Fall For My Ex's Mafia Father novel Chapter 51

“Wow,” I say, taking a sip from my glass. “Um, my family – I mean, the family I was adopted into – we didn’t pay a lot of attention to that sort of thing. So to find out I have great-grandparents and second cousins all in one day…” I raise my eyebrows in emphasis and they laugh, nodding.

“Yeah,” Michael says. “It must be a lot, to go from nothing into a big Italian family like this.”

“We remember you, though!” Amy says with a big smile. “Because you were our little redheaded Baby Fay –“

I blink, suddenly, at the way she says that. Baby Fay – only one other person calls me that –

“We used to play with you at family parties,” she continues, “like I remember one summer, our other sister Fiona –“

“Hey,” Michael says sharply then, nudging her with his elbow.

“Oops,” Amy says, lifting her fingers to her mouth. She rushes to continue, then, trying to move the conversation on. “Yeah, anyway, I remember you when you were so little on the slip-n-slide –“

“Wait,” I say, putting out a hand to stop her. “Fiona? Is that –“

Suddenly, though, Kent is by my side. “Fay?” He asks, looking sternly at my new cousins. “Did you have some trouble getting your drink?”

Michael, Chris, and Amy stare at Kent, maybe a little star-struck. “Kent,” I say, gesturing towards them. “These are my cousins –“

“Come on,” he says, ignoring them and taking me by the arm. I look back at them and grimace a little, shrugging as I let him pull me away. They all give me a little wave. As I walk away I see Michael say something sharp to Amy, who cringes.

“What’s the big deal,” I murmur to Kent when we’re out of earshot. “They were nice –“

“I don’t know them,” Kent says, bringing me back to the table. “And if I don’t know them, they’re a liability.” He glances back at them and shakes his head. “We can’t take risks like that, Fay.”

I sigh at him. “Kent, if I’m going to come to these things to meet my family, you have to let me, you know. Meet my family.”

He just glares at me and turns away to survey the room again.