his head no. He won't ask her for anything, not now. But he'd taken her conversation with Daniel in the garden seriously. He hoped, in the end, that the payment for his kindness to her will be her loyalty. And her submission. "Okay," she says, smiling and looking awkwardly down at her hands. "Well, then. Thanks."

He nods to her as she stands up and then he looks back to his computer, clicking through some files. He looks back towards her, though, when he hears a second voice.

"Fay?" Daniel asks, coming into the office. "What are you doing here?"

"Nothing," she says, shaking her head and smiling at him. "Your dad just...did something really nice for me today. So I stopped in to say thanks."

"Oh?" Daniel says, coming in further and looking between them. To Kent's surprise, Daniel's frowning. Why on earth does he have to be mad about?

"Go on, Fay," Kent says to her, keeping his eyes on Daniel. "Let me have a word with my son." Obediently - good, just as he likes her - Fay flits off, heading up the stairs towards her room. "What did you do, dad?" Daniel asks, standing in front of the desk, his hands in his pockets.

Kent narrows his eyes at his son, curious and unhappy about being questioned like this. "Why do you care?"

"Because she's my fiancé, dad," Daniel says, his voice growing angrier. "And you've been kind of a d**k to her lately - what, now you're buying her loyalty back? Her affection? What did you do, get her another horse?"

Kent smirks at his son then. "Why," he asks, his voice even and a little cruel. "Are you jealous that you didn't think of it first?"

"Dad," Daniel says angrily, taking a deep breath and clearly about to start a tirade, but Kent beats him to it.

"I don't know what the problem is here, Daniel," Kent says, staring his son down even as the boy tries to lower over him. "But that girl's allegiance is important to us. If you're not going to stop her from running all over town, dating our enemies, letting our own guys putting their hands all over her -"

Daniel's mouth dropped open at this. Fay had told him that his father had punched Jerome, but she'd conveniently left that little detail out of the story.

Kent smirks, glad to see his words have found their mark. "If you're not going to keep the girl happy in our house, then..." he waves a casual hand in front of him, as if the solution is obvious. "I'm happy to step in." Daniel snaps his mouth shut, glaring at his father.

"Fine," Daniel grinds out, angry to have been put in his place. "But you back off and leave this to me."

Kent shrugs, pretending he's happy to do it. But, ultimately, he knows that Daniel will fail at this task - it's not really in him to keep a woman happy. And, deep down, Kent knows that he wants to be the one to do it. "How are plans going for the wedding?" Daniel asks, rueful.

Kent raises an eyebrow at this. "Finally curious about your own wedding, then? Frankly, it's bizarre that two such young people - people in love at that - have never asked any questions about the plans. The location. The ceremony. The honeymoon." Daniel wrinkles his nose a little at this. "You planned our honeymoon for us?" he asks, a little appalled.

"Two weeks in Italy," Kent says softly. "You're going to have a lovely time."

Daniel scowls, knowing then that he's been beat. His father was right, of course - he had been neglecting the girl.

"The wedding is a month away," Kent continues, smirking a little at the look of defeat on his son's face. "You still have time to take a larger role in convincing her that loyalty to the Lippert family is her best choice."

"Fine," Daniel snaps, looking his father in the eye. "I'll do it. Can you..." He hesitates, then, realizing he was just about to ask his dad to arrange dinner out with Fay tonight, to use his connections to get a last-minute table for him somewhere nice. "Yes?" Kent asks, still smirking. "Can I..."

"Nevermind," Daniel says, turning away from him. He can do this himself.

"Have a nice night," Kent calls after his son as he walks out of the office. Kent's glad, in the end. It's about time Daniel was shamed into taking on some responsibility. Even if that responsibility was just making his damn girlfriend happy. Kent rolls his eyes at this thought. You wouldn't think that he'd have to work so hard to get Daniel to do that.

If he were in his place...

Well. Kent turns away from the thought, not needing to go there right now.

But it nags at him, pulling his mind away from his work. Because...

Well, damnit, why didn't Daniel work harder to keep her happy? And what was going to happen when Daniel lost interest in it, as he certainly would, and let her attention wander again. If Daniel wasn't the right man for the job, who the hell was?

