Chapter 0326

Which, really, is all Janeen wants for her little sister right now.

Fay sighs and looks askance at the three beers sitting mostly-empty on the table. “I'd kill for one of those right now,” she

murmurs, rubbing a hand absently across her belly.

Smirking, Jerome pushes his beer bottle towards her, and she glares at him. “What?” he says, grinning. “It’s not like you didn’t

pickle the baby in tequila for the first month of your pregnancy.”

With a little growl, Fay leans forward and smacks him on the arm, glaring. “I didn’t know, Jerome!”

“Eh, a little more won't hurt,” he replies, laughing and nudging the bottle closer, but Fay just closes her eyes and tilts her head

back, resting it against the cushion on the back of her chair, relaxing and catching up on her thoughts.

They all sit quietly for a long moment, doing the same as Fay and sorting through their thoughts, their priorities, their suddenly-

changed lives. Because as much as they all know they’re dedicated to the same cause, they’re also aware that they have very

different roles within it.

After a long moment of staring out at the dark night settling over the sea, searching for the place where the sky meets the waves,

Daniel turns his attention back to Fay.

“So, Donna Lippert,” he says with a sigh. “What’s next?”

Fay sits silently for a moment longer before lifting her head back up and opening her eyes, looking straight at him. “Well,” she

says slowly, and then she sighs. “I think it's time you called your uncle,”

Daniel blinks rapidly in surprise while Jerome’s eyes go wide. “What?”

“And Natalia too,” she says, sighing again, harder this time, “much as I am loathe to bring her back.”

“That fucking vocab again,” Janeen mutters, shaking her head. Fay ignores her.

“Wha — why on earth do you want them back?” Daniel asks, shocked. “Plus, I don’t even know if they will — dad's been all tied up

in the justice system now, they will not want to get their hands dirty trying to get him out.”

“I don’t want them to try to help your dad,” Fay says, frowning at him. She waves a dismissive hand. “That’s — I mean, don’t we

think that’s a lost cause? Isn’t that what the lawyers say — that Kent’s probably going away for life, with all they've got him on

now?”

Daniel nods slowly. “Yeah,” he says, his eyebrows going up. “So...why are you looking to get Natalia and Alessi back?”

“For the wedding,” she says simply, her eyes wide as if she doesn’t understand why he doesn’t get it. Her hand — still wearing its

engagement ring — still continues to rub back and forth across her lower stomach. “After all, Alessi will want to be one of the first

to know about his great-nephew. And I’m sure Don Bianci will be interested to hear about what I assume is his first great-

grandchild?”

Daniel's jaw drops open — and so does Jerome’s — as they figure out what she’s saying.

“Plus,” Fay says with a little sigh, looking down at the table. “My father will be interested to discuss the new family ties and their

implications for future business.”

“What?” Janeen asks, her face twisted with confusion. “Dad wants to —*

“Not dad,” Fay snaps, flicking her eyes to Janeen and holding her gaze. “My father.”

“Oh,” Janeen says, understanding, her own eyes going wide now to match the boys.

“Fay,” Daniel breathes, his shoulders suddenly tense. “Are you...are you serious? We'’re...going forward with this?”

“Would you like to back out of the engagement, Daniel?” Fay asks, her voice cold. “Abandon me when I’m pregnant?”

“I mean...no,” he says, hesitating. “If

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“Probably next week is better,” she murmurs, looking out over the sea, making Janeen’s mouth drop open and Jerome laugh a

dry little laugh.

Daniel turns to stare at his boyfriend,

wondering what the hell is so fe

about this. Nana g/ datomb rep ies

tO yyeauhadke question, just

shrugging. “Donna Lippert just

doesn't take long to act, does she?”

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“There’s no time to waste,” Fay murmurs, still not looking at them. “There’s...way too much to do. We've got to get started right

now.

“Fay,” Daniel whispers, staring at his

beautiful redhaired fiancé, w

turn is s ing intowierigne as if she

wean the darkness itself.

“What the hell do you have planned?

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.

But Fay doesn’t answer.

She, like Kent, has learned to keep her secrets to herself.

She'll tell them what they need to know when they need to know it.