Fall For My Ex's Mafia Father novel Chapter 316

“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 this. I turn to my sister. “Janeen, Daniel and I need to make plans. And you’re welcome to be in on them, but if you do…I need you to either be in or out. You’re either a part of this, or you should – for your own safety – stay out of it completely.”

Janeen goes quiet for a moment, studying me, and then flicks her eyes to Daniel. “Did you do this to her?” she asks quietly. “Turn my geeky little sister into a mafia boss?”

“Nah,” I hear Daniel answer, and I don’t look at him. “That’s all dad.”

“Well,” Janeen says, returning her gaze to me. “I kind of like it.”

“So, are you in?” I ask, needing an answer and wanting it now.

“Of course I’m in,” she says, giving me a frown. “You know you can count on me, Fay. Always.”

I turn to Daniel then, because – no matter what – we’re in this together. “You good with that?”

“I am if you are,” he says, looking down at me with his steady green eyes. My heart twists a little as I look up at him. He just looks…so much like Kent.

I quickly look away, needing…well, needing not to go there right now. There’s too much to do. Briskly, I nod. “Okay then. Let’s get started.”

Daniel and I set up camp on the second-story back deck, which is almost too luxurious and comfortable to serve as the base of our command. But we make do, curled up at the circular wooden table with the blue umbrella open above us. Dad, when he wakes, makes us breakfast and brings it to us while the three of us chat. He doesn’t interfere or join in, though – clearly deciding to give us our space.

I thank him and hope he knows how grateful I am that he’s here, but I don’t ask him to get involved – both because I know he doesn’t want to, and because…well, because I can’t stand to put him in that kind of danger. My father is a gentle soul.

Janeen, however, is a terrier. I have much less worry about her – and frankly, she’s even better than Daniel about getting organized and bringing all of our pieces together.