Kent instantly knows what the answer to that question is: him. He's the one who wants Fay in his back pocket. He wanted her for the leverage she represented to Alden and because...well. Because he wanted her. But did he really need Daniel to play the middle man in this?

Impulsively, Kent gets up from his chair and leaves his office, jogging up the stairs to Fay's room. As he walks to her door he finds it open. He pauses there silently, watching her sort through her closet, considering a choice between dresses. "Where are you going?" Kent asks, and he takes a visceral little pleasure when he sees her jump, startled, and look around at him with those wide blue eyes.

 

Chapter 55

"Oh!" I says, and then I give Kent a big smile. I'm excited, after all. "Out, actually! Daniel just came by and asked me if I want to go to dinner."

Kent smiles at me then, just raising the little corner of his mouth. "The black, then," he says, nodding towards a little minidress still hanging in my closet. "That's better, for a city dinner."

I considers the dress, which is really just a scrap of fabric. I pull it out and look it up and down. "You don't think it's too..." I say, hesitating and looking up at him, a little embarrassed. "Well, slutty?"

Kent laughs a little at this, leaning against my door frame. "The whole point of going to a chic restaurant in the city is to wear a dress like that and make your boyfriend jealous when all the other men stare at you. That's why a dress like that exists."

I look back at the dress then, surprised and a little excited. I had never thought about it that way. I sneak a little glance at Kent, then, still leaning there in my doorway, wondering what he'd think if he saw me on Daniel's arm, in this dress, the hem riding a little too high on my thigh. Then, I take it off the hanger and lay it out on the bed, the question decided.

I start to move over to my vanity but stop dead in my tracks at his next question.

"Do you want to marry Daniel?" he asks, blunt.

I just stand there, blinking at him, totally confused. "What?"

"Daniel," Kent says, pushing the issue. "Do you want to marry him?"

Where was all of this coming from?

I take a moment to plan my next words. "I didn't realize that I had a choice," I say, keeping my voice quiet.

"No one will force you to say yes at the altar," Kent replies, his voice low and husky.

Oh, I think, then, realizing very suddenly that this isn't a real question about what I want. That this is a negotiation. I turn fully to him then, folding my arms over her chest.

"I don't want to go to my father's house," I say, evading the question of marriage. "I want to stay here." Because that, I think, is what this is really about. Kent, I know, could care less about whether or not I actually marry Daniel - our wedded life isn't what interests him. Instead, it's my allegiance.

"There are other ways," Kent says, his eyes drifting down over my body, "of staying in this house. Of proving your loyalty to this family."

My breath comes shallow, then, and I try to stand perfectly still as he looks me over.

"What are they?" I ask, my voice a timid breath. We're getting dangerously close to some tricky territory with this question, with that look in his eye.

"Use your imagination," Kent says, dragging his eyes up to mine. Then, as if he can't stand it a moment later, he turns away from me, heading back down the stairs.

I let him go, but step to the edge of the banister to watch him as he heads back downstairs. I see that his hands are clenched into fists, his knuckles white. The only thing belying the tension behind that strange question he just asks.

And frankly, I would consider it.

Did I want to marry Daniel?

What were the alternatives? Were any of them anything I could actually accept?

"Are you ready?" Daniel asks, coming out of his room in a chic suit, looking so much like his dad at that moment that I just stare at him. He blinks at me, confused.

And I realize that there is absolutely no heat between us, between Daniel and I.

But me and Kent...

Damnit, we could start a forest fire, if we weren't careful.

What the hell was I supposed to do with that?

The next morning I get up very early, stretching my arms over my head as I consider my plans for the day. The stables, for sure, but...well, I hope that if I can catch Kent early, maybe he'll let me go visit my sister and my dad this afternoon. I haven't seen my dad in so long, and my visit with Janeen just made me miss him so much.

I climb out of bed swiftly, then, eager to get started.

Dinner with Daniel had been really nice and - well, Kent had been right. The dress he suggested really had drawn the eye. Not that Daniel really noticed. Instead, the experience just solidified for me just how much of our marriage will be a cozy friendship instead of. Well, instead of something else. Something spicier.

