Fall For My Ex’s Mafia Father

Gifts

Chapter 20 – Danger makes me

want to…-1

My heart pounding, I press the stop button on the remote as fast as I can and return my wide eyes to Kent, who is still looking at

1. me.

Please, please, please. By all that is holy, let him not have seen me watching his sex tape.

“What are you doing in here,” he asks, angry.

“Um,” I say, terrified, hoping he doesn’t pick up on the tremor in my voice. “Fiona brought me here? Said I could look through some…” my eyes dart around the room for an answer that is not porn. “Some family photo albums? And home videos?”

He narrows his eyes at me, his eyes flicking to the pile of vintage Playboys on the floor. “She shouldn’t have brought you down here,” he says, moving aside so that I can leave the room. I quickly get to my feet, flicking the power button on the remote so that the TV goes blank.

Then, dropping the remote, I scurry out of the room, praying with all my might that Kent does not go back in to see what tape

is in the VCR.

He closes the door behind me as I head for the steps. “Go upstairs,” he says. “Don’t come down here.”

Glad to obey, I hurry out into the kitchen, heaving a sigh of

phone.

My hand slides over smooth denim. I stop dead in my tracks, panicked, and pat all over my body looking for it. Then, slowly, I turn back towards the little door. I definitely felt it in my back pocket when we left the patio…

God damnit. My phone must have fallen out in the weird porn

room.

Steeling myself, I know I have to go back. If my dad or Janeen ever called I didn’t have it – I’d just die with guilt.

walk back to the little door in the kitchen, pulling it open a crack to listen. I don’t hear a sound. Tentatively, I put a foot on the step, waiting for a creek. Nothing. Then, silently, I hurry down the stairs and through the

chair. Then, for good measure, I pop the VHS out of the VCR and put it back in its black

a mouse, shut the door behind me. I begin to creep back along the hallway

stop dead, terrified that I’ve been caught.

one comes out to scold

to my left, a kind of snap, and then a muffled groan. Unable to stop myself,

Danger makes me

want to…-2

can also see that the

it’s a mistake. I know

these things, though, I stare at the door, consumed by

out a hand to grip the metal handle and then, my inner

without the thick door to keep

moaning, one sobbing, as they look at something

and an undershirt, steps into my line of sight. My eyes take in the strong muscles of his back, the rage that I can see pulsing through him just by the way he stands

piece of it hanging down from his fist, the buckle dangling. As I watch, Kent rips his fist to the side letting the belt drag across

his shoulders heaving. The men tremble before him, crying. They shake their heads no, but this is apparently not the answer that Kent

him, pressing the sharp edge of the knife to the man’s pinky finger. The scream turns to a howl

feel myself trembling, I can’t move, can’t stop watching. The man

and then –

god

peeking through the door, fixates on me. He begins to scream

Kent’s eyes shift to the other man and then move

door shut and then bolt – bolt –

I scramble up the stairs, sprint across the kitchen, pull open the kitchen door

my god, I think, he’s a monster, he’s

– but now? The truth feels like it has

myself towards my room, my fingers inches from my doorknob, when something grabs me around my waist, hauling me back

B

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Gifts

makes me

free, but he holds me fast. He grabs me by the hair at the back of my neck, forcing my head back, my face turned up towards his. I

remembering my rationale for being there. “I