But of course Kent would have taken it away, because Ivan was his enemy in more ways than one. But I – I hid it, so I could keep it… Even though Ivan…was playing me too. “Fay!” Daniel snaps. “What is he talking about!” And slowly I push myself away from the wall and stand up straight. Ivan doesn’
We’re at the police station for a long, long time before we get any hint of what’s going on. Since we’re not under arrest, I’m allowed to sit with Daniel in an uncomfortable grey chair in the lobby, with lots of cops’ eyes on us. We don’t say much, even though Daniel takes my hand and holds it tigh
Kent just shakes his head. It’s not that he’s actually comfortable…he just. There’s no reason to move. He is not going anywhere until he gets the word back from the lab. And considering that they paid an exorbitant amount of money to convince the lab workers to process his specimen immediately and
I’m startled from my nap on Daniel’s shoulder a little while later by a gentle shake at my shoulder. I raise my head, groaning at the crick in my neck and wiping at my mouth where I’m horrified to see there’s a little drool. Blinking, confused, I look around. Where… “Hey, baby,” a soft voice murmur
“What?” I gasp, yanking my hand out from hers. “Janeen! You’re talking to Ivan!? He completely betrayed me!” “Did he?” Janeen asks, her eyebrows going up. “I mean, how –“ “He’s the reason Kent was arrested, Janeen,” I say to her through gritted teeth. I mean – it’s not really her fault, how would
When I walk out of my bedroom the next morning Janeen comes over to me with a glass of orange juice – what I always started my day with as a kid – but I barely notice as she places it in my hand because I am too busy gawking at the incredible view from the second-story living room of my house. My h
“Pickings are slim,” Daniel says, grinning at her. “All in jail for the moment. Though if you’re into girls, I know some Russians…” Janeen raises her eyebrows, clearly intrigued, but I interrupt. “Enough of this –“ I say, stepping between them. “We need…” and then I sigh, deciding how to phrase th
When I open the front door to my shore house, I’m a little appalled – but somehow, not surprised - to see Ivan standing there. “Are you serious,” I growl, moving to slam the door shut. But he throws out an arm, stopping me. “I just want to talk, Fay.” I stare up at him, hatred all over my face. “
My dad greets him with such genuine joy and excitement that it makes my heart swell with joy. They talk for a few minutes about Dominic’s day before dad gives him a little nudge back towards the gate where Kent and I are waiting. Dominic gives dad a kiss before running ahead again. My dad waves to
“Papa!” Dominic shouts, startling me out of my reverie as he drops my hand and darts down the road. I look up, a huge smile breaking out on my face again as I see Kent on the sidewalk just ahead. His back is to us as he speaks companionably with the butcher, a heavy bag of his purchases already hung
As I walk down the street towards the little Italian kindergarten, the whispers start around me, as they always do. I listen to all of them, a big German Shepherd padding quietly at my heels. “Is that her?” “Yes, that’s the one – I heard she was her husband’s mistress before he married her – tha
Both Kent and I laugh, but Don Bianci – across the baptismal font from us – snaps his eyes up, perhaps not liking the joke as much as we do. But I just ignore it, because dad’s right, frankly – and it’s too happy a day to care. After the final blessing everyone applauds Dominic – he likes that, bl
“Well, it didn’t seem to affect your first very badly,” Ivan says with a shrug, peering around Kent to where Daniel is laughing with an arm around Jerome’s shoulders. “So…maybe keep it up.” I smirk, squeezing Ivan’s hand once more before standing and moving to Kent’s side, tucking myself against h
“Hey, gorgeous,” Ivan says, his mouth turned up in a smirk as I cross the churchyard, beaming at him. “Look who’s talking,” I say, laughing and reaching for him when I come close enough. Ivan wraps me in a hug, dropping a kiss to my cheek as I hold Dominic a bit to the side so he doesn’t get squis
He laughs, smiling at me genuinely. “Do I make you nervous?” he asks, blunt. I laugh, unable to help it. “Has no one bothered to tell you, in all these years, that you’re a little terrifying, Don Bianci?” He grins and shakes his head at me. “Well, considering what you accomplished, young lady, I
Two months later, we’re all gathered together again. And it is only with frustration that I see Gio and Janeen standing so close together that their arms nearly brush, even though they’re still not together. I roll my eyes, dismissing the problem for a moment as I move my eyes down to Dominic and
It's an incredible night. Kent didn’t lie, not at all, about the food either. I’m shocked by the mountains of dishes that continue to follow each other, one after another, long into the night. After a few hours of it I just mournfully watch the waiters go by because I couldn’t eat another bite if I