As I pull on my tight riding pants, I consider Kent's words last night. Is marriage to Daniel really my best choice in this world? Did I really want to trade my hand in marriage - my own trump card, apparently - for something I'm sure won't truly fulfill me emotionally? If there are other ways to demonstrate my loyalty to the Lippert family - and keep the benefits of my life here - shouldn't I explore them?

My mind surprises me, then, by turning to Ivan.

He had told me himself that he was throwing his hat into the ring. And, well. He noticed me in ways that Daniel certainly does not. I have to admit, too, that I'm definitely drawn to him.

Was there something there, in that option?

I bite my lip, considering it as I pull my boots on. He's still Kent's enemy. What would it mean, really, to consider Ivan as a romantic option? What would it cost me, in terms of my connections to the Lippert clan?

I sigh, finally getting my boot on and hunching my shoulders for a minute. These questions are way too big to be asking without coffee. My mind on a caffeine boost, I walk to my door, pulling it open, ready to head downstairs.

I'm shocked, though, to see someone already there.

I jump backwards as the figure hurries past me and then down the stairs. He's got a hoodie pulled up over his head, so I can't see who it is, but he's certainly young, and with the height and broad shoulders of a guy. Suddenly, I hear the noise of Daniel's door snicking shut down the hall and my mouth drops open as I put the pieces together.

Oh my god.

Oh my god.

Daniel had a guy in his room last night!

I giggle a little to myself, pressing my hand over my mouth to contain the noise. He'd told me he was interested in someone, but I hadn't realized he was sleeping with them. How long had this been going on?

I take a few steps into the hall, peering down the steps, but whoever it is has disappeared. I shake my head, then, starting down the stairs myself as I consider that this is certainly not a mark in the be-loyal-to-Daniel category. Clearly, he's not being loyal to me - not even really pretending to be.

Oh well. A problem for another time, I think, walking down the hall and pressing the door open to the kitchen.

It's very early, but there are still a few people here, getting their day started. I walk over to the espresso machine and make myself a cup, looking around for Kent. I hope I get to ask him about a trip to see my dad before the day has a chance to piss him off.

I screw my mouth to the side, though, disappointed when I realize that he's not here. I lean back against the counter on which the espresso machine rests, taking a sip of my hot drink and considering my next choices.

To my surprise, Jerome pushes through the door to the kitchen and smiles at me, coming right over. "Hey," he says. "Stables today?"

I nod eagerly. "Yeah, I'm just looking for Kent first - I wanted to ask him -"

His grimace stops my words, though. "Ohhh," he says, "sorry, Fay. But he's already gone."

"What!" I exclaim, my shoulders slumping in my disappointment. "Man, I got up early and everything! I thought I would catch him."

"Sorry," he says, putting his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, he's got a lot of business today and wants to get started early. But!" He gives me a big smile here. "He wants me to take you to the tables. So," he gives me a deep, mocking bow, "I'm at your service, my lady." "What?" I say, shocked. "Seriously? You?"

He laughs and straightens up, nodding. "I know. I was surprised as you are. He gave me that look that meant touch her and you die, though. So." He shrugs, "best behavior and everything. But looks like I'm back on good terms with the boss."

"He's so crazy," I murmur, looking down into my coffee. "One day he's punching you for hanging out with me, the next he assigns you to hang out with me. I can't make any sense out of him."

"Maybe he likes it that way," Jerome says, shrugging again. "Keeps people on their toes with the chaos of his moods."

"Well," I murmur, setting my cup back on the machine and pushing the buttons again for a refill. "If we've got all day, might as well have a luxurious breakfast."

Jerome nods eagerly in agreement and heads off to ask whoever is cooking today to make us something. Then, we sit down at my usual table, chatting passively. About thirty minutes into our meal, Daniel joins us, the two greeting each other casually as Daniel comes and gives me a kiss on my cheek.

Huh, I think, looking between them as Daniel sits and they begin to converse easily. I didn't even know they knew each other.