The police process the bail faster than I thought they would – though, as I consider it, I realize that I have no idea how long it usually takes. Daniel gathers the car keys off the table, nodding to us after he hangs up with the police, letting us know that he’s going to go get Jerome. “Fill ‘er u
Janeen takes a soft minute with me, turning me so that I look at her, making soft shushing noises and wiping my cheeks free of my tears as they fall down my face. “Hey, hey!” she says, “what’s all this! No, this is a happy day! A little baby – a real cutie, probably, considering its parents!” This
Jail is…just as bad as Kent remembers it being. Except this time, he knows he’s not getting out anytime soon. Whatever it is these guys have on him, it’s bad – it has to be. They wouldn’t have hunted him down at his damn urologist’s office if it wasn’t. Whatever it is, they have him now and they’re
Kent just laughs and sits back in his chair, shaking his head. Whatever. At least he knows, now, what’s going on. The city’s taking him down as an example – pinning some other boss’s dirty work on him in an exchange for information. Damn it. He was going down for more than what he actually did, and
Janeen, Jerome, and Daniel all watch through the glass of the back door as Fay and her dad sit on the couch, having a long chat during which she explains a lot of stuff that…he probably doesn’t want to know. They’ve been watching the myriad of emotions cross his face, but Janeen is finally relieved
Which, really, is all Janeen wants for her little sister right now. Fay sighs and looks askance at the three beers sitting mostly-empty on the table. “I’d kill for one of those right now,” she murmurs, rubbing a hand absently across her belly. Smirking, Jerome pushes his beer bottle towards her, a
The luncheon we have a week later is…awkward, to say the least. I say a little prayer of thanks about every ten seconds that Daniel hasn’t left my side for a moment, charmingly fending off questions and making small talk with both the Biancis and the Aldens while I stay quiet, smiling prettily. I l
My father’s speech wraps up a waiter comes to take my plate and deliver a glass of champagne to Daniel and sparkling cider to me. “To my daughter, the beautiful Fay,” my father says, looking at me adoringly as he raises his glass in my direction – Fucking snake, is all I can think. Because I know,
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