Chapter 71
I hear the sound of gunshots ringing out behind us, of footsteps-
At some point, something tugs on the back of my dress but then
it’s gone –
When we reach the treeline I look back, just a moment, and see that there’s a body behind me what tried to grab me –
Kent is about halfway behind us, running too, squeezing off live fire as he goes at dark forms chasing him from the club –
Suddenly, though, he stumbles, grabbing his arm-
“Daniel!” I shout, slowing, trying to turn back-
“Come on, Fay!” Daniel yells, gripping my hand harder and yanking me forward.
“But your dad –”
“He told us to go! Don’t turn back!”
I hesitate, but the decision is made for me as Daniel’s hand pulls me forward, locked around mine. I follow him, my breath coming fast and sharp in my chest, an ache rising in my muscles as I push,
push.
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2/5
As we go, it gets quieter. We run through a small set of woods, across the soft green grass of some golfing greens – even through
and over a tiny creek that stands in our way as we head towards another set of trees – this one larger, a copse of pine.
When we’re under their boughs, I fall to my knees.
“Please,” I pant, putting my hands down on the ground as well, ignoring the spikes of old dry needles that press into my palms. and legs. “Please, Daniel-” I say, sucking air into my lungs “I just need – just one minute –”
“Okay,” he says, crouching down next to me, looking around warily. “I think…I think we may be okay for now we may have lost
them –”
I nod, agreeing, but not really knowing whether or not he’s right. I concentrate on the ground, on getting air back into my lungs, the sweet feel of it bringing clarity to my thoughts, to my panicked
emotions.
“What was that,” I ask, looking up at Daniel with worry and horror on my face. He’s much calmer than me, both physically and mentally. “How are you so okay – have you done this before?!”
He shrugs. “Once or twice,” he says, putting a hand on my shoulder. “It doesn’t get…better. But you stop being so shocked, after your first time.”
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3/5
I laugh ruefully, then, realizing that Daniel means that this won’t be the last time this happens to him, or to me. This is part of the life.
I open my mouth to ask more when a dark figure comes into sight. Both Daniel and I scramble back-
“It’s fine,” the figure says, coming forward and stretching out a hand. My fear subsides when I recognize Kent’s voice.
“Dad,” Daniel says, rushing over to him. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” Kent growls, but I can see that he’s clutching his left arm with his right hand. Daniel bends down to look at it but Kent flinches away. “Seriously, it’s not deep,” he murmurs. “The phone is in my pocket,” he says next, nodding down at his suitcoat. “Get it out, text Carlos. Drop a pin to let him know our location and tell
him to meet us.”
Daniel nods, taking the phone out of his father’s pocket and following his instructions. As he does, Kent turns his eyes to me. “Are you all right, Fay? You’re not hurt?”
I shake my head no, but then realize that I’m trembling all over. He
watches me closely. “Um,” I say, trying and failing to put a smile
on my face. “I’m really okay? I don’t know why…” I look down to survey my shaking limbs, “I don’t know why I’m shaking?”
“You’re in shock,” Kent murmurs, coming closer to me and going down on one knee so that we’re face to face. He looks me in the
eye. “I need you to take a deep breath, Fay,” he says. I open my
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mouth to protest – I don’t know why- but he interrupts.
“No,” he says sharply. “No arguments. Just look at me.”
I do. I lock eyes with him, taking in his serious face, his steely control. The gun still clenched in his left hand.
God damnit, I start to shake harder.
4/5
“With me, Fay,” he says, holding my gaze, speaking softly. “One,” he says, taking a deep breath in. I do the same, pulling as much air into my lungs as I can. When he exhales, I exhale.
Then, again. “Two,” he says, taking another deep breath. I do the
same.
We continue like that for a while, until count fifteen, when Daniel
interrupts.
“Okay,” he says. “Carlos is here –” he points into the darkness beyond the grove of trees. “About five hundred feet that way, there’s a road. Carlos is on it. He says it’s clear.”
“Let’s go then,” Kent says, standing up. I stand up with him. He breaks my gaze for a moment to hold out the gun to Daniel, who hesitates and takes it. Then, with his free hand–slick with blood, I
notice – he takes mine.
Kent nods to me. I nod back. And then the three of us quietly walk through the night, Daniel running point, Kent walking quietly next
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to me.
5/5
I look down at our joined hands, then, as we head towards the car that will take us home to safety and wonder, passingly, why it is Kent who holding my hand right now. And not Daniel.
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Gifts
Fall For My Ex’s Mafia Father
Chapter 72
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