Fall For My Ex's Mafia Father novel Chapter 34

I gasp, my eyes going wide, and then – instantly, like flipping a light switch – I come back to myself.

“Oh my god!” I shout, putting my hands up against his chest and shoving him. “Oh my god you are so gross!”

He laughs then, truly entertained but not moving at all against my pushes. After three or four, though, Kent takes a step back, letting me push past him and dash across the room. I spin when I get to my desk, leaning back against it, my breath coming fast.

Kent stands calmly by the door, watching me, laughing.

God, I hate him.

My lips curl back a little as I sneer at him, this horrible man, torturing me after – after what he did to those people in the basement -

“Oh come on, Fay,” he purrs, putting his hands in his pockets. “You were the one who was so curious to see what was going on in the basement, even after I told you to leave. You should be brave enough to admit that you wanted to see it, that you liked it.”

“I did not,” I say, stamping my foot a little. “I went down to get my phone –“ I scramble at the pants of my jeans, producing it as if it’s evidence and tossing it on the desk. “I definitely didn’t want to see anything that was going on in that room –“

“Fay,” he says, his voice light and tempting, almost sing-song. “I saw you, Fay. I saw you crouched down, peering into the room. You weren’t just passing by. You stopped. You opened the door so that you could watch me.”

I snap my mouth shut, staring at him.

He’s right, of course. I was tempted. I did look. God, seriously, what was wrong with me?

He laughs softly again at me again, at the expression of guilt on my face.

Slowly, he takes three steps towards me, sliding his hands into his pockets. “If you’re going to be in my house, Fay,” he says. “You’ll follow my rules. Was I not clear about that before?”

Quickly, I shake my head. I’ve known since the moment I walked into this house that Kent’s will is law. I watch him as he slowly takes two more steps in my direction.

“If you don’t follow my rules, Fay,” he says, coming ever closer. “You will be punished. Do you want me to punish you?”

I don’t move – don’t answer.

A perverse part of me considers the question – actually considers whether –

“No,” I say quickly. “No, I’m sorry, I won’t do it again.”

Kent shakes his head, a little closer right now. Fear rises in me, but so does anger. Why is he still coming closer? I promised him I wouldn’t do it again – what else does he want from me?

“It doesn’t work that way, Fay,” he says, prowling. “You broke the rules once. You just told me you did. Now, you have to take your medicine.”

He’s only feet from me now. I lean back against the desk, desperate for even a few more inches of space. Then, I see him smile, just a tiny thing at the corner of his mouth and realize –

God damnit, he’s enjoying this.

Something in me snaps. I stand up straight. “Don’t you come any closer to me,” I hiss the words from between my teeth.

Kent laughs lightly, continuing to draw nearer. He likes this, I realize. Likes pinning me back in the corner. He’s already gotten everything he needs – my apology, my promise that I won’t do it again – and yet, he’s pushing…

“Why shouldn’t I, Fay,” Kent says softly, almost a whisper. “What are you going to do to me,” his eyes flick over me as he says it, “if I take one. More. Step?”

He’s bearing down on me, his face again inches from mine. “Are you going to run again, Fay?” he asks, so softly only I can hear. “I’ll just catch you.”

My heartbeat ratchets up as I look up at him, at his powerful face, the complete control in his eyes.

Then, I do the only thing I can think of.

I tilt my head back and scream.

Surprisingly, Kent flinches at this, taking a step back. I look back at him as I run out of breath, my eyes wide, a pinch of joy lighting in me as I realize that I actually rattled him, just a little. Building on the effort, I throw my head back again, taking a deep breath, getting ready to let it all out when he grabs me –

“God damnit, Fay,” he growls, slapping a hand across my mouth and pulling me to him so that my left shoulder is crunched against his chest. “What do you think that is going to do!?”

But I look up at him with a little bit of victory in my eyes. He wouldn’t be shutting me up if he thought it wasn’t going to do anything. He’d let me scream myself hoarse if he didn’t care.